By Stampeders.com staff

Injuries are a part of football, of course, but that fact of gridiron life has seemed to hit the Calgary Stampeders especially hard in recent seasons.

More specifically, there’s been a disturbing trend of medical mishaps to players in the same position group. One year, it was receivers. On another occasion, it was defensive linemen getting dinged.

In 2014, running back has been the unfortunate group targeted.

Martell Mallett, who suffered a groin injury last week, is the latest starting tailback to go down as he joins Jon Cornish and Matt Walter in sick bay. With all-purpose performer Jock Sanders also at less than 100 per cent, the “next man up” for the Red and White is likely to be CFL veteran Hugh Charles, who was added to the practice roster on July 28.

“Hugh’s got experience, obviously,” said Stampeders head coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “He’s been here a couple of weeks so he’s got a good grasp of what we do. He’s a smart individual. He’s picked up things quickly. He’s an explosive running back. A good pass receiver.

“I don’t expect us to lose a beat with Hugh in there.”

Cut by the Edmonton Eskimos in training camp this year and then by the Saskatchewan Roughriders despite rushing for 86 yards in one half of action, Charles is anxious for an opportunity to prove himself once again.

“I’m not done,” Charles said. “I’m 28 years old. I’m in my prime. I still have a lot left in the tank.”

The Colorado University product, who is in his seventh CFL campaign, is anxious to get into the lineup despite all the misfortune that has befallen all his predecessors in the Calgary backfield this season.

“I take good care of myself,” said Charles, who has accumulated 2,170 rushing yards and 995 receiving yards as a CFLer. “The game, you always take a risk and a chance of injury, but you don’t think about that. You think about the positive things. You think about the opportunities that you’re getting because it doesn’t last forever. This is what I’m here for. That’s why I’ve been in the league for so long. I’m just taking advantage of my opportunities.”

Though he ran the ball well in his brief stint with the Roughriders, Charles was yanked from the game and then released after fumbling.

“It was tough to take,” said Charles. “But I wasn’t dead. I wasn’t injured. I had a decent game up until then. It’s just part of it.”

Thanks to their depth and their solid offensive line, the Stamps have run the ball well despite the rash of tailback injuries. Calgary ranks third in the league with an average of 111.3 rushing yards per game.

Remarkably, in six games so far this season, five different players have led the team in rushing — Cornish (Game 1), Walter (Games 2 and 3), Sanders (Game 4), Mallett (Game 5) and Rob Cote (Game 6 after the fullback was pressed into tailback service when Mallett went down).