MAIN CAMP DAY 15

Sunday was a gray day in Stamps camp . . . and it was also a Grey day.

The dark skies that served as a backdrop for Sunday’s single practice did absolutely nothing to mar the joy of the veteran players who had received their 2008 Grey Cup rings in a private ceremony the night before.

Several players had the baubles with them for a post-practice photo op for local media.

For defensive lineman Mike Labinjo, the Grey Cup ring wasn’t the first hunk of football-related jewellery he has received.

“I have an NFC championship ring from the Eagles,” he explained. “I have a couple of bowl rings from when I was in college, I have one from high school when we won the championship there, so I’ve had a couple of championship rings in my time.

“But this one, by far, is numero uno.”

Many players felt like kids on Christmas morning when the time came to receive the rings.

“My first reaction,” said Labinjo, “was that it was a nice, nice ring. It’s a massive ring. Bigger than I thought. It definitely makes a statement when you put it on your hand, that’s for sure.

“I like the (face). It’s very original. Most rings say ‘Super Bowl Champs’ or ‘Grey Cup Champs’ or ‘Stanley Cup Champs’ on the top. This one, you see it and you understand immediately what it means without words.”

Believe it or not, it’s been almost exactly seven months since the Stamps became champs by defeating the Alouettes at the Big O in Montreal.

“It makes you look back and feel like we earned this,” said Labinjo. “You remember what we went through. It was great to see all the guys’ faces when they got their rings. It was a good feeling; a good sense of accomplishment. I think it will inspire the guys even more now to go and get another ring.

“I guess you can say receiving these rings kind of closes the book on 2008. Now it’s time to start a new chapter.”

Schedule

The Stamps will hold a walkthrough on Monday at 10:30 a.m., their final on-field activity before Tuesday’s pre-season game in Regina against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Kickoff at Mosaic Stadium is 7 p.m.

>> More on the championship rings
>> Feature: The Kashama brothers

>> Order your limited edition Grey Cup Fan Ring

MAIN CAMP DAY 14

The end of two-a-days has finally come and not a moment to soon for some of the more experienced Stamps.

“Fourteen years and done baby, I made it through another one” said excited Stamps veteran centre Rob Lazeo. “I`m most excited for my body to get back to normal. This is hard on the body no matter how old you are.”

Following a morning practice, the Stamps took to the field for a light walkthrough in the afternoon and with that, the grind of two sessions a day came to a halt. The Stamps will now work into their regular schedule of meetings and one practice per day.

“It feels like we started a month ago and now we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Stamps tailback Joffrey Reynolds. “You feel like you work out hard enough all off-season, but nothing can really compare to this. A lot of the work you do, really doesn’t translate to the football field as much as playing and practicing does. Your never in as good of shape as you think you are.”

IT’S A CELEBRATION: For returning veterans Saturday is special for more then just the end of two-a-days. Tonight the team will hold it’s 2008 championship ring dinner.

“Tonight is going to be very special. To be able to celebrate this with my wife and my teammates is going to mean a lot. It’ll blow my mind to receive this ring,” said Stamps pivot Henry Burris. “This will be my second Grey Cup ring, but the first where I was a key component from the start of the season to the end.”

Players, coaches and staff will receive their championship rings and culminate the ‘08 season. While most haven’t even seen the rings, some had input into the design.

“I had some input on the ring when they started the design,” said Stamps pivot Henry Burris. “ I put my 10 cents in and from the picture I saw at about the midway point of the design, it appears they took a bit of my advice. We’ll see tonight though, I’m looking forward to seeing the final product.”

Schedule
The Stamps are on the field for one session on Sunday, June 20. Practice runs from 10:25 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.

MAIN CAMP DAY 13

The sound was absolutely unmistakable.

Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)
Whoa, Black Betty (Bam-ba-lam)

Yes, it was Black Betty Day at Stampeders training camp on Friday. The brainchild of equipment manager George Hopkins, the tradition of Black Betty Day has a very simple premise — the song, most notably the classic 1977 version by Ram Jam, is played on an endless loop on the McMahon Stadium loudspeakers and in the Stampeders dressing room.

After a litany of “bam-ba-lams” over an extended period, many groaning players are left holding their heads in anguish. But linebacker Dwaine Carpenter (pictured) isn’t complaining.

“Nah, it doesn’t get to me,” he said with a grin. “I’ve been begging for this the past couple of days. It’s just something to get your mind off camp. I really look forward to Black Betty Day. There’s five or six different versions of it and everyone else is begging to turn it off but I want to keep it going.”

Anderson, who lists the Tom Jones version as his favourite, says the Black Betty-palooza breaks up the monotony of the two-a-day practice routine.

