Facing His Former Mates

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

EDMONTON — Former Argos receiver Andre Talbot will face his old team for the first time but admits he still has tons of fond memories from his time in Double Blue.

Born in Toronto, Talbot got to fulfill a dream that few athletes do – playing for their hometown team.  The 10-year CFL veteran spent nine seasons with the Argos, racking up over 3,000 yards.  Injuries plagued Talbot in his final season in Double Blue and he was sent to Edmonton in exchange for import DT Eric Taylor last February.

Talbot recorded his first touchdown as an Eskimo last week and despite being out west now, he still has many fond memories of his years in Toronto.

“The obvious one was the Grey Cup in 2004,” Talbot told argonauts.ca. “We had worked on building something for a few years and that season had a lot of buzz.  To cap it off with a Grey Cup was, and still is, every athlete’s dream.”

Talbot was a staple in the Argos’ locker room for years and became a fan favourite during his tenure.  A leader in the community, he says that he intends to continue some of his initiatives when he returns to Toronto in the off-season. For the time being, he is focused on the upcoming game against the Boatmen on Friday night.

“It is a great organization here,” Talbot said of Edmonton, which uncharacteristically started the season at 1-4.  “We have gotten off to a bit of a slow start but we are looking forward to getting things turned around. It takes some time but I am starting to get my opportunities and build some chemistry with Ricky Ray and some of the other receivers.”

As for his old team, Talbot explains that, although each game is crucial, it will garner at least a bit of significance for him to go up against his old mates.  “Every game is important for us right now, especially coming off our first win of the season.  To play against ex-teammates like Kevin Eiben, who I entered the CFL with, Jordan Younger and other guys I played with for a number of years, it should be interesting. That said, the game itself (and getting a win) is much more important than me facing my old team.”