Life as a Rookie (Week 11) Part 14 of 23

Week 11 Ham @ Edm. Monday rolled all too quick for my liking. It was game day and I didn’t get enough sleep. After taking a hard look at things, A.J was right. How did I manage to get a penalty on my day off? In all my years of playing competitive football, I have not once tasted the pleasure, they joy, the sensation, of ever winning a championship. The saying "football is game of inches", is really true!



I have never tasted a big win. Being so close on several occasions, it had never turned out to be. One loss that really stuck with me was in 2003 at the World Global Jr. Championship in California. During the 4th my team and I were 7:29 left from capturing the title. Up 21 it came down to 4th and 1 on their 42yrd line. Now, any member of that defense you ask and they will tell you the same thing I'm about to say, "WE STOPPED THEM FOR A LOSS"! They were issued a favourable spot from the officials. Now, any member or staff of that 2003 Team Canada can second this story. So the yards stick came off the sideline. It was time to measure. At such a crucial point in the game, I am still in awe of what happened. As the yardstick was picked up, it seemed to me the referee was tugging harder than normal and the chain slipped off from the stick. It was as if it wasn’t properly attached... When it was all said and done U.S.A got the first down by a smidge of the nose. Two plays later, a 52 yard touchdown catch sparked their comeback. They won in triple overtime (college rules) 34-31. That was the closest I have ever been to winning a championship. So how important is an inch to me? IT'S VERY IMPORTANT!


When an inch in is given and not earned it hurts. Having painful experiences like that prompted the comment to slip out. So with all that in mind, I went in to see the head guy on Monday morning. Nervous I stepped into his office and took a seat. Before any conversation could get started I said, “Coach it was me! I took that penalty. I get very emotional when it comes to football, and I was not happy with the spot. I'm sorry it will never happen again.” To my surprise he wasn't mad. He was actually quite happy I came in and owned up to the penalty. He explained to me that it is much easier to get a penalty on the bench than one on the field. In a close game he said that could have really hurt us. I explained that at that time the game was done and they were taking a knee, but this was a great learning experience for me. It was my first year sitting on the bench. Rookie mistake! So the moral of the story is, watch what you say on the sideline, and everything is not as bad as is seems. You feel much better when you own up to your actions whether good or bad.

Back at practice on Tuesday A.J asked me what happened. I told him I owned up. "Really? good you're still here... So what you got planned for this week?" I laughed "STOP IT!" Still working on my practice speed I was still at 22%. I slowly started to understand the speeds and effort levels. I would let guys win, only slightly challenging them to move their feet. It didn't feel nice letting people win because it felt like I was instilling bad habits in myself. So instead, I would finish the play visually, as if I won or made the play. Thinking about what happened two weeks ago, I did not want a repeat. Wednesday at practice L.W took notice of how I was in position but never made a play on the ball. "How come your letting them catch the ball Okpro?" he questioned. "Lenny I’m scared! I don’t want to hurt anyone! I can’t finish the play how I like to finish, and that’s with people paying the price!" He then told me, "Its not all about hitting, you gotta have a little finesse in you game. You gotta be a little more Sweeter! You gotta add some SWEETNESS to your game". He was right I used to always focus more on the contact. More food for thought.

Thursday was team photo day! The only thing that really upset me was that this was the only time I got to semi-suit up. Other than that it was a fun morning filled with practice, pictures, jokes, and laughs. The last practice of the week we would have a ball drill, and the one with the most drops has to get breakfast for the unit the next day. More often than not it was me! I don’t think really because I had bad hands, but I think Pre our multitalented kicker was throwing the ball just a touch harder, higher, and lower to me. "Pre why you gotta put so much spice on it?" He smiled and said "It will make you better". So once again I am buying breakfast for the largest unit.



Game Day. This game was not as clean as previous ones. As a matter of fact it was plain sloppy from an offensive stand point. Filled with turnovers, Jason Goss was the man today. 3int with 2 going back to the house he set another record in the Esks books. It was really at that moment, looking at all the talent I had around me, and being one the few rookies in the DB squad that I started to enjoy watching from the sideline. Every time the play would come close to the sidelines I was pulled away by teammates, reminded not to say anything. They made a big joke out of it, it was a good laugh. Great Defensive game Esks win 38-33.

