Stamps Player Blog

TSOUMPAS: Our young o-line

October 11, 2008

The season has been going pretty well for us as a team and we have a chance to contend for the number one spot in the division. We have a good solid offence; we’re at the top of almost every category so it’s been exciting to be a part of that.

Everyone has been talking about these next bunch of games being pretty much like playoff football which makes every game that much more exciting and intense. It’s fun to be involved in that atmosphere, it makes every play feel that much more meaningful.

As an offensive line, we’re young and somewhat inexperienced, but we’ve had a chance to go out and compete and be successful and I think that’s a testament to our supporting cast. Players like Henry Burris, Joffrey Reynolds and out receivers can make it easier on us young guys by making the plays that they do.

I’m proud of the guys for coming out and stepping up when we need them to. We’re pretty intense and enjoy doing what we do. We just need to stay focused and do our jobs no matter who’s playing. Hopefully we can keep it going because it’s been great so far.

We have some very versatile players and it’s been good because we have needed guys to step in and play in different spots and we’ve been able to do that. We have a bunch of guys that just want to play and they have been able to make the adjustments when asked to play in different spots. We have got some great production from young guys, had veterans playing like they always do and it’s worked out in our favour so far.

Laz (Stamps centre Rob Lazeo) is obviously a huge leader for us. He helps to clarify things for guys during the game and having him to depend on is huge for the young guys. He calls out our fronts and clarifies things for us when we line up. He also helps to let guys know what their new roles are if we do have to have someone step in and that can make the transition to a spot you don’t normally play, a lot easier as well.

Last game was bit rough for us as a unit. They really played to their strengths and gave us some new looks, but that happens every week. We gave up three sacks and that’s something we don’t normally do, so we have a rematch and another chance and we have to come out and play a more complete game. I know we will do a better job and hopefully the result will be better because of it.

Guys have to understand that we’re going to win some and lose some, but you just have to come out and give it your best effort week in and week out. Obviously we have to step it up and play better and hopefully we can adjust better than we did last game.

When games are this meaningful, the crowd comes out, the players are extra excited and the game is that much more exciting to play in. Part of having home field advantage is the crowd noise. As an offence it can really disrupt things and now they’ll have to deal with that this week so we’re looking forward to it.

Dimitri Tsoumpas, #67

Dimitri Tsoumpas bio

SIMPSON: Prepared to play

October 11, 2008

Last week I got my first start. We lost the game, but I guess personally it was a good feeling to get the start. Those guys get paid to play just like we do and we didn’t expect them to come out and lay down just because they had some starters out. They came out and jumped on us early and we fell a little short.

This week has been a good week, we’ve come out and practiced hard in every phase of the game and I feel like we’ve put forth the effort to come out and have a good game Monday. I would say we’re more prepared this week. Not to say that we weren’t prepared last week, but this week we have more film on them and have a better idea of what it is they are going to try and do.

We’re going to try and come out fast defensively. If you look at the games we’ve lost, we haven’t come out of the gate well and this week they’ve been preaching to us about starting fast. In those games we’ve played two quarters well, but we need to focus on playing four solid quarters and starting right away.

It will be interesting to see what’s going to happen, we know it’s a big game and you try to put the fact that the game is for first place in the back of your mind, but at the same time that’s what drives you.

Having three of out last four at home gives us a lot of confidence because we play well at home. We lost a couple here, but really we like playing here. We have great fans and where else would you want to play when the games matter most. We look forward to it and it’s always great to play here at McMahon Stadium.

Keep supporting us and stay strong,
Juwan Simpson, #48

Juwan Simpson bio

LYSACK: Doing what I can

October 10, 2008

For whatever reason I haven’t had the best of games in Toronto, but I had a good feeling going in that game (Sept. 20 in Toronto). It was the opening kick-off and I was just covering like I always do, the play had kind of ended and the next thing you know I had Jon Cornish’s helmet in the side of my leg. I heard a big crack and I thought I broke my leg to be honest.

