Geoff Crane
Stampeders.com

After being forced to sit on the sidelines for five weeks as he battled an injury, Friday’s match against the Edmonton Eskimos can’t come soon enough for Junior Turner.

Finally being given clearance to play, Turner turned in a solid week of practice in preparation for a return to a Stamps D-line that has built up a reputation as fierce quarterback hunters.

With an intimidating 6-foot-3, 264-pound frame, Turner brings yet another speedy option the Stampeders front line that will try to give Edmonton QB Mike Reilly fits. Reilly has been sacked 14 times in this year’s previous two matches against Calgary.

“It’s going be a good test for the body to see where it’s at,” says No. 23. “Hopefully, I won’t be too tired by the end of the game. I’m just going to try and contribute in any way I can to try and help get the team this win.”

It’s been a long road for the hulking lineman, whose competitive spirit made watching his teammates in practice and games difficult.

“That’s the biggest part I missed,” says Turner. “With the guys, we’re just brothers in this and we have our coach who just makes it a family-type atmosphere.

“Being around the guys every day, we laugh and have fun when we play but we know we how to go out and work.”

And work the Red and White will have to.

Despite the fact that Edmonton sports the worst record in the West Division, the Stamps are careful not to take them too lightly. 

During the Labour Day classic, the Stamps watched as Edmonton nearly erased a 30-point deficit, scoring 27 points in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, as Reilly engineered a staggering air attack and nearly stole the win.

During the following game, the Labour Day rematch, Edmonton kept things close as Calgary had to rely on a solid performance from Rene Paredes, who went five for five in field goals, to escape with the win.

“We expect a good team,” says Turner. “Don’t let the record of Edmonton fool you because they’ve lost a lot of close games. They’ve been in a majority of games that they play in and we know that they are a well-coached team so we’ve always got to put forth our best effort.”

With bodies reporting back from the injured list, the Stampeders will be striving to reach their regular-season goal of securing a home playoff date.

“We feel good but we’re never satisfied,” says Turner.

“Our first goal is to hopefully win the division and we’ve seen our steps as a team where we’ve been getting better week-in and week-out. That’s the goal, to get better as a team, as a whole. Yeah, you can win games, but you always want to take a step forward as a unit. That’s the biggest thing that Coach Huff always emphasizes.”