Life as a Rookie (Week 10) Part 13 of 23

Week 10 Labour Day Rematch. So happy that my incident last week did not cost us a win. I really went back to the drawing board. Unpleased with myself, I spent the weekend at home again, reflecting. This was the first time I have ever injured one of my teammates in practice. It would be the first and last! Finding the tempo of practice was the goal. I made a decision to only emit 22% effort for the majority of practice. It was clear I was going way too hard at times, and before I kicked it back up I had to be right. The only 2 sections of practice where I went hard was 1 on 1's and scout team. Playing safety on scout team was very important. With the responsibility of giving Rick the read he was going to get in the game, I had to be sure I gave him a clean look. It was a short week, we had just played Monday and the following game was Friday. I did not have much time to visualize things more clearly that week but the process had begun.

Game Day the 2nd and last game we wore those beautiful green helmets. I only had the chance to wear them in practice. Still unsure of my home position, I made a decision on my own. Safety. It made sense! I've been on the scout team strictly as the safety, consistently trying to get better without hurting anyone. I created a system. I'd watch the safety position of both teams in the first qrt. Wanting not only to roam, but having the ability to cover. I watch the cornerback and halfbacks in the second qrt. Also, having the ability to step into the box, I watched linebackers in the third qrt. To be sure I was seeing right when it mattered most, I watched the offensive linemen in the fourth qrt. (Linemen never lie where the play is going) This was the routine for the rest of the season on game day.

The game was another close one back and forth. Every game came down to the last 6:00. It was not surprising anymore and I was getting used to the style of play. Though I wasn't physically on the field, I was there mentally. I made myself feel like I was out there with my teammates. Down two scores in the final 2min, we were able to pull one back and make it a one score game. With no timeouts left it came down to an onside kick. If you were to look at both benches it seemed clear who got the tip. Unfortunately it was ruled as Calgary ball. All was not lost, we could make a stop and have a little time left on the clock. On 2nd and long Calgary got a favourable spot and got the first down. It felt like our team was short changed.

Not really thinking I blurted out "How much they paying you ref?" I was in fan mode! At the time I forgot how close I was to the game, upset that we were about to lose. The ref threw the flag and looked at me and said "I wont have anyone question my judgement". 15 yards was tacked on to the play. Coach came over upset and screaming asking who got the penalty? Speechless I couldn’t say anything. I thought of a Southwest commercial “Wanna get away!"

The following day we had a team meeting and coach wasn’t happy! He spoke on his feelings about the game, and how being undisciplined cost us in the long run. I thought I was in the clear, but just then he said there was one penalty that made him really mad. Right then I dropped my head seeking cover. With no cover in sight, I had guilty written all over my face. He said I don't know who it was but I’m going to find out. Some players had already known that it was me and it was just a matter of time before he found out. Following the meeting A.J asked " Dawg how you going to get a penalty on your day off?" I had no answer for him, and questioned myself of how I managed to put myself in another situation in back to back weeks was. He asked me what I was going to do and I replied "I think I’m going to come clean!" He told me that it wasn’t a good idea given what happened the week before. "They would have you on the next thing smoking Sammy." I asked another fellow player D-Dogg he said the same thing. How did I ever get myself into this situation? You did it again Okpro! I had to ponder all weekend what I was going to do come Monday.

Life as a Rookie (Week 9) Part 12 of 23

Week 9 Labour day Classic. Battle of Alberta at its finest, rivalries renewed if there was a game you wanted to lose it was this one. Mindset "be careful" thinking of what happened in earlier weeks my focus was to stay up. Some teammates were not pleased, I caught some grief by some of them voicing their opinion to me. With that in mind, I tried to be as careful as possible while still getting some work done. We were serving up the kick-off return team and usually I'm on the outside at the 1 or 2 spot responsible for contain. However, this time I was on the inside at the 5 position the wedge buster. Puzzled because I'm nowhere near the body type of a wedge buster. To add to the equation, our 2 man wedge was probably the best in the league, big and mean they rolled over everyone who stood in their way. With that in mind, I ran down knowing the odds I pulled up before contact. Now, 400 plus pounds is a big load to take on when you don't even weigh 200lbs. They knocked me off balance and I was trying to recover and would have if they held me up. But, they finished the deal and put me down, T.J our all-star returner was behind and tried to jump over the pile. With bodies rolling he didn't make it, he got his foot caught between legs and went down. Getting up now everyone looking at me I knew where the blame was gonna fall, given my past history in recent weeks. I was going so soft and being cautious of this situation and it all back fired. One veteran, who had not seen the play because he was blocking started yelling at me in a very disrespectful tone. Vet or no vet you don't talk to someone like that. What was I to say? T.J was rolling on the ground with trainers around him. I was in no position to say anything. Forced to swallow my pride I said nothing, pulled away from other fellow vets to prevent the situation from escalating. I was taken off every special team that day. I felt horrible, I was in the gutter.

