Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

[Esks4ever]

Marsh's injury shrouded in mystery
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON




Steven Marsh has left Edmonton in complete frustration to look for answers.

Although he had surgery in the winter for a torn ACL in his left knee, Marsh still can't run.

The brilliant outside linebacker was hoping to get some positive news from the Eskimos medical staff last week, but he didn't receive it - meaning his 2006 season is very likely over.

But more importantly for the personable 26-year-old North Carolina native, it now appears his career is in major jeopardy because he has yet to meet anybody who has a solution to his wonky left knee.

For that reason, Marsh has gone searching for help south of the border.



"I am going to see a new doctor next week in Houston," said Marsh from his Tennessee home yesterday.

Marsh found this doctor while researching his condition on the Internet.

In the medical world, Marsh has arthrofibrosis, which is scarring of a joint in the knee. The ACL in his left knee is fine, but he has plenty of scar tissue from the surgery, which is causing the lack of flexibility in the knee and the inability to run.

"I was reading some things on-line, doing some research, and I came upon some patients who have had similar conditions as me," said Marsh.

"It was really the first time I have found anything and any doctors who have had any experience as far as successful recoveries in my condition.

"That is one of the reasons I am going to see (this doctor).

"He did operations, some physical therapy and a number of other things that caught my eye as far as helping me get back."

After seeing this doctor next week, Marsh is hoping he'll finally have a new game plan that will eventually lead to a solution.

SHORT YARDAGE: Before Marsh left town, he quietly helped Gerald Dixon adapt to the SAM-linebacker position. The players were roommates through training camp. "It hurts my heart to see a guy like that work so hard and be in a situation like that," said Dixon ... Marsh is still getting a full paycheque because he's on the nine-game injured list.

[Esks4ever]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

It's up to Gerald
Dixon may have finally found stability
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, EDMONTON SUN




It has been a long time since Gerald Dixon has had a consistent and prominent starting role on any football team.

The clock has to be turned back nearly four years to find the last time Dixon was a major player.

It was the fall of 2002 in Alabama, where Dixon was a senior defensive back on one of the stingiest and nastiest defences in American college football.

But after four years of bouncing around teams on either side of the Atlantic Ocean, Dixon has a chance to be a huge part of the Edmonton Eskimos' defence.

With outstanding SAM-linebacker Steven Marsh on the sidelines indefinitely with a knee injury, Dixon has the job in his hands.



It's his to keep or lose - but so far, he's handling the brand new assignment in fine style.

"He played very well (last week in Calgary)," said defensive co-ordinator Rick Campbell. "He played well enough for us to win."

It's a feel-good story considering nothing has been easy since the start of his final year in college.

PROMINENT BOWL GAME

Dixon was projected to be a fourth-round NFL draft pick, but couldn't shine on the national stage in a prominent bowl game - even though Alabama was ranked fifth in the nationwide polls in 2002 - because the school was on probation.

"We had recruiting violations and some more stuff that they (the school) told me I can't talk about," said Dixon.

The lack of visibility probably hurt him that year.

"A couple of us that should have got drafted, didn't get drafted," said Dixon, who was an all-conference player.

The snub at the draft meant he was eventually a free-agent pick up by the Detroit Lions in 2003, but was cut.

He ventured across the Atlantic to NFL Europe, but barely had time to have a cup of coffee with the Scottish Claymores before he was gone.

SMALL PAYCHEQUE

The Buffalo Bills then took a shot at him in 2004, but he lasted less than two months.

He was finally able to get some sort of a small pay cheque last year in the CFL, starting six games in the secondary in the regular season for the Eskimos.

But he didn't dress for the playoffs or the Grey Cup and came to training camp this spring with no job security.

"When I came to camp, I was a long shot to make the team," admitted Dixon.

But when the Esks moved Shannon Garrett to his old halfback spot to start the regular season last week in place of Donald Brady, the SAM-linebacker job was suddenly handed to Dixon.

At 5-10 and 192 pounds, he's tiny to be a linebacker, but in reality, the SAM position is essentially a defensive back covering quick receivers in wide-open field 80% of the time - and Dixon has speed to burn.

He actually ran the 100-metre dash in high school in a blazing 10.35 seconds, the second-fastest high-school clocking that year in Maryland.

And his family has incredible genes.

"I have two cousins that qualified for the Olympics and two other ones that finished as silver medallists in the 4x100 relay (for Jamaica)," said Dixon.

But most importantly for the 25-year-old import, he can really lock down receivers.

"He has a tremendous amount of ability," said receiver Ed Hervey.

''The Esks are just hoping that ability shines through the whole year.

[Esks4ever]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Mookie's men were too much
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON




The Edmonton Eskimos are definitely a loose bunch heading into a critical game with the Calgary Stampeders this weekend.

In fact, the locker room was full of playful trash talking yesterday after Mookie Mitchell walked in with a championship belt and a huge championship ring that he used as props while bragging about the Miami Heat winning the NBA championship over Dallas.

"When my team was losing 2-0 everybody counted us out," said Mitchell, who was born and raised in Miami. "All these Texas fans - Ed (Hervey), (Jason) Tucker - (were saying): 'Ah, they're going to get swept. The Miami Heat are front-runners. 'Hey, the front-runners took it into (Dallas's) house. Now they're taking the (NBA championship) back to South Beach."