“It’s just a change-up,” he said happily. “It’s a knuckleball. That’s all it is.”

Head coach and general manager John Hufnagel is mostly neutral on the subject, althought he can see one upside to what others might call noise pollution.

“I guess it’s a tradition here,” said Hufnagel. “It’s good that we had it today because we’re going into a noisy stadium. Although if we were truly preparing for a lot of noise, it would be a lot louder than it was today. But it did give some distraction to the offence and defence. It was a good day to have it.”

Still, Hufnagel is thankful the tradition started after his playing days with the Stamps.

“Thank God it wasn’t around when I was player,” he said. “If we would have done anything like that, it definitely would have been a country and western song.”

>> George Hopkins talks about Black Betty Day

CATCHING ON: With so many veteran receivers back in 2009, it would seem all the rookie pass-catchers would face a near-impossible challenge in trying to crack the roster.

Not so, says John Hufnagel.

“We’re looking for some young receivers to be on the team in some manner,” said the head coach and general manager. “That’s what their hope is — that once the dust settles, they’re still in that locker-room in whatever capacity and then we’ll go from there. Eventually, we’re going to have to make some changes — I’m not going to say it’s going to be this year or next year — but at some point in time and we’ll be turning to some of the young guys who manage to stay.”

Titus Ryan, Jermaine Jackson, Jackie Chambers and Derrick Smith are the first-year import receivers looking to battle their way into the Stamps’ plans. There’s also Vincent Marshall (pictured right) who is in his first season with the Stampeders after spending parts of the past two years with Saskatchewan.

WATSON SIGNED: With running back Jon Cornish ailing, the Stampeders have signed import Derek Watson. The 28-year-old from South Carolina has spent time in the NFL with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“We needed a running back,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “And he was at our winter camp in DeLand and we were impressed by him. He’s a very athletic running back, he can catch the football, he’s a good strong runner and he’s got some size to him, so he’ll be able to block.”

The plan is for Watson to see action in the Stamps’ Tuesday pre-season meeting with Saskatchewan.

During his college days, Watson has some brushes with the law.

“That happened a long time ago,” said Hufnagel. “A lot of people have had second chances and he’s going to be another one.”

>> Watson talks about overcoming his troubled past

Camp update

 
Schedule

The Stamps are on the field for one session on Saturday. Practice runs from 8:55 a.m. to 10:40 a.m.

MAIN CAMP DAY 12

The quarterbacks populating spots No. 2, 3 and 4 on the Stampeders depth chart were able to strut their stuff during Wednesday’s 37-30 pre-season win over the BC Lions thanks to the early good work of the Calgary offence when No. 1 man Henry Burris was at the controls.

Stamps head coach and general manager John Hufnagel was fully prepared to let Burris stay in the game into the second quarter in order to get enough snaps but instead the offence was efficient enough that Barrick Nealy was able to come in before the end of the opening quarter.

“It was definitely a good thing,” said Burris. “I felt we went out there and accomplished what we wanted to acomplish. Of course we wanted to get a touchdown or a couple. We were in the scoring zone and it just didn’t happen (as the Stamps settled for a couple of field goals). But that just gives us something to go out and improve on and it keeps up hungry. We did what we wanted to do for a first (pre-season game). We moved the ball effectively and we didn’t take any costly penalties. But we do want to put the ball in the end-zone when we have the opportunity to.”

Burris completed just three of seven passes, but all three completions were second-down tosses that moved the chains. The most spectacular hookup with a receiver was the toss in traffic to Ryan Thelwell, who was able to hang onto the ball despite a heavy hit.

“It was a great catch,” said Burris. “Thell said he owed me for the drop on the first one, so he came back and made a huge play. I did tell him I won’t throw them out there like that anymore. I can’t be doing that, but he’s a playmaker and he’s one of the special players we have in our receiving corps.”

JJ’S BIG NIGHT: It bodes well for the Stamps that it’s such a tough call to identify the club’s best first-year receiver in the BC game. Titus Ryan had two big-time catches for 50 yards (not to mention a 52-yard kickoff return) while Jermaine Jackson (pictured right) had three receptions for 65 yards. One of Jackson’s catches was good for six points.

“The fans were going crazy, all the players were going crazy,” said Jackson of the score. “It’s a good feeling out there.”

Jackson almost scored a second TD but he was ruled out at the Lions one-yard line and he had to settle for a 50-yard gain.

“I thought I had the second one,” Jackson said with a smile. “I was over celebrating and then I saw they were all lined up (at the line of scrimmage). I thought to myself, ‘Are they going for two?’ They said I stepped out at the one so I guess I stepped out at the one.”

