Newcomer DL O J Mau is having a quick baptism of fire into the CFL.

Defensive tackle O.J. Mau, one of three newcomers at practise with the Redblacks for the first time Wednesday, used to teach the Haka to teammates at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. He also used to play cricket, describing himself as quite the bowler, and he expressed immediate interest in checking out some of the action in Canada’s capital.
First, though, Mau has to concentrate on earning a roster spot with the Redblacks, who announced the signing of the 6-foot-1, 310-pound lineman and two others before beginning the 10th day of on-field training camp workouts. Also joining the team heading into its third CFL season were defensive lineman Taylor Sheridan (Montana State) and running back Travis Greene (Bowling Green).
“I had never heard of Ottawa, I had never been in Canada before. This is my first time,” said Mau, who accepted the Redblacks’ contract offer after being released by the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens. “I was like, ‘I’ll take it.’” ...
Now he’s just a CFL rookie trying to earn a spot with a team that has 15 defensive linemen in training camp and space for little more than half that number on the regular-season roster. Plus, like Sheridan and Greene, he’s behind those who have had an additional nine days in camp plus, in some cases, a three-day mini-camp in April.
“It is easier for me to catch up (as a defensive lineman), but right now I’m still in the learning process, still trying to learn the basic stuff, the fundamental stuff, the plays,” Mau said. “I have to learn the plays. I got here (Tuesday) and they threw me right in. It’s hard for me, trying to catch up on the plays.”
Redblacks defensive-line coach Leroy Blugh said one practice was not enough to assess the newcomers, “but hopefully we’ll see some flashes that they’re getting the basic, fundamental understanding of what we’re doing on defence, our basic fronts, and the most important thing, I guess, is to see them get better until they are here long enough where they should be performing at a high level.”
Head coach Rick Campbell said it was important to get newcomers such as Mau into camp now in part because of the Redblacks’ compressed schedule: Ottawa is the last CFL team to play its first pre-season game, at home against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Monday night, and there’s likely to be just one more full practice before the second matchup four days later at Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats.
http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/foot...opeful-o-j-mau