After practice as I was getting undressed I was visited by KP. Calm mannered he sat down beside me and said, "Listen Sammy I know you want to get in, your young and hungry I like that. But, you made the team! There is no need to go hard like that in training camp. You got to settle down. I've seen guys handed their walking papers over situations just like this. I need you to learn the practice tempos." He was right! What he said really hit home. I really appreciated the mannerism in which he spoke to me, because some other veterans were not that respectful. I told him I was going to make an effort to learn. Before this incident my style was like a light switch 100% or 0%. I had to find my dimmer.

The next day the status update on T.J informed us he had a sprained ankle and was on crutches. Feeling so bad, I couldn't even look at him. Reporters swarmed as he crutched to his locker, 8 lockers down I watched from mine in embarrassment. It was the story of the week. Coach was mad at me, and though he did not say anything, I could feel it. I took out his guy and forced him to shuffle the line up. I was reverted to minimal duties on special teams, if not pulled completely off the team. This had to be the worst week by far!

Game Day. Some non-dressing players made the trip up to Calgary for the game. Feeling low about what happened I did not attend. Nervously I watched, hoping we wouldn't need one of T.J's big returns to win. The game seemed to be tight but lead by the defense and some turnovers, our offense took advantage and put the game away. To my relief we were able to win even after losing another player. Esks win 37-16.

Life as a Rookie (Week 8) Part 11 of 23

Back in E-town, I felt much better than in previous weeks. I was ready to get back at it again. Like a quick battery recharge, I had that energy again. Sask. was my favourite week! Why? Out of all the defenses I've played scout safety for, this one I was most active. Consistently blitzing it was right up my alley. Thinking of the damage I could do in a defense like this made me really excited. Though I couldn't hit anyone I worked on my timing of the blitzes, noticing that some are meant to be run later than others. It started to make sense. On a different note, the secondary was depleted, and I thought maybe this would be my chance to get in. The idea was far fetched as it did not happen. After having some time to reflect, I came to terms with not seeing the field. Realizing, that my aggressive nature in week 8 was not doing anything to help the team and was upsetting the coaches as well. A couple of pile ups, nearly hurting one of our star players, told me I had to tone it down a notch. I continued to work hard but it was more to better myself rather than get on the field. It was around this time my good friend Charlie had given me a book to read. It was about all the great CFL players and their work ethic. It really changed my thinking when I read that some hall-of-famers did not see the field the first year. I didn't feel that bad anymore. My 1 on 1's got progressively better, though I was still getting balls caught on me I was much closer than previous weeks. I was improving and I enjoyed that.

Game Day. My first home game not dressed! Pre-game was different, I went out and did some condition with the strength coach. Following that I did some footwork pretending as if I was warming up for the game. Next, I hit the sideline and watched the rest of the players warm up seeing what I could take from them to prepare better. I was taking mental notes on everyone. The stadium slowly but surely filled up and before you know, it was game time. We fell down 10 early but rallied back. Edmonton is not typically known to run the ball a whole lot. Who would when you have a receiving core and a QB like that? But we ended up winning the game on the ground. Esks win 27-10.