I tried to hobble around and get back in for the next defensive play, but I realized pretty quick that it was going to happen. The fortunate part of it is that we have old Patty, Pat Clayton (stamps Director, Medical Services) to help us. I’ve been with him for six years now and he’s the best in the business. He’s been doing everything he can to get me back, but sometimes it just takes time.

Right now, it seems like it’s fully healed, but I just don’t have the mobility that I need to play. We have to keep working on it, get the junk out of there and get it moving more so that I can come back and play.

Since I haven’t been playing it’s been tough. I usually don’t like the guys that aren’t playing to say much to those that are, but in my case it’s a bit different. Before the injury, I had the role of being a bit more of a voice and helping new guys with schemes and assignments and now I’m doing that in practice and in the film room. I helped Keon get prepared to play last week and helped him with things to look for in the game. I’ve been doing the same things all season with young Milton (Stamps DB Collins) as I call him.

A lot of guys joke around about the safety position being the easiest on the team, but then when they have to do it, they realize that it isn’t that much fun scanning 65 yards of field while reading the quarterback at the same time. So I try to throw little tips at them and remind them of keys in certain formations and things like that.

This week we’ll see what happens. If I can go then I hope to help the team on the field and if not then I will try to do what they ask of me off of it. Nothing really changes either way defensively. There are things I do when I am in that others will have to step up and do and these guys are capable of doing it, so it will be fine either way.

Wes Lysack, #31

Wes Lysack bio

CORNISH: Opportunity knocks

October 10, 2008

Hello again to everyone in Stampeder country. I’m enjoying the wonderful weather we’ve been having, some of the coldest I’ve experienced in my life and makes for an interesting experience on the football field!

In college we had an indoor facility that could make December feel like August so it is pretty novel for me to bundle up and actually practise in the cold. I am from Vancouver so our football season is similar to the high school season here in Calgary. One big difference however, in Calgary it gets cold, and Vancover it gets rainy. It really is personal preference. I am sorta beginning to enjoy the cold more than the rain so it works out for me!

Even though it is freezing outside, we still have to play our games. It turns out that I am finally getting a chance to show what I can do out on the field just as it’s starting to get cold. In football, such opportunities are fleeting and must be taken advantage of whenever they arise.

At all levels of the sport your chances of getting on the field are determined by skill and athletic talent. At the higher levels things change. There are people who are essentially equal to you in all aspects and that makes it so actually getting a chance to get on the field as a newcomer a rare thing. When you have the best running back in the CFL in front of you on the depth chart it makes things that much harder.

I’m well versed in such things, though. My college career was spent behind others until I was given an opportunity in training camp of my junior year. I took that and literally ran with it all the way to several records down at Kansas. Thus, this present situation is pretty normal. Over this season I have been given the opportunity to get on the field more and more each game, with some games even having special formations called Base Corndawg (my nickname) and Twins, where me and Joffrey are in the backfield. Chances such as this only come once in football because if you are unable to do what the coaches wish, you get to sit on the bench.

I’m trying to get on the field more and more. I hope people get the chance to see me and enjoy what I can do on the field. Sorry this is short, my fingers are cold and I have meetings but I look forward to waving to you all in the end-zone.

Jon Cornish

DeANGELIS: Passing Pitts

October 9, 2008

Hello Stamps fans, today I received a pleasant surprise after practice. I learned that I have passed the great Allen Pitts on the all-time Stampeder scoring list (DeAngelis is now fourth all-time). I had no idea that I was even in the same stratosphere as Mr. Pitts when it came to points, let alone passing him. I feel extremely proud and happy just to be in the same sentence as such a great CFL player. I can literally recall times in my youth where I watched the great Stampeder teams of the past. Watching Flutie, Pitts, Sapunjis, Anderson, Romano, and Danileson was something I did quite a bit. I even watched these players in person once in Toronto with my Mom, Dad and best friend Vince. It’s amazing to look back on how much I idolized these players and now I get to help carry on the legacy that they built.

