BC Lions Thread

[jerrym]

Defensive line coach Robin Ross discusses the DL while the DL comments on why they like the way he coaches.

"The goal is never to finish in 2nd place."

Defensive line coach Robin Ross on his troops in camp. 🏈 🦁 #CFLTChttps://t.co/RBqX3bU0eq

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 3, 2016

[jerrym]

Buono comments on Day 6 of TC:

"The defence was a lot faster today."@GM_Brillo happy about the start to day 6. 🏈 🦁#CFLTChttps://t.co/jYmo3xpWNf

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 3, 2016

[jerrym]

The Lions have released Anthony Fera and brought in Tiernan Docherty.

Kicker Richie Leone, sidekick Anthony Fera and long snapper Mike Benson became a band of brothers who operated at a different pace and in their own sector from the rest of their B.C. Lions teammates at practice.
Fera’s unexpected departure Friday — ostensibly because of a ‘scoped knee that has been slow to come around — leaves the Leos thinner at the kicking/punting position and places more of a burden on Leone’s shoulders — or legs.
“I don’t know if I really have a comment,” Leone said. “It didn’t help the fact that Anthony came to camp a little banged up. At the end of the day, he had a little knee thing. But he’s good enough to land someplace where he can heal up.”
The appearance of the two import rookie kickers, Leone and Fera, at last year’s camp spelled the end of veteran Paul McCallum’s illustrious career in B.C. The Lions preferred their youthful promise and strong legs over the other important traits of a kicker: experience, the ability to handle success and failure plus remain cool under pressure. McCallum had those qualities in spades.
A three-time Ray Guy Award semifinalist at the University of Houston, Leone led the CFL with a 49.5-yard punting average last season and was rightly named a league all-star at the position. He passed muster as field goal kicker (76.9 per cent) but he was subpar as a convert-maker, missing on 24 per cent of his attempts. Head coach Wally Buono has challenged him to buck up in that department.
“Last year, at this time, I hadn’t kicked a field goal in a game in four years,” Leone said. “Having a season under my belt, having worked through some things in the off-season and having Don (kicking consultant Don Sweet) here, knowing that I have somebody I can trust, when things go tough, I think is going to help me this year.”
Only 24, Leone is now regarded as a mentor by Tiernan Docherty, a former Simon Fraser University kicker who has been tutored by Sweet and was recommended to the Lions by SFU head coach Kelly Bates. Docherty, who has attended a couple of Lions tryout camps, joined the team prior to Fera’s release.
“I’ve already learned a tremendous amount in three days, practising (punting, his admitted weakness) with Richie,” Docherty says. “Ohmigod, I could watch him all day. I can’t imagine what it will be like after three weeks. Hopefully, one day I’ll be pushing him. It’ll be tough. He can really pound the ball.”

http://www.canada.com/sports/footbal...609/story.html

[jerrym]

One of the reasons for the Lions overall success in the Buono era is significant continuity in key coaches and players. New Lions coach Marcel Bellefeuille sees large differences in this regard compared to the Bombers.

For the past three seasons, Marcel Bellefeuille was offensive coordinator of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the last two spent under the regime of Mike O’Shea, the Mute Rockne of CFL head coaches. O’Shea has stated his plausible reasons why his assistants shall remain voiceless while one man does all the talking, strict adherence to the party line being the main one.
But it surely must have been galling for Bellefeuille, in his first season as receivers coach of the B.C. Lions, not to have the opportunity to engage in public discourse and enlighten viewers, listeners and readers with his area of football expertise. The man was, after all, head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for three seasons, his interaction with the media becoming as routine as a daily shower. “It is a new experience,” Bellefeuille acknowledged after handling two interview requests Friday at Lions training camp. “I’ve gone the better part of three years without speaking to the media. It is quite different. It’s club policy there. I like the opportunity to communicate, to reach out to our fan base. It’s nice to have the openness and transparency we have here.”
While Lions skipper Wally Buono runs a tight ship, one could never accuse the league’s all-time winningest coach of being a Captain Queeg, the paranoid central character in the Caine Mutiny threatened by the imagined backdoor manoeuvring of his subordinates. “What am I afraid of?” Buono asked, rhetorically. “Are they (his assistants) that stupid that they’re going to say something that embarrasses us? They’re in their positions because they’re good at what they do. They’re all men. They’re all smart people. If a coach says something out of line, it will be addressed. Trust has got to be a two-way street. I can’t demand trust without giving trust.”
Buono has been in B.C. since 2003, his offensive line coach Dan Dorazio almost as long (this is his 13th season with the Lions). Defensive coordinator Mark Washington joined the team’s coaching ranks in 2008, after five seasons as a Lions player. Offensive coordinator Khari Jones, a former Lions quarterback, is in his third season as a member of the coaching staff.
In the largely successful Buono era, stability has ruled, even in down years when fans with pitchforks and flaming torches were at the gates, demanding “burn the ship.”
“I think that continuity has shown itself in the 2000s,” Bellefeuille said. “They’ve kind of won a Grey Cup every four years or so (2006, 2011, finalists in 2004). You can see they have a base. They kind of re-tool and re-generate. They’ve been consistent over time.” ...