Life as a Rookie (BYE WEEK) Part 10 of 23

The bye week couldn't have come at better time. Being moved to the practice roster had me feeling down. I was fortunate enough to catch a flight back to Montreal after a close friend of the family made it happen. She paid for the flight via air miles, one of the nicest jesters anyone has ever done for me. Back in Montreal, it felt good to be home. Having a wonderfully cooked meal from my mother was much appreciated. Sleeping in my old bed in the sweet spot never felt so great. Getting up and hopping into Stacey (my old car) was another delight. I haven't driven since I left Montreal and the feeling was great. Hanging out with my close friends; Ceddy Rock, H, DS, Knox, Uncle Willis, G-Mac, Mr. Burns & Jigga Jeff . People I knew around the city asked if I was going to be down for the Montreal game. I told them that as it looks right now, chances are slim. Several people had already brought tickets to come see my supposed first game in Montreal. It felt terrible to tell them I probably wasn't gonna be there. I stopped by St. Joseph Oratory and lit some candles. I prayed to God to give me the strength, power, and guidance to endure whatever my future brings.

Before I left I passed by Percival Molson Stadium just to get a look, in hopes that I would be back in a couple of weeks. I only realized when I was back home in Montreal that I was home sick. I'd like to thank Gayle for helping me get down to Montreal. The trip was just what I needed to get my spirits back up.

Life as a Rookie (Week7) Part 9 of 23

Week 7 Edm @ BC. Feeling better that I got what I wanted most! Some action. A chance to play. Even though I didn't get to hit anyone, progress was made. Walking into the locker room smiling, I was greeted with, "Eh Yooo MAN" I responded with "STOP IT!" my other famous saying. Going to my locker, before I could put my bag down I was asked to come into a side office. Walking behind the distinguished gentlemen, I noticed two new players in the therapy room. I quickly did the math and thought this couldn't be good. The fine gentlemen explained what was about to happen and not having any objections or rebuttal I signed at the X_______. .. At that moment I had a feeling I wasn't going to see the field again. After being so close, I was now so far away. I stood up, shook his hand, and told him if it's best for the team then I'm on board. I've always been a team player, but never on this side of the paddle. The love of my life had left me. I went through practice emotionless. Lethargic for the first time in my life. I didn't want to be there. Not usually one to split so quick after practice, but on this day I was gone before guys could even take their pads off. Not accomplishing any of my goals I set out, I had to go back to the drawing board. In denial, I started hitting the gym hard. All this extra energy, feeling fresh, I had to put it to good use. I wanted to prove to the coaches I was ready. I worked harder, I stopped letting guys win. Giving full effort, I messed up returns and fakes. Defeated, at home I would just lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling wondering what I could do to get in. Once again I stayed home all weekend.

Game Day. I watched from the living room, still depressed at what happened during the week. Trying to stay positive, at least I'm still here! Another great game back and forth but we fell short. Esks lose 40-34

Notes : We lost our starting safety Trey Young

Life as a Rookie (Week6) Part 8 of 23

Week 6 BC @ Edm. This was a very emotional week with injuries starting to add up. The status of Tuck's injury was a big cause of concern. Players were questioned all week! With the way the media frenzied over it, you could tell how important he was to the organization.


Game Day. For the Pre-Game speech, just a day out of surgery, Tuck Blessed the team with his presence. This was the first time anyone saw him since the big hit. Just seeing guys eyes light up when they saw him was really touching. After 2 games not in the line up I was dressed. Flirting with the dress roster I thought maybe I'd start flirting with the field as well. Wanting to get in so bad, I followed the special teams coach around the whole game. We started strong but were flat in the second qrt. In the 3rd qrt it was looking like they were going to put the game away when someone made a play. B-rad big 16 turned the game around.





New life after the Offense turned it around for us. It was second and long when Rick let the ball go. I was like this doesn't look good. Ball sailing over the middle of the field KP went up and caught the ball inbetween 3 defenders. He took a malicious hit that sent him spinning and hit the ground. You could hear the whole crowd going ooooo. To everyone's surprise KP got up immediately, and pulled up the jersey flashing the number 83 for our fallen teammate. The crowd went into a roar! Stadium re-energized, it was the spark we needed. To remind us who we were playing this game for. Two plays later, touchdown. Fred Stamps flashing the 83 as well under his jersey. In the midst of this comeback, injuries had put me on deck. I took my first CFL plays. Heart racing, my assignment was to block. Unfortunately I didn't get to do my job as an assignment error left someone open and they got the first down. Itching to hit someone I didn't get to lay any plastic down. Now, in the 4th another injury required someone on kick off. I GOT EXCITED! Salivating to get in 2 yards on the field, coach holding the back of my jersey looking for the okay from the big guy. Nay! Crushed I was pulled back and replaced. Lead by KP and the receiving core we pulled back into the game and took the lead. BC could not respond as the emotions were just so high that we weren't going to lose. Esks win 35-24

WE GOT YOU TUCK!

