Dave Campbell
ESKS.com
August 5th, 2011. It’s not a night that Eskimo star receiver Fred Stamps would like to remember. In a game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium, Stamps was kicked in the groin on the very first offensive play from scrimmage by Blue Bomber defensive back Jonathon Hefney. The kick was inadvertent from Hefney, but the damage to Stamps was very significant. Stamps would need surgery to remove a testicle following the game. What’s amazing is Stamps finished the game in Winnipeg under a considerable amount of pain. He even made a circus catch in triple coverage late in the first half.
Stamps would go on to miss three games and return on Labour Day. Little did anyone know that Stamps was playing with pain and discomfort for the rest of the season. Stamps needed two off-season surgeries to repair the rest of the damage, his last occurring on May 24TH. On Wednesday of this week, Stamps made his first appearance on the field in training camp and says he felt comfortable.
“I feel like my legs are coming back, getting my cuts and getting used to all the balls from the quarterbacks. It was a fun day.”
Head Coach Kavis Reed didn’t want to just throw Stamps out on the field the first day. Let’s face it, Stamps is the number one offensive weapon in the Eskimo arsenal so he’ll be treated with extra attention. Stamps will need to get his conditioning back up to speed. Right now, practice is the best way for Stamps get back up to game speed. Is Coach Reed concerned at all about Stamps falling behind? Not a chance.
“Fred is a pro and Fred is doing the things he needs to do,” Reed said. “Last year when he was out for the six weeks, he was able to quickly reacclimate himself and get back into the game and play for the rest of the season. With this being the pre-season, and he’s probably not even if he was 100 percent healthy right now, he wasn’t going to play in the first pre-season game and that’s not a secret.”
Stamps is a pro and proved last season that he was one tough customer. Even though he missed three games, Stamps tied for the team lead in receiving yards with 1,153 yards. He only had two 100 receiving games after coming back from his first surgery. He had five 100 yard receiving games before the injury.
Because of the off-season surgeries, Stamps didn’t get a chance to do any off-season training which is why the Eskimos are taking the cautious approach. He hasn’t completed a full practice session yet. He’s been working hard with trainers on the sidelines which is incentive enough to get back on the football field with the grueling work injured players are put through.
The target date for Stamps to return to the game action is June 21st, the final Eskimo pre-season game at home against the BC Lions. The coaching staff hasn’t planned that far yet, but Stamps is eager for some live action.
“I would love to play in the second game. Training camp is one thing but getting in the game in another. Getting that rust out and getting that chemistry down, so that would be a good thing.”
Stamps will lead a much improved receiving corps into the 2012 CFL season. Adaruis Bowman, who tied Stamps for the team lead in receiving yards, is back. In the off-season, the Eskimos bolstered their corps by signing veterans Cary Koch and Greg Carr. Nate Coehoorn looks poised to take over the non-import receiver spot vacated by the release of longtime veteran Andrew Nowacki. Second year pro Marcus Henry, along with rookie Derrick Townsel, are giving the Eskimos some solid depth. And throw in first round draft pick Shamawd Chambers.
Of course the recurring theme so far this season is how the Eskimos will perform at quarterback. Steven Jyles is the projected starter and hasn’t done anything to make the club believe otherwise. Matt Nichols and Kerry Joseph are having a big battle for the backup spot.
Stamps says Jyles or any of the quarterbacks don’t need to be Ricky Ray. The quarterbacks won’t be relied upon to win games on their own. They simply don’t have that characteristic…..at the moment anyways.
Stamps is very good friends with Jyles and played with him in Edmonton back in 2007. He sees a fire within Jyles and a willingness to take on a leadership role.
The Eskimos have perhaps the biggest question mark surrounding their offense of any team in the CFL. A healthy Stamps certainly gives the green and gold a punchers chance.