By Jonathan Anderson
Stampeders.com
Jumping right in after spending the first 10 games of the 2012 season on the injured list, Stampeders receiver Maurice Price wasted no time getting into the action last Friday as the Red and White defeated the Bombers 44-3.
Price entered his Canadian Football League debut having not played a regular-season game since 2010, when he was a member of the United Football League’s Florida Tuskers. Price relished the opportunity.
“Being here at home,” he said, “getting to experience it at McMahon Stadium with these great fans we have, that we very special.”
Statistically, Price did a fine job — lining up at receiver, he caught four passes for 42 yards, withhis longest of the day being a 17-yard grab.
Price even took a hand at rushing the ball as he had one carry for nine yards. With the completion of his first CFL game, Price has received plenty of compliments.
“Everybody told me I did well,” he said. “I just want to go off of that and build off that and continue to get better.”
Price maintains he wasn’t surprised by anything from Friday’s game. Having had plenty of time to watch practice, study film and wait patiently to get healthy enough for game action, Price was more than prepared.
“The overall level of play was everything I expected,” he remarked. “I didn’t come in underestimating anybody or any team, it was everything I expected and I’m looking forward to many more.”
This isn’t Price’s first stint with the Stampeders — in 2009, he was a member of the practice roster after being released from the San Francisco 49ers. Price sees little change in the competiveness level amongst the Stamps of today.
“Really not too much is different,” he noted. “The players are different, but everything else is the same. No real differences, I’m just a little bit older, a bit more mature.”
Being on the nine-game injury list was trying for Price as he had high hopes coming into training camp. Price was enjoying a good camp before suffering the ankle injury that would keep him out for an extended period of time.
“Of course it was disappointing to get hurt, especially that early,” he said. “Everything I did to get back was definitely a process. I couldn’t rush it and I had to be patient. It was hard, but at the same time I just kept doing things to be prepared and keep myself ready.”
Price expects no one to feel sorry for him though — he knows as well as anybody injuries are part of the professional football.
“I know I wasn’t the only one who got hurt,” he said. “This league is not going to wait for me just because I got hurt. So I did whatever I had to do whether it was rehab with Patty (Clayton) or lifting weights on my own, catching balls on my own, just doing different things and I guess it paid off — here I am, I’m ready.”
Fridays game was a long time coming for Price, as he patently waited for his opportunity his body healed to the point where he was game ready. As the Stampeders faithful hope last week’s performance is a sign of things to come for Price.
“I’m 100 per cent,” he said. “It was my first game, but I feel like there is a lot of things I’m going improve at. I feel good and, if my name is called again, I’ll be ready.”