As a group of young offensive linemen went head-to-head during the second day of rookie camp on Thursday, there was a familiar face keeping tabs on the drills.
Not to mention, a familiar beard.
While Jon Gott wasn’t taking part in practice the last few days, even the veteran centre – he of 116 regular season CFL games and fresh off a Grey Cup championship – couldn’t resist getting out there to check things out for a few minutes.
On Sunday, Gott will be fully back in the mix, along with his fellow returning REDBLACKS, as training camp officially kicks off.
“I’m getting sick of being in the gym every day. It’s time to get out and hit a few people.” – Gott
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Gott said winning the championship in 2016 didn’t change anything in terms of his off-season. It wasn’t too long, wasn’t too short…it’s just time to get back out there.
“It’s about the same every off-season, whether you win or not,” Gott said. “You take the same amount of time off. Now I just want to get back to football, it’s that time again.”
Though it’s been five months since the REDBLACKS hoisted their first-ever Grey Cup, the off-season is never as long as one would think. And if the off-season went by fast, training camp will move along at a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace. Only 12 days separate Sunday’s opening of camp to Ottawa’s June 8 pre-season game against Hamilton at TD Place. A week from that game and the REDBLACKS will be closing out the exhibition schedule in Montreal. And eight days after that, it all starts for real.
As always, training camp practices are open to the public, giving fans the chance to see some of their favourites like receivers Brad Sinopoli and Greg Ellingson, aka the Buds, as well as new additions like marquee free agent signings Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer, in action. Other players that missed significant time due to injury last season, like running back William Powell and 2015 Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman SirVincent Rogers are again healthy and will be in the thick of things.
The REDBLACKS open the 2017 CFL regular season on June 23rd when the Calgary Stampeders visit TD Place in a rematch of the 104th Grey Cup.
Training camp schedule, Week 1
Sunday, May 28th – 8:30-11:40 a.m.
Monday, May 29th – 8:30-11:40 a.m.
Tuesday, May 30th – 8:30-11:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 31 – 8:30-11:40 a.m.
Thursday, June 1 – 8:30-11:40 a.m.
Friday, June 2 – 8:30-11:00 a.m.
*All practices open to the public. Fans are asked to enter the field via the staircase near Gate 1 and sit in the field-level seats on the north side.