Still, a good night’s work.

“I felt good out there,” he said. “Running the routes, I felt good in the offence and everything and I’m glad I got a chance to make plays.”

And he was glad to get a chance to show his stuff under live conditions.

“It’s different and it’s a faster pace than in practice,” he said. “But going against our defence in practice made it easier because our defence is so good. So the pace in a game was fast, but we go at a fast pace in practice so the adjustment wasn’t that significant.”

>> Audio: John Hufnagel

MAIN CAMP DAY 10 — PRE-GAME

A win is always nice, but victories aren’t the be-all and end-all for coaches during the pre-season.

“It’s not as important as getting a good evaluation of your players,” pointed out Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel, whose squad entertains the BC Lions in a tune-up tilt Wednesday night (kickoff at McMahon Stadium is 7 p.m.). “You always like to win a pre-season game, but the major concern is that you get enough playing time for your young people to get a fair evaluation. The plan is to get everyone some snaps.”

That’s certainly the case for all four quarterbacks in camp.

“I expect Henry (Burris) to play the first quarter at least,” said Hufnagel. “We want to try and get him 15, 16 plays. If things go well, then it’ll be a first-quarter game for him. If we struggle offensively, it might be a little bit longer. Barrick (Nealy) will come in after that and he’ll hopefully get the second quarter and a little bit of the third quarter. Then the other two quarterbacks (Matt D’Orazio and Drew Tate) will finish the game.”

D’Orazio and Tate are both at their first camp with the Stamps.

“They’ve had their days,:” said Hufnagel. “They’ve been up and down. Right now what I’m looking for is some consistency of moving the chains. What quarterback can go in there and grasp the moment and make some plays to keep their football team on the field.”

One of the more intriguing position battles in camp has been on the defensive line, where there are 14 roster candidates.

“Yeah, we have a lot of guys and that’s a little bit of a problem,” admitted Hufnagel. “But we’re going to give everyone who’s dressing an opportunity to show what they can do. There’ll be enough snaps where we can start the evaluation process and we have another game (next Tuesday’s contest against the Roughriders in Regina) to assess also.”

Most of the Stamps’ attention Wednesday night will be focused internally, but there is another team of course. Regardless of any off-season moves by the Lions, the Stamps boss figures he knows what to expect from BC.

“You don’t know the individual talents of the players,” said Hufnagel, “but they do have their coaching staff back so I would assume that the scheme would be very similar . . . unless they built a new rocket ship over the winter.”

>> Game preview

FIRST LICKS: For first-year players, the pre-season is anything but ho-hum. For the newbies, it’s a critical chance to show the coaches what they can do under fire.

“It is a big deal and I’m excited — this is the first time I’m going to have an opportunity to play in front of a lot of fans like this,” said defensive lineman Remond Willis (pictured) who played his college ball at Tennessee State. “Hopefully, my play will get me a spot and I’ll get a chance to do what I can do to help the team.”

Willis seems to have the right attitude in terms of avoiding the jitters.

“It’s all about having fun,” he said. “If you don’t have fun, what are you even out there for?”

SITTING IT OUT: Several players will be held out of the pre-season opener because of injuries.

Not dressing will be running back Demetris Summers (hamstring), offensive lineman Jeff Pilon (knee), offensive lineman Jesse Newman (ankle), safety Milton Collins (hamstring) and defensive lineman Tom Johnson (calf).

More coverage

>> Locker-Room Blog by Justin Brown
>> Feature story on the Stamps video crew

MAIN CAMP DAY 9

Most of the Stampeders’ position coaches welcomed back plenty of familiar faces at the start of the 2009 training camp. In a few cases — the kickers, the offensive linemen, the receivers — units returned almost completely intact.

Then there’s Cornell Brown, who handles the defensive linemen. The D-line was the position that experienced the most turnover during the off-season and camp dawned with 10 newcomers for Brown (pictured right with defensive end Juwan Simpson) to supervise and mentor.

“Hey, I just come to work,” said Brown, who’s in his second season with the club. “Whoever shows up, I’m here to coach them and coach them to the best of my ability. I want to help those guys come in and contribute and help our defence.”

The fresh batch of big men includes former Alouettes and Tiger-Cats performer Alain Kashama, Canadian draftees Ronald Hilaire and Osie Ukwuoma and U.S. recruits Tom Johnson, Justin Brown, Malik Jackson, E.J. Kuale, Remond Willis and Odell Willis.

“They’re a very active bunch,” said Brown. “Very athletic. They’re guys who can do some good things for us. We just want to hone their skills and get more comfortable with our defence so they can just go out and play instead of reacting.”