Mitchell then strutted around the dressing room with the championship wrestling belt over his shoulder. It prompted Hervey to blurt: "Where's the chair so we can bash him from behind from the top of the ropes."

[Esks4ever]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Pat, or standing pat?
Maciocia must decide if Woodcock will play
By JONATHAN HUNTINGTON, EDMONTON SUN




Danny Maciocia has an interesting decision to make today.

Before the CFL-imposed 2 p.m. deadline, the Edmonton Eskimo head coach has to determine if veteran Canadian receiver Pat Woodcock will be activated to the 46-man roster from the injured list.

They'd love to have the former Ottawa Renegade in the line up.

"I thought he was probably one of our better receivers early in camp," said Maciocia.

But that was before he pulled his right hamstring on the fourth day of training camp. However, the 2002 Grey Cup Most Outstanding Canadian practised again yesterday, running slotback routes and reverse plays with relative ease.



"It feels pretty good," he said after practice. "I'm still not 100%, but I think I can play."

Woodcock has the talent to be a game-breaking receiver and if he's activated, raw rookie Jean-Francois Romeo will likely be waived to the practice roster or stashed on the one-game injured list.

But Maciocia will still have until one hour before kickoff Saturday night to decide Woodcock's fate. If his right hamstring becomes a bigger problem, the Esks can still scratch him and dip into their practice roster, grabbing Jarred Winkel or taking Romeo if he's available.

SHORT YARDAGE: If Maciocia doesn't want to roll the dice with Woodcock tomorrow, he might activate veteran fullback Deitan Dubuc for Romeo. Dubuc spent last week on the injured list for an apparent leg problem, but appears healthy now ... Cornerback Malcolm Frank will play Saturday with a heavily bandaged left thumb after tearing ligaments last Saturday in Calgary ... Sean Fleming handled almost all of the punting and kicking duties again yesterday at practice, further pointing to import Rodney Williams being benched ... After another solid practice it seems likely that Andre Sommersell will be a starting defensive end Saturday. An injured ankle kept him out last weekend.

[Beerfish]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Some of the things Maciocia says leave me wondering at times. All through camp all he did was trumpet how fantastic Garrett was adapting to LB, right pretty well till the end of camp he has him playing LB, then 'bing'! all of a sudden Dixon is the starting LB and Garrett is back to half back.

Then this Woodcock bit, 'He was one of the best receivers in camp'...he got injured the 4th day.

[Esks4ever]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

ya I kinda wondered WTH with that comment

[Esks4ever]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Moon to Kelly ... a super-sized combo
By CP




TORONTO -- CFL fans will have their say this season regarding who they feel is the top pass-catching tandem in league history.

The league will unveil details today of its Greatest Quarterback-Receiver Connections in CFL History program, which will give fans the chance to vote on-line for one of nine nominated duos.

The first pair will be quarterback Warren Moon and receiver Brian Kelly, who were part of four Grey Cup championships with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Moon completed 266 passes to Kelly from 1979 to 1983 for 5,046 yards and 40 touchdowns. In the four Grey Cup games - all wins - Moon connected with Kelly 13 times for 256 yards and three touchdowns, the most TDs of any quarterback-receiver combination in Grey Cup history.

"Warren was an incredibly gifted quarterback," Kelly said yesterday from Minneapolis, where he works as the manager of a Ford dealership. "He had the arm strength to get the football to all areas of the field, and that's something I realized early in my career. Actually, he had all the talent, I just rode along."



Modesty aside, Kelly spent nine productive seasons with Edmonton, winning the CFL's top rookie award in 1979. He had 575 catches for 11,169 yards and 97 touchdowns before retiring after the 1987 season. A six-time Grey Cup champion, Kelly was got into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

"The nomination is really an honour, especially when you look at the tradition of the Eskimos," Kelly said.

"I played with guys like Tom Scott and George McGowan, both of whom were great receivers, and then there's a guy like Terry Vaughn. They've had a lot of terrific receivers in Edmonton."

DICKENSON STARS: Quarterback Dave Dickenson, whose three five touchdown passes to lead the B.C. Lions to a season-opening win, was named the CFL's offensive player of the week yesterday.

Montreal defensive back Chip Cox claimed the top defensive player honour. Calgary guard Taylor Robertson was named lineman of the week. Saskatchewan's Dominique Dorsey claimed special-teams honours.

[Diesel]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Then this Woodcock bit, 'He was one of the best receivers in camp'...he got injured the 4th day.

No kiddin

[Opus]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

CC's pop has been a public official in Montreal for years......he's seen first hand how to pitch the media nothing but screwballs.......

[Diesel]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

No other receiver skipped rope as well as PW Maybe that's what CC meant.....

[Sgt. Nuke]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Man, you guys are dense. Woodcock is the best receiver on the 2006 Eskimoes on the new CFL video that's coming out. They have given it to CC to test out. I'm pretty sure he's not even aware there's a real season going on right now...

[Andrew]

Re: Edmonton Sun Articles : June 22

Then this Woodcock bit, 'He was one of the best receivers in camp'...he got injured the 4th day.

I don't think thats accurate. More on the lines of this "he was probably one of our better receivers early in camp"