By Max Campbell
Stampeders.com

They say you only get one chance to make a first impression, and Saturday night may finally be Tory Harrison’s time to shine.

As Jon Cornish was recently placed on the Stampeders’ six-game injury list, the perennial all-star tailback will now be out of action for the foreseeable future. The offensive void could very well be filled in large part by Harrison, a versatile threat who can both run the ball and catch passes out of the backfield.

“I feel bad for Cornish because he’s a veteran on the team and when we have him on the field, I’m pretty sure everybody feels comfortable,” said the Southern Mississippi alum. “But at the same time, I still want to have my opportunity to show what I can do, too.”

After signing with the Green Bay Packers and attending training camp with the NFL club back in 2010, Harrison joined with the United Football League’s Hartford Colonials. Two more stops in Omaha and Sioux Falls of the Indoor Football League preceded Harrison first becoming a member of the Red and White for two weeks last August. He subsequently re-signed with the Stamps in May.

A member of Calgary’s practice roster since arriving to the CFL, the Leesburg, Fla., native is now on the active roster and is anticipating his number to be called in the upcoming Week 6 matchup against the visiting Alouettes.

“It’s going to mean a lot,” Harrison said of his projected playing time. “But the main thing I want to do is just go out and play hard and really just give my team the opportunity to win.”

The Stampeders suffered their first loss of the 2015 campaign back on July 3 at Percival Molson Stadium and Harrison pointed to one particular aspect of the Montreal defensive scheme that must be accounted for in their second meeting of the year.

“I think they do a good job of blitzing,” stated the two-time IFL champion. “They blitz a lot, so I think if we can handle the blitz, we should be alright.”

Leading his Golden Eagles to the 2009 New Orleans Bowl as a senior, Harrison feels ready to go after watching from the sidelines and observing the offence in live action.

“Even with me being on the practice squad for the first five weeks, it gave me an idea of how a game would go and just pretty much how everything operates,” explained the six-foot-one, 196-lb. running back. “I feel very prepared.”

Tallying 77 combined yards in two pre-season games against the Lions and Roughriders, Harrison is experiencing a variety of sentiments prior to his first taste of regular-season play.

“Nervous, excited, happy,” the professional football journeyman remarked. “I’ve got all types of mixed emotions right now.”