While there’s public concern about the off-season upheaval on the defensive line, which has lost the likes of Charleston Hughes, Eddie Freeman and Howard Hodges, head coach and general manager John Hufnagel has already commented that he believes the club is better off at the position right now than a year ago at this time.

“I’d like to think so,” nodded Brown. “I certainly hope we finish the same way. This year compared to last year, being that we started ou
t with a bunch of unknown guys, it is a different comfort level. These guys come here with a little more experience playing the positions that we have them in. They’re much further along that when we started last year.”

One guy who figures to be better off is Mike Labinjo (pictured right), who played both as a linebacker and a lineman before finally settling in at defensive end.

“I’m excited about having him from Day 1,” said Brown. “And I’m sure it’s comforting for him that he has just one position to focus on. We want to make him the best player possible, do that he can go out and do the things that are necessary to be one of the top defensive players in the CFL.”

Review of Day 9

Transactions

Import linebacker Brett Sturm was released.
 
Schedule

The Stamps are on the field for walkthrough on Tuesday, June 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Calgary’s first pre-season test comes Wednesday night when the BC Lions provide the opposition at McMahon Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.

More coverage

>> Locker-Room Blog by Miguel Robede

MAIN CAMP DAY 8

Sunday was relatively quiet in Stamps camp with only meetings and one pad-free walkthrough on the field instead of two hard practices. That’s great because the lull allowed everyone to reflect on the spectacle that was Saturday night’s rookie show.

For the uninitiated, the rookie show is that time in camp when the first-year players are called upon to entertain the veterans, who typically are the butt of most of the jokes.

“It was good,” said 10th-year offensive lineman Jeff Pilon (pictured), who helped organize the event. “The vets definitely got ripped on and there was obviously a lot of thought put into it. I’d say it’s among the top five rookie shows I’ve ever been to.”

Pilon declined to go into details about the roasting, saying only: “Let’s just say they did a really job.”

However, he was willing to divulge the identity of the some of the targets of the jokes,

“Mainly our quarterbacks got busted on,” he reported. “(Mike) Labinjo got busted on. Of course the offensive line did. It was variety of joking and making fun of guys.”

The jocularity is a long-standing tradition, but at least one thing has changed.

“You can tell it’s a whole new generation with the kids,” said Pilon, “because it was all high-tech. It was all downloaded onto these USB cards and there were video presentations. In the past, they think of something that day, they do a little skit and they make you laugh and that’s it. But this was all high-tech. They had projectors and computers, just everything out there. It’s evolving into a whole other world.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is the point of the exercise.

“We’re trying to create an atmosphere here where they feel like they’re family,” said Pilon. “It doesn’t matter where they’ve been, they have to come here and try to adapt to what the Calgary Stampeders are. We’re trying to promote the team concept. When the crap hits the fan, you want to be able to know you can rely on the guy beside you. You want to know that they’re going to be your buddies. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to bring everybody together and have fun and build that team.

“Don’t get me wrong. If the rookies get out of line, they’re going to hear about it. But we have a lot of really good guys. It’s going to be sad to see some of them go.”

Review of Day 8

Transactions

None
 
Injuries

The following players remain out with injuries: Running back Demetris Summers (hamstring), safety Milton Collins (hamstring), receiver Ken-Yon Rambo (hamstring), receiver Brett Ralph (hamstring) and offensive lineman Jeff Pilon (knee). Offensive lineman Jesse Newman (ankle) remains on the disabled list.
 
Schedule

The Stamps will resume two-a-days on Monday, June 15. Practices run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
 
The Stamps 2009 regular season opens with a Grey Cup rematch against the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon. Only 3,500 tickets remain for the contest. For tickets to either contest, fans are encouraged to contact Ticketmaster at 403.777.0000 or online at Ticketmaster.ca.

More coverage

>> Video of Saturday’s mock game
>> Photo gallery of the first week of camp
>> Locker-Room Blog by Barrick Nealy
>> Locker-Room Blog by Tom Johnson

MAIN CAMP DAY 7

It may have been a mock game, but the effort was genuine.

The Stampeders ran through some situtational game-condition drills Saturday afternoon at McMahon Stadium and veteran receiver Jeremaine Copeland (pictured right) set the tone for proceedings by diving to the turf to make a catch on the first play of the day.

“I’m just trying to make plays, man,” said Copeland. “It’s a matter of letting the youngsters know what kind of practice squad we’ve got around here. We’re always going to bring the heat no matter what. Any time you say, ‘Game,’ we’re going to bring it full speed.