Life as a Rookie (Week5) Part 7 of 23

Week5 Edm @ Ham. On the road again, we had another stop to make in Ontario. It was a short week already and to make matters worse we lost a day due to rain. Forcing us to go on 1 practice and a walk through. This type of week really challenges players mentally as some plays might only get run once. Starting to warm up to the team, I began speaking more. Some American players were quite intrigued with my lingo and began repeating it every time they saw me. It was funny with them saying it so often eventually it started catching on. Now every time someone saw me it was "Eh Yooo MAN!" I never realized how much I said the word Eh until they pointed it out. Now it's a common term in Canada but they weren't accustomed to hearing it. My first antic of the year was a good one.

Game Day weather was warm & humid. The sun was blinding, a perfect day for football. You could tell we had a short week it just wasn't as crips as previous weeks. The low scoring first half didn't make for a very entertaining game. It picked up in the second half. On the verge of scoring, we were hit with another devastating injury. We lost Jason Tucker! Unsure of what was happening, it didn't look good. We were all worried hoping that it was not bad and he could get up. The ambulance came on the field and the only thing we knew was that he was conscious and he could move his hands and feet. The team rallied together to pull out the win. Defense held with a last minute interception in the end zone. We went 1-1 on the road trip but suffered some huge losses to the team. Back to E-town.

Life as a Rookie (Week4) Part 6 of 23

Week4 Edm @ Tor. Road trip. Although the team had already been on a road trip, this was my first. I Packed my bags, put on a suit, and hit the road. I was not active this week, so I did not get to fly with the team. It's been two months since I've been in Edmonton which marks the longest time I've been away from home. I wasn't feeling home sick yet but I started to miss the field. How it felt to be under the lights, reading, reacting, making plays. The knots in your stomach before kick-off. The feeling you get when you've made contact and you know its a good hit. Still unsure of what my home position was, I made a decision to only focus on Sam linebacker and Safety and the rest would come with time. Even if I did know only my home position, I would still attempt to learn everyone elses in the defense. This was a big part of my success at Concordia. My coach gave me limitless options to call various plays within the constraints of the defense. He trusted me to make the right call for the right situation. The catch was I had to be right 99% of the time. In order for me to put others in good positions I had to know their assignments. At first it was hard. I felt overwhelmed with such responsibility, but as time went on I got used to it. Taking a picture of everyone pre-snap I made sure things were in order, and if not I had to fix it. I woould like to thank my former coach for giving me such freedom. It truly made a better player.

Game Day. I've been to the skydome several times so it wasn't anything new. Reuniting with some players I met at CFL E-camp, we talked about the hard knocks of being a rookie. Going from former CIS stars to practice players was a big change. It felt good to talk to someone experiencing the same difficulty. We enjoyed a couple of laughs and went to our respective sidelines. Another exciting game going down to the wire but this time we were on the losing end. Esks lose 35-31

Notes: We lost another key member of our defense. Fred Perry went down with a broken leg.





Following the game I met my sister and went over to her place for supper. It was warming to see a familiar face after so long. It felt even better to have a nice home cooked meal. My cooking skills were not up to par yet, still a work in progress. The next day Big Pat, who was also visiting family members in the area picked me up. We returned back to burlington to re-unite with the team.

Life as a Rookie (Week3) Part 5 of 23

Week 3 Tor @ Edm. After our first win, feelings were good around the locker room. I was starting to settle in. Being around the guys everyday, I felt more like a teammate rather than a fan. Finally I got some reps in on the defense. Nothing really interesting happened that week. I was hoping to get in and looking for my first reps on the field. Consistently I checked the board to see if I was starting on a special team, no progress.



Game Day. This game felt much different from the first. Not as intense as the Calgary rivalry, but exciting football none the less. T.J had a great game. Esks win 47-28.