It’s been an interesting training camp with the change of position. And there are times I’m not sure what position I play or what number I am. This is my fourth year in the league and 35 is my fourth number.
I definitely have to think twice. When I hear the coaches yelling for the linebackers, I hesitate for a second. But it’s cool, though.
With the numbers, it’s always been somebody else’s idea to change. I had 48 at first and then when I started snapping in Edmonton, they wanted to change my number to the 50s. And then after that, we had a new guy come in who really wanted 55 — I don’t know, he had some family reasons for it — so I gave it up to him.
And now of course, I signed with Calgary this year and they gave me 35. It’s never been my choice but 35 was my college number, so I’m happy about that. If I could keep that one for the next 10 years or so, that would be good.
With the conversion to fullback, the last week or so has definitely been good. The first week, there was a lot of mental errors. Now I’ve got a grasp of the playbook and a grasp of what is supposed to happen. Now I see what I’m coming up against and I know beforehand. Instead of reacting all the time, I’ve got an idea what steps to take and what techniques I need to use.
For tonight’s pre-season game in Edmonton, first of all, we need to win. Coach Huff stressed that all week. We need to get rolling into the season just because we didn’t play very well in the first pre-season game.
We just need to execute. That’s the biggest thing. Cut down on turnovers and miscues. You expect that a little bit in the pre-season but we had too many in the first game. We just need to clean that up.
Of course, it’s cool that my first road game as a member of the Stampeders is in Edmonton, where I spent the first three seasons of my career. I have a lot of good memories of my time there. A lot of the players have changed but I will be lining up against some guys I know pretty well. It’s just going to make the game even more exciting.
Tim St. Pierre, #35
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