“If they see you out there working hard, they’ve got no choice but to give it all they’ve got. If they don’t, the coaches will definitely rub it in on them. That’s what the coaches were saying afterwards — the vets are out there trying to make plays, they expect the young guys to step it up and make plays as well. We know what it takes to win championships and that’s the only way you can do it — by practising hard.”

During the mock game, Demetris Summers drew some oohs and ahs from the crowd with a spectacular kick return for touchdown while Davanzo Tate and Dwight Anderson made interceptions. In addition, quarterback Drew Tate and rookie receiver Jackie Chambers (pictured) hooked up for a nifty touchdown connection. Markus Howell, recently shifted back from defence to offence, also made a TD catch.

Kicker Sandro DeAngelis, fresh off the disabled list, was perfect in field-goal tries and he nailed a 47-yarder in a simulated game-winning scenario.

“That was good to see, obviously,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “And he said that he had added more distance on his kickoffs through the winter, and I believe he did.”

But it wasn’t all good for the club.

“I thought it was a little sloppy, truthfully,” said Hufnagel. “We made some real stupid penalties at very critical times of the game. And that’s one thing this type of exercise brings out — the importance of playing by the rules and the realization of how much a stupid penalty hurts the football
team.”

It was a tough outing for Henry Burris, who was picked off twice.

“It was not his best practice,” said Hufnagel. “In fact, he may not have had two picks in all of practice leading up to this. Those things happen and there’s nothing wrong with a little reality check every once in a while.”

That said . . .

“I thought they were having fun,” said the coach. “They were flying around. There were some nice individual efforts out there. I put a limitation on the hitting, but I expect higher intensity on Wednesday (when the BC Lions drop by McMahon by for the pre-season opener).”

ROSTER MOVES: The Stampeders got Sandro DeAngelis back Saturday as the all-star kicker was activated from the disabled list after missing the first six days of camp with an ankle injury. To make room for DeAngelis, rookie linebacker Robert Killebrew was released.

In another transaction, punter Mike Renaud was traded to Winnipeg in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2010 Canadian draft.

“I’m very pleased we were able to get Mike an opportunity to stay in the CFL,” said Hufnagel “After we signed him, he came here in the early spring to work out. He did everything he could to improve and during training camp, I was impressed by him. If I didn’t have (incumbent punter Burke Dales) around, I would have been glad Mike was here. But he wasn’t going to be beating out Burke, so I’m glad we were able to give him another opportunity.”

Schedule

The Stamps are on the field for one session on Sunday. Practice runs from 4:35 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.

More coverage

>> Stamps make trade
>> Video feature: Inside the training room
>> Locker-Room Blog by Dwight Anderson
>> Locker-Room Blog by Jermaine Jackson

MAIN CAMP DAY 6

It was the good old two-practice schedule for Day 6 of camp on Friday, but there’s something very special in store for Day 7. The next step in the progression of preparations for the new season is Saturday afternoon’s mock game at McMahon Stadium.

The contest, complete with full pads, officials and a score clock, serves as a field test under semi-live conditions.

“We’re definitely looking forward to it,” said defensive back Brandon Smith. “It’s something that will give us a feel about where we’re at. It’s an opportunity to see just how good our defence is. The offence will throw some stuff at us and we’ll see if we can adjust on the fly.”

Game time at McMahon Stadium is 3:55 p.m. and all fans are welcome to attend.

CATCHING ON: In the matter of a few plays, an old hand and a newcomer turned in spectacular catches in Friday’s morning session.

First, Jeremaine Copeland made a diving grab on the right sideline of the south end zone. Just a short time later, rookie Jermaine Jackson (pictured) made almost exactly the same reception except it was on the left side of the end zone.

ARMOUR’S BACK IN THE ARMOUR: Having received a clean bill of health from the doctors, linebacker JoJuan Armour was back on the field for Friday afternoon’s session. Armour missed several days while tests were conducted to learn more about a heart murmur that was detected during his physical.

“It’s a relief,” said Armour. “At first, it was kind of nerve-wracking but after all the tests, I’m relieved that everything is finally over.”

Now that the danger has passed, he was even able to joke about the whole thing.

“I planned it,” he said with a chuckle. “It was just a way to get a couple of days off for these old legs.”

ANALYST KEEPS WATCH: Greg Peterson is already a familiar voice. This training camp, he’s been a familiar face, too. Peterson, the colour commentator on the Stampeders’ CHQR radio broadcasts, is serving as a guest coach for the Red and White.

“I’ve done it twice before,” said Peterson, who prior to the radio gig played safety for the Stamps for nine seasons, “but this time I’m doing it a little bit different. The two previous times when I did it with Wally (Buono), I was exclusively with the DBs. This time they already had somebody coming in to work with the DBs, I asked Huff if I could move around and observe. I wanted to learn a little bit more about other positions.

