By: Vicki Hall
Calgary Herald

Kevin Glenn wandered off the football field in a bit of a trance Sunday morning after a different kind of post-game workout for the Calgary Stampeders.

Stealing a page from the Vancouver Canucks, the Stamps contorted every which way in a yoga session conducted by local instructor Lacy Bradley.

“That was probably my first time doing yoga,” Glenn said. “I feel all right. I feel good. There were a lot of different maneuvers and grabbing your ankles and knees and all that other stuff.

“It was a good thing. I’m feeling Zen.”

On Sunday, head coach/general manager John Hufnagel said Drew Tate is still day-to-day with an arm strain. The team will have a better idea where things are at with the injury come practice on Tuesday.

Conventional wisdom suggests not rushing a guy like Tate back given his injury is a matter of overuse — especially this early in the season with the bye week coming on July 27.

“Like I’ve said in other interviews, I always prepare as if I’m going to play,” Glenn said. “Whatever happens, happens. That’s when you’ve got to be ready.”

Clearly, Glenn was ready last Friday in his first start of the season against Montreal. The cagey veteran completed 22-of-28 passes for 268 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.

“I thought Kevin played exceptionally well,” said Hufnagel. “His completion percentage was very high, almost 80 per cent. He directed the offence very well. He made some clutch plays on second-and-long situations by managing the pocket and finding some receivers in the holes in their zones.

“So he played a very solid football game.”

Injuries continue to decimate the Stampeders at an alarming rate, with linebacker Malik Jackson the latest in a long list of casualties.

The starting wide-side linebacker broke his arm on the opening drive Friday night, leaving Deron Mayo to fill the void.

No wonder they’re practising yoga in hopes of reversing the trend.

“It’s horrible to miss Malik,” said defensive co-ordinator Rick Campbell.

“We will miss Malik, because he’s done a great job. But Mayo will come in and play well, just like he did in the playoffgame last year. We knew he’d come in and do a good job, which he did in the Western Final last year, and he’s been playing – not full-time, but he’s been around taking reps.

“So I’m excited to see him out there.”

Other newcomers to the training room include defensive end Charleston Hughes (ligament in wrist) and guard Jon Gott (elbow.) Neither has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Alouettes.

A fired-up Keon Raymond addressed the defensive troops Friday in advance of his first game of the 2013 regular season.

The 30-year-old missed the first two contests with an ankle sprain suffered in practice.

“I was tossing and turning all night before the game,” Raymond said. “I couldn’t sleep. I’m thinking about:`If I have an opportunity, what am I going to say to the guys?’ “I told them: `This is a once-in-alifetime opportunity. You don’t know what you’re missing until you’re not playing out here.’ For me, sitting back those two weeks and watching the guys play, it brought some vision into my life, just as a football player, and I just spoke on that. `Let’s play this like it’s our last. This is our artwork. We’re artists. Let’s create a nice masterpiece.”

After a tough opening drive, the Stamps kept Anthony Calvillo offthe scoreboard for the rest of the night.

Apparently, Raymond’s address resonated with his peers and they did create a masterpiece, of sorts.

“Guys were kind of riled up by it from the emotion I had,” Raymond said.

“I think it was well-received,” he added.