Being a Stampeder means so much to me. At first I wanted to be an Argo or Ti-Cat so I could be closer to home, but I honestly thank my lucky stars that I am in Calgary. This organization has allowed me to develop my talents to the fullest with great coaching, teammates and support staff. Its funny how you hope for something in life, not have it happen, and have something even better show up. I love looking up at the wall of fame at McMahon, seeing all the great names, looking at all the Grey Cup rings and hearing all of the stories about former players. You truly feel a great honour and responsibility when wear that horse on your helmet.

We are in the midst of a very special football season. The season has flown by and I cannot believe we only have four games left. This tells me that we are having fun and accomplishing our goals. We still have many goals that we need to reach, but so far I can honestly say I’m very pleased. The ultimate goal is to get a huge Grey Cup ring in November. I often day dream about what it would be like to see that cup as the Mounties present it in front of 60,000 screaming fans. I also think about the possibility of a parade in downtown Calgary, commemorating the championship!

I hope we make these dreams a reality. I know that the road will not be easy, as there are many formidable opponents. I also know that we are going to need the support of every Stampeders fan down this important stretch of games. Winning and great support from your fans go hand in hand, it’s impossible to have one without the other, so I urge our fans to please stay with us, as we will need you.

I hope to see you all at McMahon, and thank you for your continued support!

Sandro DeAngelis, #12

Sandro DeAngelis bio

RAYMOND: Learning the CFL game

October 7, 2008

I’ve been playing football since February this year. I played in the Arena Football League for New Orleans. We played 16 games and I had a pretty good season. Once that was done, Coach Jones wanted me to give the CFL a shot and I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. I had just finished playing and wanted to rest, see my family and get away from football for a little while.

I decided that it was another opportunity and that I should give it a shot, so I was on the next thing smoking out of Tennessee. I think they wanted me to come down and learn every position and just prepare in case of injury. Everyone was playing pretty good and it just happened that some injuries occurred and next thing you know I was playing.

Adapting to the game up here has been tough. I came from the AFL where the length of the field is not even as wide as the field is up here. There is a lot more running up here, especially because I have been playing safety. Other than the size of the field though, the play in the AFL is a little quicker. I have found that I have a little longer to dissect a play and make my reads. The other major difference between the two is the weather. I’m glad to be back playing outside and having the elements as a part of the game. That obviously wasn’t an issue before.

Having to step in for Wes (Stamps safety Lysack) has been good. I probably haven’t been as big of a factor as Wes is usually, because he’s been playing safety for a while and it’s a new position for me. He has been good though, he’s been able to give me pointers and tips on the sidelines, which has helped.

Having the whole week to prepare for Saskatchewan knowing I was going to play was good, but I think I’ll be that much more prepared this week. We didn’t have a bad game, but I think there was plays we could have made. I could have made a couple of more plays than I did and I think everyone would say that since we lost.

Having the same opponent this week will be huge. We know what we’re going to do and we know that we gave that one away last week. We got out there today and had a good practice. We turned it up a little and we know that if we want to be a first place team we have to be better than we were last week. We can’t afford to give any games away at this point of the season.

I’m looking forward to the rest of this season. It’s been a blessing for me. My arena team started off strong—we were 7-2 at one point—but we ended up tapering off and missing the playoffs so it’s been a blessing to be back in a situation where we are going to the playoffs and have a chance to play in the big game. I’m looking forward to it for sure.

To the fans, I just want to say that just because we lost one game, doesn’t mean the world is going to end. Those guys play football too and I hope everyone will come out on Monday and give us great support.

Go Stamps,

Keon Raymond, #25

Keon Raymond bio

BURRIS: Turnovers were the biggest factor

October 4, 2008

Tonight was basically two good teams — two of the best in the league right now — slugging it out. Both teams were getting points early on, whether it was field goals or touchdowns and it looked like it was going to be one of those games where whoever had the ball last would win.