“I did want to learn more about football. It’ll help with my coaching. Another main reason I did it is that it’ll give me insights for the QR broadcast. I’m not going to give away insider information, but I’m going to be able to better analyze things and give more insight to the listeners. It’s going to be really good in that regard.”

A drawback to Peterson’s presence at camp is the impact on his day job — he’s a lawyer for Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP.

“It’s going to be tough,” he admitted. “I basically have to give up two weeks of work. But I’ll catch up.”

Peterson’s guest-coaching stint has reminded him of what he misses most about playing the game.

“You can see here at camp the camaraderie that you have in football,” he said. “You kind of miss that. There’s nothing like a football team for camaraderie. You don’t get that in other professions. You don’t get it in the law practice or the business world at all.”

Schedule

The Stamps are on the field for two sessions on Saturday. The team will have practice from 8:45 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. and then the annual mock game will be held from 3:55 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

More coverage

>> Stamps let their hair down in photo shoot video
>> Locker-Room Blog by Ryan Thelwell

MAIN CAMP DAY 5

When JoJuan Armour says he was itching to get back on the field, he wasn’t kidding. After being sidelined for a couple of days while doctors conducted further tests on a heart murmur that was diagnosed during medicals, Armour was back at it Thursday morning. Trouble is there’s still one more test to go and despite encouraging results so far, Armour has yet to receive the green light to resume practising.

“I think he got overzealous,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “Unfortunately, I didn’t spot it until the end of practice. He got some reps that he shouldn’t have gotten.”

The good news is that it appears Armour will soon get the go-ahead to return to the field with full permission

“The stress test that’s happening tomorrow is precautionary,” said Hufnagel. “He’s eager. He wants to be out there. He feels fine, but (Armour won’t practice again) until after the results of the next test. So far, everything is a green light. We just have one more to get it done.”

ROSTER SHUFFLE: The Stampeders have made some roster moves heading into the fifth day of training camp.< /p>

The club has released import receivers Reggie Williams and Johnny Thomas. Williams spent most of the 2008 season on the Stampeders practice roster and did not record any statistics in the one game that he dressed.

Meanwhile, the Stamps are moving non-import defensive back Markus Howell (pictured) back to receiver for at least a couple of days.

Howell, who led Calgary in punt returns in 2008, should feel pretty comfortable on offence — he has spent the majority of his nine-season career at receiver.

>> Read Markus Howell’s blog on the position change

In other roster moves, rookie import defensive back Perry Kyles — released Tuesday — has been brought back into camp.

Also, Calgary Colts receiver Tom Shaw has joined the club as a route-runner.

INJURY REPORT: The Stamps got three players back from sick bay Thursday as import offensive lineman Antonio Hall (turf toe), non-import offensive lineman Rob Lazeo (knee) and import defensive back Quinton Meaders (Achilles) all returned to the practice field.

On the other hand, import safety Milton Collins (hamstring), import defensive lineman Juwan Simpson (groin) and non-import receiver Ryan Thelwell (hamstring) were injured at practice on Thursday. They joined import receiver Ken-Yon Rambo (hamstring), non-import receiver Brett Ralph (hamstring), non-import safety Wes Lysack (knee) and import linebackers JoJuan Armour (heart murmur), Tray Blackmon (foot) and Brett Sturm (hamstring), import defensive backs Quinton Meaders (Achilles) and J.R. Ruffin (foot) and non-import offensive lineman Jeff Pilon (knee) who remained out with previous injuries.

Non-import offensive lineman Jesse Newman (ankle) and non-import kicker Sandro DeAngelis (ankle) did not practice.

The two-a-day routine resumes Thursday with sessions at 8:45 a.m. and 4 p.m.

More coverage

>> Video report on the defence

MAIN CAMP DAY 4

The team got a break on Wednesday with the first single-practice day of camp.

“We’ve had three very good days of hard work,” said head coach/general manager John Hufnagel. “I’ve been pleased with the attention level and concentration from the players. We’ve gotten better as a team and that’s what we need to be doing.

“After three days of two-a-days you try to back off and give players a chance to catch their breath, get some much-needed rest, get some fluids back in their body and have a good meeting session.”

The afternoon off will give players some time to recover from nagging injuries, as everyone is feeling the rigours of camp.

“We had a stretch where we lost some defensive backs and then on Tuesday afternoon three receivers went down,” said Hufnagel. “But my biggest concern is getting our offensive line practising; they’ve spent too much time on the sideline watching practice.”

The time off was well received from players on numerous levels.

