The quarterbacks continued to impress a lot of people at practice this morning when the team was back to full equipment. QB Stephen Reaves completed a few short passes to receiver Brad Smith, and a deep pass to receiver Todd Lowber during skelly.
However, the receiver making the most noise again was Arland Bruce III. He ran a great route and made a downfield block on a play that saw Kerry Joseph complete a pass to WR Reggie McNeal. This play caused a rousing ovation from teammates and coaches and receivers coach Mike Jones started screaming at Bruce, “THAT’S ALL YOU, THAT’S ALL YOU BABY”.
He wasn’t done there as he made an over-the-shoulder catch on a deep route into the corner.
“Being a veteran on the team, I like to set the tone for the young guys and the new guys, and let them know this is what we do here.” said Bruce.
Later, the team practiced a hurry-up offence, and the defense adjusted nicely, making big tackles, breaking up plays, and hauling in a couple of interceptions by LB James Green and CB Matt Black.
The team also ran first team offence against first team defence in a full contact 12-on-12 drill. Things were getting competitive as a scuffle started to arise between the O-line and the D-line once the play was blown dead – it was broken up very quickly.
“You need that chip on your shoulder, because you can’t come in here being all nice and passive because that’s not what football is about,” Bruce added “That’s what you want, you look for that in a camp.”
At the beginning of afternoon practice, GM Adam Rita graciously greeted 24 kids from the St. Joseph’s High School football team to practice, who just finished their pre-summer mini-camp.
This afternoon marked the second practice for the Argos without full equipment and the first full special teams practice. They practiced everything from kickoffs to punts to field goals to onside kicks.
Punt returners were hustling hard and continued to run even after the coaches blew the whistle.
When it was time to practice missed field goal returns it appeared that rookie P/K Eddie Johnson didn’t get the memo. The long-legged kicker was supposed deliberately miss his field goal try and let the returners run it back. Instead, he nailed a 56-yard field goal – “by accident”.
A funny moment happened when Matt Black was returning punts. As the ball was sailing toward Black, Linebackers Coach Ed O’Neil started to explain to him that he should add an extra ten yards to get to the 45-yard line, because it’s a Canadian field. Matt Black cut him off mid-explanation and replied, “don’t worry coach, I’m a Canadian”. Coach O’Neil responded flatly, “Oh that’s right, you are.”
NOTES: Argos President & CEO Bob Nicholson made his first appearance at full training camp, he’d also come for one afternoon practice during mini-camp…Argos FAN DAY is this Sunday from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m…Matheo Fontaine, Raymond’s son, and Jenny Rita, Adam Rita’s grand daughter were seen running up and down the sidelines during afternoon practice.