Unfortunately for us, two turnovers in the second half put points on the board. For our defence to play so well in the half and us to put them in that situation was definitely unfortunate. We were only able to put three points up in the third quarter when we had the wind and we need to be more opportunistic in those types of situations.

It was loud out there tonight, which is something you come to expect when playing here, but it didn’t have any bearing on the game tonight. It was simply that they out played us tonight. They made plays and we made plays, but we just didn’t make enough of them. Anytime you give up two turnovers on the road, you’re going to lose no matter who you play.

The wind was definitely a major factor tonight, especially when the ball was up in the air for long periods of time. That’s why they took the win in the second and fourth quarters. It was a cat and mouse game because of it, but really the turnovers were the biggest factor.

Right now we just have to get back to the drawing board and get ready for them to come to Calgary. They’re a very good team and we’re looking forward to getting back to McMahon. This game is going to be very big, because it could still be the tiebreaker. If we can beat them, we have outscored them so far and would have the series. We already have the tiebreaker with BC and just need to get the win next week and we’ll be good so Thanksgiving will be huge.

I think everything will be the same next week. Both teams will be firing bullets at each other and the teams will be fresher after coming into this one on a short week. We’ve seen each other and we’ve been through this before. We’re getting tired of seeing them, they’re getting tired of seeing us and it will be a beautiful day at McMahon. We’re looking forward to playing a lot better than we did today and hopefully come out with a big victory.

Henry Burris, #1

BURRIS: One game at a time

October 3, 2008

Right now we’re doing what it takes to win games as an offence. I wouldn’t say we struggled in the games against Toronto, but we weren’t at our best. At some point you’re going to have a lull over a long season, but it was good that we were able to still come out and make plays, get points and get the job done. However, our offence is definitely going to be needed down the stretch here and it’s adamant that we’re at our best over these last five games.

These next two against Saskatchewan are definitely important. It’s part of the goals that we want to achieve. Winning on the road against a West opponent and really, taking both games against these guys is key. This is a potential eight-point swing that could definitely put us in the drivers seat as far as achieving what we want to achieve and plus it will help us get better as a team.

Right now we’re thinking about one game at a time. The guys that have had the opportunity to have the first-round bye know it’s a great thing. All you have to do is win one game and you’re in the show, but for us right now we really are just taking it one game at a time. People are quick to point out that we are in top spot right now, but we haven’t really accomplished anything. Until something comes with that top spot, we haven’t truly accomplished anything. We’re going out and taking one step at a time. We know that tonight’s game is our most important game of the season and that’s how we look at it every week.

Getting to the Grey Cup is one of those things that you dream about at night, but that’s probably the only time I think about it. Each and every game is my Grey Cup and for me to go out each game and play the way that I’m supposed to play and that I expect to play, I can’t think about anything but the opponent in front of me. I’m just doing whatever I can to help this team win the game we have on the schedule each week and if everyone on our team does that, the dream will become reality sooner than later.

Tonight, I expect more of the same from those guys. This is going to be a tough victory to get. It’s going to be a tough game to play in, a tough atmosphere to be successful in, but if there’s any team I believe can rise to the occasion, it’s us. They’re going to throw everything at us tonight. They’re reeling right now and they have a lot of pride. They’re the defending Grey Cup champs and we expect nothing but the best. They will probably be better than they were the last time we faced them and we have to be ready.

The noise will be a factor tonight, communication will be limited on the field, but this is the stuff we work on for every road game. This isn’t a one-time thing, we prepare for this every week we go on the road and we’re ready to go. That’s why we work on the silent counts and things like that and I don’t foresee it being an issue. We have full confidence that we can go out and get the job done using signals and stuff like that and play like we do at home.

We just finished our meetings up and now is the time I go to my room and prepare my music for pre-game. I’ll charge up my MP3 player, listen to a couple of tunes and just kind of relax. I’ll sit with my roommate Dave Dickenson and we’ll talk about little things we are going to look for throughout the game, but eventually we both will knockout and enjoy a nap. Before you know it, it will be time for chapel, the pre-game meal and then it’s on.

