Will
06-21-2012, 09:32 AM
http://www.argonauts.ca/article/landry-huntley-aiming-to-bounce-back-in-2012
DON LANDRY
Argonauts.ca Columnist
TORONTO -- Kevin Huntley is one of the fiercest, toughest hombres in the Canadian Football League. He makes his living battling some of the other fiercest, toughest hombres in the Canadian Football League. So it's a bit of a surprise to hear this admission from the Argos' behemoth defensive tackle:
"I have sensitive skin."
That sensitive skin has led to a bit too much recreational time for Huntley, who was otherwise feeling good, emotionally, and fit as a fiddle, physically, as he looks forward to what he hopes will be a return to all-star form in 2012.
A blister, near the big toe on his right foot, has flared up and it's altered his training camp regimen of two-a-days.
Instead of two practices, Huntley has been twice soaking his foot in a batch of warm water mixed with hydrogen peroxide. Occasionally, he does it three or four times. He and the Argos' medical staff hope that speeds healing and will have him ready for the team's season opener in Edmonton on June 30th.
"Of all the things that could happen to me in football and I get a dang blister," said Huntley. "Go figure."
He's had much more serious injuries to battle through and did just that during a nicked up 2011 season, a season in which he never really returned to top form, after being selected a CFL all-star the year before.
It was following the 2010 campaign when Huntley underwent reconstructive surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, as well as clean up the debris from a broken arm. By the time he was given the green light to work out, 2011 training camps were coming into view.
"I got cleared to play by April, but had training camp in June. So, I basically went from doing nothing to everything," he said.
With that late start, Huntley was not able to do what is now an imperative for all CFL players: Devote nearly an entire off-season to preparing for the rigours of the upcoming year's games. That put him behind the eight ball and he never did catch up.
"It wasn't me," he said, of the 2011 season.
His conditioning not what it could be, Huntley laboured through the campaign, although he managed to play in 15 games. The three games he did miss were due to an achilles tendon problem, which he feels flared up because of his inability to train properly over the winter. His statistics suffered, falling from 9 sacks and 41 tackles in his all-star year, to 6 and 25 in 2011. While no one was making excuses for Huntley publicly, there was a definite sense that his recovery was indeed hampering his performance.
"It made me slightly depressed about my game," Huntley said, about his disappointing season. "Coach Jones (defensive coordinator Chris Jones) said he could see my demeanor in game films. I'd be walking along with my head down. I just didn't have the same confidence. I wasn't the same me."
Now, foot blister aside, Huntley is refreshed, regenerated and ready to get back to being the player he knows he can be. That wasn't the case just a few weeks ago, however, as he came to training camp wondering if he could bounce back.
"In the off season I had doubt. I wondered if I could still be that guy and perform at that same level."
The doubt seems to be erased. Huntley got his groove back early on in camp. It was a step by step procedure, culminating when he excelled at what he considers his forte; one-on-one drills.
"I had butterflies my first day. The whole time during warm up, I had butterflies. We did bag drills (drills designed to test a player to the point of exhaustion) and I felt good. We go to team drills, I had butterflies. Then I knew I could do team. I go to on-on-one drills and I'm sweating, I'm nervous. I go down there, I did good and I started to feel like I've still got something. My confidence comes back. So now I know that I still have the abilities to be the guy I CAN be."
Turning 30 has given Huntley pause to consider his football future. With his renewed sense of optimism, he is not looking to hang up his cleats any time soon.
"People say that once you turn 30, your athletic ability starts to decline," mused Huntley. "Well, I don't feel like that. Every football career has a timeline. I'm hoping my football career can go to 35 or 36."
Little doubt that Kevin Huntley has the determination to make that happen.
Whether the body has the physical capabilities to allow it, that's another question, of course. If it doesn't, this is not a man who'll hang on just for the sake of hanging on. He has no interest, he says, in continuing to play if he's just taking up space.
"You don't want someone looking back on their career and saying: 'Well, when I played against him he wasn't that good,' or 'he was lazy.' You don't want those things said about you."
"At the end of the day, the things that you put on the field are what you're remembered for."
For Kevin Huntley, what he put on the field in 2011 isn't what he wants to be remembered for. If he can can get the sensitive skin around that big toe of his to cooperate, he can take a step toward making that disappointing year a distant memory.
THE EXTRA POINT
Huntley is jazzed up by the philosophies being employed by defensive coordinator Chris Jones. He described the aggressive nature of the unit as being like a swarm of bees. The defensive line will be encouraged to go all out in pursuit.
"Coach Jones' motto is: 'One point five,' said Huntley. "He wants the ball out of the quarterback's hands in one point five seconds. His plan is to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands as fast as possible. To make him make decisions that he doesn't necessarily want to make."
That kind of determined, all out pass rush will mean Huntley and his mates up front will be expected to go like Tasmanian Devils, then get the heck off.
"He's gonna rotate guys. Five plays, six plays, as fast as you can go. Get him out. Get other people in for five or six plays. Then another five. He wants people to go as fast as they can go for as long as they can go and when you can't, come out. Catch your breath, go back in and do it all over again."
