Ricky the Inhaler's pre-season game totals

[cliaz]

A whopping 4 carries for 7 yards

 

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Gam...1612299-cp.html

 

TORONTO (CP) - Ricky Williams looked less like an NFL rushing champion and every bit like a running back less than a week into training camp with a new team.

 

The former Miami Dolphins running back was held to just seven yards on four carries in his first CFL game Friday night as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Toronto Argonauts 31-3 before a vocal Rogers Centre gathering of 21,469 in the exhibition opener for both clubs.

 

"The biggest thing was to see the game, to see the speed of the game and get a feel of what's going to be expected of me," Williams said. "It's hard to do it in a meeting room or the practice field but when you come out here at game speed you have a better idea.

 

"I did a decent job on pass protection. Obviously I didn't have that many yards running the ball but I felt pretty good about my performance. It felt good, it felt natural. I wasn't nervous, I felt comfortable with the offence."

 

Josh Ranek, Terry Vaughn and Mike Morreale scored Hamilton's touchdowns. Jamie Boreham added the converts, three field goals and a single.

 

Rookie Jaco Booyens, a South African-born rugby player, accounted for Toronto's scoring with a field goal.

 

The teams will complete their exhibition schedule next weekend in Hamilton.

 

The game capped a whirlwind week for Williams, who signed a one-year deal with Toronto on Sunday shortly after being suspended for the 2005 season by the NFL following a fourth violation of the league's substance abuse program. Williams, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher in the NFL, had just four practices to get acclimated with Canadian football, yet, judging by the hundreds of Miami spamshirts featuring Williams' No. 34 present at Rogers Centre, it was clear who many had come to see.

 

But they had to wait, as veteran John Avery started at tailback. A loud ovation erupted midway through the first when Williams, who is wearing No. 27 with Toronto, was shown on the Jumbotron patiently waiting his turn.

 

Williams quietly slipped into the game with five seconds left in the first and the Argos at their 35-yard line trailing 14-0. Predictably, Williams got the ball on his first play from scrimmage, resulting in a two-yard gain, but it wasn't until the PA announcer called Williams as the ball carrier that the former Dolphin received a rousing ovation.

 

"It's hard to tell with just one quarter of play but they came ready to play," Williams said when asked about the level of competition in the CFL. "It's a team sport and one player isn't going to make much of a difference unless he's able to help everyone else raise their level of play and match the opponents' intensity."

 

But Williams liked being able to go into motion before the snap, something he has never been able to do in the NFL.

 

"It's fun because you get a head start on the defence and they don't know where you're going," he said. "It's just learning the game so you can take advantage of it more and I'm sure that will come."

 

Argos head coach Mike (Pinball) Clemons wasn't surprised with Williams' rushing numbers in his first CFL game.

 

"It's about what I expected," said Clemons, a former Argos running back. "With a running back like him it's not his first three, four or five touches in a game that are going to make the difference, it's the 10 in the fourth quarter when they wear you down that's going to be the difference for him.

 

"I think it's good he struggled . . . because it's going to let him know to be successful in this league he's going to have to work maybe the hardest he has ever worked to this point in his career."

 

Fans got a rise out of a vignette in the second that made fun of former Toronto quarterback Joe Theismann' condemnation of the club's signing Williams.

 

On Tuesday, Theismann called the move a "feeble excuse" by Toronto to sell tickets, lashed out at Williams and said he was ashamed to have worn the club's old A emblem on his helmet.

 

During a stoppage in play Friday, a video ran on the Jumbotron showing Theismann wearing a helmet with the A emblem. Suddenly, a giant pencil appeared and rubbed out the A, after which the worlds Happy Now Joe appeared, again drawing solid applause.

 

Hamilton took control of the game in the first with Ranek's four-yard TD run 4:40 and Jason Maas' 37-yard scoring strike to Vaughn at 14:35.

 

All Toronto mustered offensively was Booyens' 43-yard field goal at 4:20 of the third.

 

Former Argo Morreale rounded out the scoring with a 33-yard TD catch from rookie Patrick Josten at 7:00 of the fourth.

 

Ticats head coach Greg Marshall downplayed suggestions Williams' presence provided extra motivation for his defence.

 

"Anytime we play the Argos we don't need any extra motivation," he said. "Personally, I didn't even know when Ricky was in the football game.

 

"I don't know if our defence was even aware."

 

Hamilton defensive end Tim Cheatwood said the Ticats are more anxious to prove to the CFL they're much improved over last year's dismal 5-13-0 record.

 

"I expect him (Williams) to get better but I expect us to get a lot better," he said. "It was a big deal just to go out there and show what we've got this year."

 

NOTES - The Ticats are sporting No. 57 decals on their helmets to honour the memory of former offensive lineman Travis Claridge, who died in the off-season . . . Spergon Wynn got the start at quarterback for Toronto. Wynn and former Heisman Trophy winner Eric Crouch are battling for the backup job behind incumbent Damon Allen. Crouch came on in the third. Maas opened for the Ticats before giving way to Kevin Eakin in the second.

[Chief Dick]

Who's up for a little CFL Fantasy Football action?

 

DMD, how about some cheat sheets?

[Randall]

Who's up for a little CFL Fantasy Football action?

 

DMD, how about some cheat sheets? 

 

1497295[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah first no NFL Europe Cheat Sheets and now no CFL. What's wrong man? Just because Texas won the BCS doesn't mean you get a 6 month vacation.

 

Aren't there any illegals down there that can help out?

 

Didin't Ricky have bad stats last season at first too?

Edited June 3, 2006 by Randall

[DMD]

Trust me, I have been plenty busy!