Enjoy the game tonight and I look forward to seeing you on Thanksgiving Day.

Henry Burris, #1

Henry Burris bio

LEWIS: Staying on top

October 2, 2008

It's 8-Duece, a.k.a Lewis Man-genius. I know all the fans are wondering where all of these names come from. Well, I don't have a personality disorder, but I do enjoy playing certain roles in life. Growing up watching wrestling and seeing the many characters was really interesting and I thought it would be fun to do. I just decided to name the many moods that I go through.

I am learning more and more about football and being able to be around our great coaching staff has really opened my eyes. I have always wanted to coach football and have always thought I see the game through a coach’s eyes.

Going through the injuries recently has really tested my mental game. I have to go out on the field and try to beat the person across from me mentally. I can't just depend on being a better athlete. My first game with a knee brace, I had my first 10-catch game and it came because I played smarter.

Stepping back at practice and watching someone else play my position, I’ve seen holes in the defence and could see what Hank (Stamps QB Henry Burris) would see. When the game came around I felt like I was a step ahead of the defence.

It has also helped to be a part of a great offence. Ken-Yon (Stamps WR Rambo) having his first 1,000-yard season and Cope (Stamps SB Jeremaine Copeland) still making plays when he gets the chance. Having the best running back in the league with Joff (Stamps RB Joffrey Reynolds) takes a lot of pressure off of the rest of us. Teams that I have been a part of in the past have depended on the run or the pass to win games, but I feel like if we have a balanced game plan and spread the ball out, it makes us unstoppable.

People talk so much about our weapons on offense that they forget that we have a young and talented offensive line. The young guys are stepping up and protecting Hank, and making holes for Joff. I think it shows the leadership of Pilon (Stamps OL Jeff) and Lazeo (Stamps OL Rob) and they deserve a lot of credit.

This team is heading in a great direction and I hope as fans you are excited. I know this game tomorrow means a lot because we want to stay on top. So for all the Stamps fans, get on your feet and get ready to finish this season on top.

Nik Lewis, #82

Nik Lewis bio

SMITH: Working together

October 2, 2008

Hey what’s up, this is Brandon Smith signing in to talk with you today. I just wanted to give you a little rundown about the defence and how we’ve been meshing together as of late.

We’re 9-4 right now and our defence is really starting to work together. We’ve been together for about 13 weeks now and we’re meshing as the season goes on. We’ve had some guys get hurt, but we have enough depth to have someone step in and fill the needed role.

Our secondary has been playing together and playing as one unit. The veteran leadership has been there all year and has really allowed us to build. Now we have to keep it going and continue to put the pieces together through the rest of the season.

Lately, a lot of our success has come from getting the opposition to turn the ball over. We’ve really focused on it and we’ve been able to get some interceptions as well as have some luck stripping the ball from the receivers. We really just want to get the ball back to our offence and allow them to score some points.

We’re coming to Saskatchewan this week and we just need to stay on top of our game. We don’t want to let our record distract us and we need to come out and play our best. This is the CFL and right now the West is so tight that you can’t afford to take a game off. Any given week you can be knocked off.

I actually missed our last trip to Saskatchewan with a minor injury, but I’m back this week and ready to play. I just want to run around and help this team get this win. I think we match up very well with the Riders and hope that we can bring it all together tomorrow. They’re a great team and it will be a great game.

We’re at the top now, so we’ve become the hunted. At first we were hunting everyone and now everyone is hunting us. We need to stay focused and keep our heads about us. We want that number one spot. We want to have the first round bye and make life as easy as possible for ourselves.

Our ultimate goal is to win the Grey Cup and winning this game is one more step on the road to that goal. We’ve had a good week of practice and we are definitely prepared to play tomorrow.

Signing out,
B. Smith, #28

Brandon Smith bio