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/cfl/lions+assistant+marcel+bellefeuille+finds+voice+wi th+club/11963575/story.html

[jerrym]

One of the risks/benefits of TC in semi-desert Kamloops.

A scorching 34 degrees for day 8 of camp! ☀️☀️🏈🏈#CFLTC pic.twitter.com/GJhDGUYKNC

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 5, 2016

[jerrym]

Ronnie Yell comments on TC.

"The size of the field suits my game."

Rookie Wide Receiver Kendrick Ings fitting in at first #CFLTC 🏈 👊https://t.co/8IGI4MllO1

— BC Lions (@BCLions) June 5, 2016

[jerrym]

Kendrick Ings talks about why he likes the size of the CFL play and what he has learned from Geroy Simon.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/04/wr...ng-to-the-cfl/

[jerrym]

Jason Arakgi talks about expectations for ST.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/04/ja...are-very-high/

[jerrym]

Special Team Coordinator Marcello Simmons comments on TC.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/04/ma...bout-business/

[jerrym]

Mike Edem is competing with Eric Fraser for the safety position.

Edem, the third overall pick by Montreal in 2013, has turned heads in his first Lions camp as he battles with incumbent Eric Fraser in the secondary. Both players insist it’s welcome competition. “He was a starter last year in this system so that is a great person to be able to talk to about the free safety position and how we are supposed to play,” said Edem.
A combination of the personnel and relationship with a couple of current Lions coaches was what prompted the former Calgary Dinos standout to choose BC on the opening day of free agency. “Chris Tormey was with me in Montreal last year and then I was with Marcello Simmons when I got traded to Hamilton,” added Edem. “That helps a lot. I met Coach Washington before the combine and have always liked the scheme he’s run here.” ...

Fraser has certainly looked motivated by Edem’s solid play. The former Stampeders and REDBLACKS safety was one of the more productive defensive players on day six Friday with a couple of big hits to break up completions and a deflected interception return for a touchdown.
“You see a guy make a play and you want to go do it yourself,” added Fraser. “The biggest thing is to stay within the system and do your own thing. It’s cliché but iron sharpens iron. That’s what this camp is all about. Guys pushing one another at every position.” Fraser, a commercial pilot in training, was taking flying lessons in Calgary when the Lions came calling last July. The kid, who grew up idolizing Carl Kidd and Barron Simpson, is now living a childhood dream.

http://www.bclions.com/2016/06/05/sp...ional-flavour/

[jerrym]

Lions offensive line coach talks about his career.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...485/story.html

[R.J]

BUONO’S LIONS “HAVE TO ADAPT” FOLLOWING HAWKINS DEPARTURE
http://www.cfl.ca/2016/06/07/buonos-...ins-departure/

Iain MacIntyre: Lions' big O-line must come up huge this season
http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...ge-this-season

[R.J]

3Down Radio - June 7th
https://soundcloud.com/3-down-radio/...-radio-june-07

[jerrym]

Nick Moore is happy that he has reunited with Jonathan Jennings.

While starring at the University of Toledo, Nick Moore used to come home in the off-season and run routes at his old high school to stay sharp.
A young quarterback who caught his eye during those throwing sessions will once again be delivering him passes in 2016.
Moore and B.C. Lions pivot Jonathon Jennings both attended Westerville South High School, a sports powerhouse located in a suburb just outside Columbus, Ohio. Their six-year age difference meant the pair never played together in high school, but they will line up alongside each other in the CFL after Moore rejoined the Lions this winter in free agency.
“The type of arm that [Jennings] had in high school, not many kids had,” Moore recalled after a recent training camp practice. “I just knew he was destined to do something great.”
Jennings said he followed Moore’s career at Toledo, his attempts to make the NFL and his journey north of the border to try three-down football.
“I always looked up to him,” said Jennings, who went on to star at Saginaw Valley State before taking a similar path to Canada last season. “I was in middle school when he was a senior in high school. It was always cool going to see him.
“The first time I heard of the B.C. Lions was when he came up here.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...ticle30361782/

[jerrym]

BC's OL is the biggest ever and more Canadian than last year.

