By Nic Sgaggi
Stampeders.com

It’s something that every young football player dreams about — finally getting a chance to play in a professional game.

That dream came true for a handful of Stampeders players on Saturday, but the night was particularly special for a group of heroes often unsung — the offensive linemen.

During their first taste of Canadian Football League action, rookies Pierre Lavertu and Brad Erdos both played an important role in what proved to be a successful evening for the Stamps’ offensive line as they helped three different running backs to performances of at least 49 yards against Winnipeg.

“I think we did well,” said Lavertu, the Stamps top 2014 draft pick out of Laval. “We have a lot of things to polish but, for now, it’s going well. We’re going to keep working and trying to get better at the run game every week.”

It was no fluke the Stampeders’ offensive line helped its rushers tally a collective 193 yards in the pre-season bout. They have been fine-tuning their ability to communicate for weeks now and that, according to Lavertu, was the key to their game.

“We are all on the same page and that is what makes a successful offensive line,” he said.

Erdos, who had a couple of big blocks on Saturday including one that took place 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, has seen nothing but progress since he first came together with his teammates nearly three weeks ago at rookie camp.

“We’ve improved a lot,” said Erdos, a Simon Fraser alum who was drafted in 2012. “We’re playing different positions now too, so we’re starting to move around a bit and we get to be more comfortable with everything.”

Lavertu agreed, crediting o-line coach Pat DelMonaco for the rapid development.

“This is not the same offensive line from day one,” said Lavertu. “We’ve progressed and worked hard with Pat DelMonaco. He does a great job with us and we’re going to continue with that.”

The Stampeders will cap off their pre-season when they travel to Vancouver on Friday to face the BC Lions.