“Having a short day during training camp can really help. It’s good to get the guys’ bodies some rest and allows us to be in better condition for the rest of camp,” said Stamps vet Randy Chevrier. “The break also helps mentally. Players have a chance to rest their minds, get in the playbook and be better focused for tomorrow when we’re back to two-a-days. A day like this can really go a long way in helping us practice harder in the coming days and will  sharper for our first real challenge next week in the pre-season game.”

The Stamps will get back to it on Thursday with practices at 8:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

MAIN CAMP DAY 3

In addition to all the grunting, sweating, running, tackling, passing and catching on Tuesday there were at least a couple of other major activities — mirror-checking and preening.

It was Day 3 of the two-a-day grind at McMahon Stadium and between the morning and afternoon practices there was the annual photo day. As you can imagine, the process of herding 80 players plus coaches, team staff and Outriders (pictured) through makeshift studios for a little “say-cheese” session is a little daunting, but everything was done in time for the players to attend their pre-afternoon practice meetings.

Look soon for the results of today’s picture-snapping to appear on the video-board, the Stampeders.com website, the media guide and also on your TV screen — TSN was also in the house doing some shooting for their regular-season telecasts including the ever-popular screen clips where the guys get to show a little personality.

>> Sandro DeAngelis weighs in on photo day

ARMOUR UPDATE: Linebacker JoJuan Armour remains sidelined pending further examination of a recently diagnosed heart murmur.

“He’s going for further tests,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel, “we’ll get the results back and react accordingly. It’s a concern, there’s no question about it. But he doesn’t think too much of the situation, but we always err on the side of precaution and that’s why we’re doing our due diligence.”

>> Click here for comments by JoJuan

CAMP UPDATE: New import defensive backs Anthony Ivy and Ronnie Amadi arrived at training camp on Tuesday. Import defensive backs Lakendrick Terrell and Perry Kyles were released.

Injuries include receivers Ken-Yon Rambo (hamstring), Johnny Thomas (hamstring) and Brett Ralph (hamstring), defensive back Wes Lysack (knee) and linebackers Tray Blackmon (foot) and Brett Sturm (hamstring).

They joined defensive back Quinton Meaders (Achilles), Armour (heart murmur), offensive lineman Antonio Hall (toe) and offensive lineman Jeff Pilon (knee) on the sidelines.
 
Offensive lineman Jesse Newman (ankle), kicker Sandro DeAngelis (ankle) and receiver Reggie Williams (foot) did not practise and all remain on the disabled list.

The Stamps return to the field Wednesday for one practice — 8:45 a.m to 11:05 a.m.

MAIN CAMP DAY 2

Every position on the Stampeders features a mixture of veterans and youngsters, but the difference is especially noticeable among the receiving corps.

On one hand you have the returning core of Jeremaine Copeland, Nik Lewis, Ken-Yon Rambo, Ryan Thelwell and Brett Ralph, who have a combined 29 seasons of Canadian Football League experience.

Then there’s everyone else, a group of eight pass-catchers that together has a grand total of 12 games — eight by Vincent Marshall and four by Jabari Arthur.

“Everyone keeps asking that question,” said receivers coach Pete Costanza. “We have a receiving corps that has a bunch of veterans who have successful, so where do the young guys fit in? It’s our job to bring them into the fold and make them feel comfortable with the offence and with the receiving corps.

“The one thing that is great with our receiving corps is guys like Cope, Nik, Ralphie, Thel and Rambo take pride in helping the young guys out, especially at their specific positions. So yes, those young guys are here and they’re competing. Our veterans know that those guys are competing but our veterans also know that we’ve got to bring along some young receivers. It’s just a unique aspect o
f this group and it shows a maturity and a selflessness of the guys who have been in core. They’re going to help the young guys get better in order to make the football team get better because that’s the main goal.”

The vets, of course, have a boatload of credentials and the kids are leaving an impression, too.

“The young guys have been doing well,” said Costanza. “They’re out there competing. Titus Ryan has made some great catches in practice. Jackie Chambers had made some good catches and runs after the catch. Johnny Thomas, the same thing. He’s another guy who’s been out and made some good plays. Jermaine Jackson’s a big receiver and he’s a hard guy to cover because of his size. They’re all coming along. It’s a competitive squad out there, which makes going out there and coaching each practice fun. The competition level is high every day.”

With 14 healthy pass-catchers in the group, Costanza has his hands full on a daily basis.