-30-
DON LANDRY
Argonauts.ca Columnist
TORONTO -- Kevin Huntley is one of the fiercest, toughest hombres in the Canadian Football League. He makes his living battling some of the other fiercest, toughest hombres in the Canadian Football League. So it's a bit of a surprise to hear this admission from the Argos' behemoth defensive tackle:
"I have sensitive skin."
That sensitive skin has led to a bit too much recreational time for Huntley, who was otherwise feeling good, emotionally, and fit as a fiddle, physically, as he looks forward to what he hopes will be a return to all-star form in 2012.
A blister, near the big toe on his right foot, has flared up and it's altered his training camp regimen of two-a-days.
Instead of two practices, Huntley has been twice soaking his foot in a batch of warm water mixed with hydrogen peroxide. Occasionally, he does it three or four times. He and the Argos' medical staff hope that speeds healing and will have him ready for the team's season opener in Edmonton on June 30th.
"Of all the things that could happen to me in football and I get a dang blister," said Huntley. "Go figure."
He's had much more serious injuries to battle through and did just that during a nicked up 2011 season, a season in which he never really returned to top form, after being selected a CFL all-star the year before.
It was following the 2010 campaign when Huntley underwent reconstructive surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, as well as clean up the debris from a broken arm. By the time he was given the green light to work out, 2011 training camps were coming into view.
"I got cleared to play by April, but had training camp in June. So, I basically went from doing nothing to everything," he said.
With that late start, Huntley was not able to do what is now an imperative for all CFL players: Devote nearly an entire off-season to preparing for the rigours of the upcoming year's games. That put him behind the eight ball and he never did catch up.
"It wasn't me," he said, of the 2011 season.
His conditioning not what it could be, Huntley laboured through the campaign, although he managed to play in 15 games. The three games he did miss were due to an achilles tendon problem, which he feels flared up because of his inability to train properly over the winter. His statistics suffered, falling from 9 sacks and 41 tackles in his all-star year, to 6 and 25 in 2011. While no one was making excuses for Huntley publicly, there was a definite sense that his recovery was indeed hampering his performance.
"It made me slightly depressed about my game," Huntley said, about his disappointing season. "Coach Jones (defensive coordinator Chris Jones) said he could see my demeanor in game films. I'd be walking along with my head down. I just didn't have the same confidence. I wasn't the same me."
Now, foot blister aside, Huntley is refreshed, regenerated and ready to get back to being the player he knows he can be. That wasn't the case just a few weeks ago, however, as he came to training camp wondering if he could bounce back.
"In the off season I had doubt. I wondered if I could still be that guy and perform at that same level."
The doubt seems to be erased. Huntley got his groove back early on in camp. It was a step by step procedure, culminating when he excelled at what he considers his forte; one-on-one drills.
"I had butterflies my first day. The whole time during warm up, I had butterflies. We did bag drills (drills designed to test a player to the point of exhaustion) and I felt good. We go to team drills, I had butterflies. Then I knew I could do team. I go to on-on-one drills and I'm sweating, I'm nervous. I go down there, I did good and I started to feel like I've still got something. My confidence comes back. So now I know that I still have the abilities to be the guy I CAN be."
Turning 30 has given Huntley pause to consider his football future. With his renewed sense of optimism, he is not looking to hang up his cleats any time soon.
"People say that once you turn 30, your athletic ability starts to decline," mused Huntley. "Well, I don't feel like that. Every football career has a timeline. I'm hoping my football career can go to 35 or 36."
Little doubt that Kevin Huntley has the determination to make that happen.
Whether the body has the physical capabilities to allow it, that's another question, of course. If it doesn't, this is not a man who'll hang on just for the sake of hanging on. He has no interest, he says, in continuing to play if he's just taking up space.
"You don't want someone looking back on their career and saying: 'Well, when I played against him he wasn't that good,' or 'he was lazy.' You don't want those things said about you."
"At the end of the day, the things that you put on the field are what you're remembered for."
For Kevin Huntley, what he put on the field in 2011 isn't what he wants to be remembered for. If he can can get the sensitive skin around that big toe of his to cooperate, he can take a step toward making that disappointing year a distant memory.
THE EXTRA POINT
Huntley is jazzed up by the philosophies being employed by defensive coordinator Chris Jones. He described the aggressive nature of the unit as being like a swarm of bees. The defensive line will be encouraged to go all out in pursuit.
"Coach Jones' motto is: 'One point five,' said Huntley. "He wants the ball out of the quarterback's hands in one point five seconds. His plan is to get the ball out of the quarterback's hands as fast as possible. To make him make decisions that he doesn't necessarily want to make."
That kind of determined, all out pass rush will mean Huntley and his mates up front will be expected to go like Tasmanian Devils, then get the heck off.
"He's gonna rotate guys. Five plays, six plays, as fast as you can go. Get him out. Get other people in for five or six plays. Then another five. He wants people to go as fast as they can go for as long as they can go and when you can't, come out. Catch your breath, go back in and do it all over again."
-30-