Literally and figuratively, the Lions’ offensive line is huge.
From left to right, Jovan Olafioye, Hunter Steward, Cody Husband, Fabien and Levy Adcock average 6-6 and 320 pounds. Their combined weight is nearly the same as a Smart car, a vehicle none will ever have the pleasure of driving. They own bigger refrigerators.
So, Fabien is the smallest lineman the way Australia is the smallest continent, the Arctic is the smallest ocean.
He is not as big as Olafioye (6-6, 325 pounds) the way K2 is not as big as Mt. Everest. ...

Literally and figuratively, the Lions’ offensive line is huge.
From left to right, Jovan Olafioye, Hunter Steward, Cody Husband, Fabien and Levy Adcock average 6-6 and 320 pounds. Their combined weight is nearly the same as a Smart car, a vehicle none will ever have the pleasure of driving. They own bigger refrigerators.
So, Fabien is the smallest lineman the way Australia is the smallest continent, the Arctic is the smallest ocean.
He is not as big as Olafioye (6-6, 325 pounds) the way K2 is not as big as Mt. Everest.

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...ge-this-season

[jerrym]

WR Moore is healthy and the Lions are expected big things from him.

Somewhere under the rainbow, Nick Moore never found the pot of gold.
The Canadian Football League receiver, who appeared to be on the cusp of stardom when he caught 73 passes for 1,105 yards in his third season, is back with the B.C. Lions after a two-year stint with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers that was largely unsatisfying for both parties.
“You’re young, you establish yourself, you shoot for the rainbow,” Lions head coach Wally Buono said Monday of Moore’s career trajectory. “All of a sudden, the rainbow isn’t quite as bright as you imagined. Now you want to get back into an environment, a situation, that’s good for you and you’re comfortable with. His skills are such that he can have a huge year and be a very dominant receiver.”
Despite not yet reaching the potential projected for him, Moore’s biggest failing so far is not being Geroy Simon, the Hall of Fame receiver he replaced with the Lions before signing his two-year deal with the Blue Bombers.
Moore, who turns 30 on June 25 when the Lions play their season-opener against the Calgary Stampeders, has been a good CFL receiver, not a great one.
Buono isn’t counting on Moore to be great, but believes he still can be in B.C.
Receivers coach Marcel Bellefeuille, who was Moore’s offensive coordinator in Winnipeg, thinks the graceful slotback from Westerville, Ohio, will benefit from having Lions’ star Manny Arceneaux drawing coverage on the other side of the field.
“When you go to a team and sign a huge contract, there’s the Geroy Simon expectations,” Buono explained. “It’s not that Nick didn’t fulfill all the expectations (in Winnipeg), but the aura, the presence, that takes time. If he didn’t have a big game, everybody was going: ‘What’s wrong with Nick Moore?’ ”
Well, for starters, health.
Moore was injured and missed 12 of 36 games in Winnipeg, where he caught 76 passes for 899 yards in 15 games last season, the second best of his career.
“There’s a different demand on the body when you’re a go-to guy … the routes that are called for you, the hits you take, everything,” Bellefeuille said. “I think now being with a group of receivers, where it’s spread out a little more, I think that’s going to take some of the pressure off him physically.”

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...l-snag-stardom

[jerrym]

Wally has changed as the times have changed.

There are things veteran defensive back Ryan Phillips thought he’d never see from B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono, like hip-hop and dance music blaring from loudspeakers at Hillside Stadium during warmups at training camp.
And while the stoic Buono, 66, hasn’t yet uncrossed his arms and busted a move, veteran quarterback Travis Lulay — we can never remember which Hardy Boy he is supposed to be — has been rocking out, head dancing while stretching his quads and hammies.
“There’s things taking place that have never taken place before,” Phillips said Wednesday. “If you would have asked me in 2007 or 2008 about music for warmups, I’d have said: ‘No way in the world.’ I never thought in a million years that we’d see Wally doing that. He’s starting to warm up a little bit, but that’s not a sign of softness. He’s just adapting to the new player culture, adapting to the new age.”
Meetings have intermissions, so young players whose idea of literature is 140 characters on Twitter can check their phones and move around. There is more visual learning. The playbook is an iPad.
“You have to have different teaching ways to teach guys,” Phillips, an actual substitute teacher in the Seattle area during the off-season, explained. “Whether that’s shorter meetings or having more walk-throughs on the field — having a visual learning — those are things we have to adapt to with the new age. Wally’s trying to make sure he’s using every avenue to reach every player in the locker room. And then after that, the rest is up to us.

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...f-wallys-world

[jerrym]

Golf has helped make Levy Adcock more flexible for football.