“I try to coach the older guys and make them better,” he said. “They do a great job of knowing the offence. They’re pros when it comes to knowing their responsibilities, but at the same there are always little things we can work on and they see it when we watch the film. Our vets are great at looking at the film and saying, ‘Yeah, I could have done that better.’ I try to use the older guys as examples for the younger guys when we’re running plays. I’ll say something like, ‘Hey, watch Cope on this play.’ Or ‘Watch Nik on his release’ or ‘Watch Nik and how he’s blocking. It’s just another visual learning cue for the young guys. It’s definitely an asset having those guys out there and having the confidence they are going to take their jobs seriously.”

ARMOUR SIDELINED: Linebacker JoJuan Armour (pictured right) will undergo additional testing after being diagnosed with a heart murmur.

“He went for a blood test today,” said head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “And he’s going to go for an EKG. We’re doing this for precautionary reasons because we want to make absolutely sure of what’s going on.”

A couple of offensive linemen were also sidelined on Monday — Jeff Pilon is out day-to-day with a knee injury while Antonio Hall is suffering from turf toe.

In addition, rookie defensive back Quinton Meaders is suffering from an Achilles problem.

Previous injuries included kicker Sandro DeAngelis (ankle), offensive lineman Jesse Newman (ankle), receiver Reggie Williams (foot), defensive back Lakendrick Terrell (knee) and defensive back Perry Kyles (flu symptoms).

More coverage

MAIN CAMP DAY 1

For the Stampeders veterans, the 2009 season started Sunday.

Many players have been in town for a number of days and Saturday was the official check-in date, but Sunday marked the first day of official training camp and approximately 80 players were going through their paces at McMahon Stadium.

“I was very pleased with the weather,” said head coach/general manager John Hufnagel after the morning session. “Fortunately, camp didn’t open up (Saturday when it was cold and snowy). I thought the guys really had a lot of energy out there this morning. They had lots of concentration. It was a good start — I’m very pleased.”

The rookies were on the field Thursday and Friday, but Sunday marked the first appearance for the returning players, including Joffrey Reynolds (pictured).

“The veterans understand the type of practice we want to conduct and I need them to lead the young guys,” said Hufnagel. “I was pleased with the way the young guys performed in rookie camp but this is a different tempo entirely.

“It’s important that you give young guys an opportunity to blossom. You’re always asking them to come out each and every day and improve. You have to be patient, especially with the young guys. That’s why you hold judgment until after you see them in football games. We’ll be playing next Wednesday (at McMahon against the BC Lions) and I’m looking forward to it.”

CATCH OF THE DAY: Even if it was the first practice of the season, Ken-Yon Rambo was in mid-season form. Sprinting down the left sideline, the receiver slipped in behind J.R. Ruffin and then made a spectacular diving grab of a Henry Burris toss.

AFTERNOON HEAT: Tempers flared at the end of the afternoon session as a handful of players exchanged vigiorous shoves and angry words. Coach Hufnagel, who has a low tolerance for that sort of extracurricular activity, immediately responded with a stern lecture and some hard sprinting for all of the players.

“Maybe some people need to learn the proper way to practise,” said Hufnagel afterwards. “I don’t have any ill feelings about it but I definitely don’t want to see a whole lot of it either. They understand my feelings about it and we’ll move on from there.”

FRIENDLY RECEPTION: You’ve probably heard about the tradition of veterans treating rookies poorly at camp. First-year linebacker Tristan Black (pictured right) certainly has, but he’s been pleasantly surprise by the reception from Calgary’s returning players.

“The experience has been a lot better than I expected,” said Black, who was the Stamps’ second-round pick in the 2009 draft. “The vets are a lot nicer than I first anticipated. These guys are welcoming us in and helping us with the systems and making us comfortable.”

Good thing because the rookies already have their hands full with the demands of their first pro camp.

“With the veterans on the field now,” said Black, “the practice moves a little bit quicker and there are a lot more guys. It’s a little more up-tempo now. It’s a lot more upbeat now because there are guys who are more comfortable here and not afraid to be themselves. As rookies, we were a little uptight coming in.”

They key, says Black, is to look, listen and learn.

“You want to see what the vets are doing and emulate them,” he said. “They’ve been here and they won the Grey Cup, so they must have been doing something right. It puts a little more pressure on you to do things correctly.”

SUAGR’S STILL SWEET ON FOOTBALL: As usual, Stamps alumnus Sugarfoot Anderson was on hand for the start of camp.

As a player, Anderson attended his first Stamps camp in 1949 and 60 years later he still gets cranked up by the start of the new season.

 “It’s exciting, especially the first day,” said the living legend. “I love it.”

There’s one part of camp, however, that Sugarfoot wasn’t so crazy about.

“The one reason I didn’t like training camp too much because you make friends with guys and then they get cut,” he explained. “That’s hard, but that’s part of the game.”

Day 1 recap