Star rookie defensive back hurt at practice
By Allen Cameron,
Calgary Herald
Brandon Browner wanted no part of it.
While teammates were calling to Stampeders equipment manager George Hopkins to drive over in the field tractor and give Browner a ride to the dressing room, the big rookie was shaking his head no.
Even a few hours later, hobbling on crutches and his left ankle immobilized in a walking cast, Browner was putting the best possible face on the situation.
“I’m feeling better,” insisted the standout cornerback, who came up lame early in Tuesday’s practice after getting his legs tangled up with receiver Ryan Thelwell. “Just got the X-ray back, and no fractures, no tears or anything. Just a sprain. It’s day-to-day, but I’ll be on the plane, and more than likely, I’ll be playing. If we get the swelling down, I’ll be OK.”
The test will be this morning, when the Stamps go through the final full practice in preparation for Friday’s Canadian Football League game at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats (5:30 p.m. MT, QR77, TSN).
“We don’t think it’s that severe,” said Stamps coach Tom Higgins, who termed Browner a 50-50 proposition to play Friday. “But we want to make sure we get it checked out and we’ll have a better feel for where we’re at (today).”
Not having to face Browner, needless to say, would give a ray of hope to a rebuilding Hamilton offence with Casey Printers behind centre. The 23-year-old Californian has used his combination of strength, size and speed to simply shut down his side of the field — so much so his stats are actually dropping because opposing quarterbacks refuse to throw anywhere near him.
“There’s no doubt, he’s a great player,” said Stamps defensive co-ordinator Denny Creehan. “We love having him out there, first of all, because he’s so big and physical; people can’t play jump-ball with him because he’s so big.”
Sedrick Williams took the majority of reps in Browner’s spot during Tuesday’s practice, and Creehan said the drop-off in cover abilities won’t be noticeable.
“Sedrick has tremendous speed and cover ability. He’s a very versatile guy, he loves to play and he’s very enthusiastic. We wouldn’t miss a beat with him in there.”
Williams, a starter for much of last year, has been relegated to fill-in duties for most of this season.
“This has been a crazy year,” he said. “I played a lot last year; I was up two weeks ago, then down and up again. But you have to be focused because you never know; you have to be ready to play.
“He’s (Browner) a great guy, a great corner. We need him back on the field to make our defence work. But it’s an opportunity for myself to go in and make plays like I normally do.”
Should Williams get the starting assignment Friday, it would certainly go a long ways to placating his mother in West Palm Beach, Fla., who phones every day to tell Williams to keep reading his playbook.
“She’s always helping me,” said Williams with a laugh. “She calls me every day and says, ‘Are you up yet, are you up yet?’ She says, ‘What happened? You played every game last year.’ I tell her, that’s the business. We have a great team with a lot of talent, so I just wait my turn. If it comes, it comes.”
POINT AFTER: DB Kevin Garrett, who has National Football League experience with the Houston Texans and the St. Louis Rams, practised for the first time with the Stamps on Tuesday.