“I can dab it out there pretty good, 350 yards-plus,” Adcock said. “It loosens my hips, shoulders. I don’t have much soreness anymore (from football) because of golf.”
He said most people are surprised that someone so big is flexible enough to make good swings, which helps Adcock make a little money on the side.
“Every time I golf,” he smiled.
“I want to see Levy play,” Lulay said. “I know there’s potential in a big man to swing it smooth; I just want to see it.”

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...a-club-in-hand

[jerrym]

Auston Johnson is already tired of being compared to his Hall-of-Fame father, a not unusual ocurrence.

Like father, like son?
No, not every kid inherits his father’s mantle, like Peyton and Eli Manning, who encountered fame and fortune in the National Football League two decades after dad Archie was the man of the hour with the New Orleans Saints.
“Obviously, you operate on the theory that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” explains B.C. Lions head coach and GM Wally Buono. “It’s like when I had Junior Ah You’s son, Harland. He (a defensive end, like his dad) went to BYU. And he was OK.”
Junior Ah You, voted one of the top 50 players of all time in a TSN poll, played 129 games and 10 seasons in the Canadian Football League. Harland Ah You’s career lasted 10 games in total.
Auston Johnson, a rookie linebacker at Lions training camp, seems to find all of this two-generation talk tedious. He has been over it many times before. That a reporter would want to talk about his involvement with the Lions based on genetics, rather than his contribution and talent, irks him a little, though he is too polite and deferential to make it an issue.
“He’s Alondra, I’m Auston,” Johnson explains. “Obviously, he’s a great person I look up to. I strive to get to that level. Hopefully, one day, if I get the opportunity, if I work hard and stay late, I get to that point. I guess only time will tell.”
This is Auston Johnson’s first pro camp. His dad, Canadian Football Hall of Fame linebacker Alondra Johnson, has attended Lions camps before, both as a player and a guest coach.
Now 50, Alondra Johnson played for the Lions from 1989-90, but he is best known for his 13 seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, during which he was a three-time Grey Cup champion, three-time All-CFL and a finalist for the league’s most outstanding defensive player award.
His son, who has dual citizenship (having been born in Calgary when Alondra played there), played college football at South Dakota but went unclaimed in the 2015 CFL draft.
As if to stake out his own identity, Auston came to Lions camp as a linebacker but was converted to fullback in the first week, a position where he blocks those same linebackers whose idea of Utopia is the smell of a quarterback’s fear. The fullback experiment ended Thursday when he was switched back to his original position. Johnson played inside linebacker at South Dakota.
“He’s 230 pounds,” Buono said. “And he’s a 4.7 (40-yard dash time) guy. Now, can he be physical? Can he make it on (special) teams? To make it in the CFL, he’ll need to do that. One thing we know, he’s worked very hard to get here.”

http://vancouversun.com/sports/footb...tion-of-talent

[jerrym]

Lions release 10 players.

Wally Buono promised “no surprises” when the B.C. Lions made their first round of cuts at training camp Sunday. And the head coach was true to his word.
In an effort to trim his camp complement to the mandated limit of 65 players by Tuesday, the Lions released 10 players, among them Darious Lane, a defensive back/nickelback who played three games for the team last season.
Wide receivers Colin Lockett, Uzoma Nwachukwu, offensive linemen Roger Gaines and Micah Hatchie, defensive linemen Jacques Smith and Boyd Richardson and defensive backs Davarus Shores, Dino Teague and Brennan Van Nistelrooy were also let go.
All the players are imports, with the exception of Van Nistelrooy and Richardson, the Lions’ sixth and eighth round picks, respectively, in the 2015 Canadian Football League draft. Van Nistelrooy is a product of the Okanagan Sun juniors. Richardson was a member of the Vanier Cup champion UBC Thunderbirds.
“I don’t know if there are any surprises,” Buono quipped. “Now, if we cut Manny Arceneaux, that would be a surprise.”
COLEMAN EXCITES: One surprising development, Buono would concede, is the play of rookie running back J.C. Coleman. Running against the tide of initial expectations, the diminutive (5’ 6’, 190 pounds) scatback from Virginia Tech is difficult to track from the moment he leaves the dorm room. He had 32 yards on seven carries late in the game of Saturday night — 28-16 pre-season victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“He hasn’t been given a lot of reps since the start of rookie camp (May 26) because all the regular backs were there (Jeremiah Johnson, Chris Rainey, Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, Anthony Allen),” Buono explained. “When it was time to run the football, he did. And he’s a tough little guy. He’s very strong, with great vision.”
Buono also had high praise for rookie linebacker Dyshawn Davis (seven defensive tackles against Saskatchewan) and the relentless effort of defensive end candidate Darius Allen, who had a sack (minus-12 yards) after initially being knocked to the turf.
“Is it surprising?” Buono said. “It just confirms what we’ve seen in training camp.”

http://www.theprovince.com/sports/bc...951/story.html