How’s that old saw go? If it weren’t for bad luck he wouldn’t have any luck at all?
Justin McGriff came into camp on a positive high, saying that he felt fortunate to return much earlier than anticipated from the compound-fracture of his right tibia incurred during last year’s Tiger-Cat training camp. But during Tuesday’s practice the 6-foot-6 receiver, who was surely making the team and likely as a starter, was taken off the McMaster field with a lower leg issue, sitting dejectedly on the back of a golf cart.
On Wednesday, head coach Scott Milanovich could offer up only a limited amount of information on the nature of the injury because McGriff was still undergoing examinations.
“We don’t know at this point,” Milanovich said during his daily media scrum. “We’re all concerned. It wasn’t the same leg as last year; it was the other leg. It looked like a little bit of a hyper-extension. He was so upset. I went to see him afterwards. We all have our fingers crossed and hope for the best.”
That was among the negatives of Day 3 of power practices, with another being Milanovich and the player personnel staff having to cut seven players and place three more on the suspended list to meet the CFL’s Tuesday midnight deadline to get down to 75 players, plus “non-counters.” (Generally, those include this year’s draft classes and last year’s draftees who didn’t dress for a CFL game).
In today’s visual and audio episode of Ticats Today Milanovich talks about having to make those cuts and how he’d rather have more time with all the players rather than having to release them so early in training camp.
Also on Ticats Today, we examine why TSN football analyst and former Blue Bombers and Redblacks head coach Paul LaPolice—who was a Ticat coach early in his professional career–is at the McMaster campus this week; how Bo Levi Mitchell, Taylor Powell and the other quarterbacks looked on Day 3 of power practices, what jersey number Powell is wearing this year and why; and who had a noticeably good day at practice.
CATS CLAUSES: The Ticats released seven players; wide receivers Marcus Cooper and Allie Green IV, defensive linemen Marje Smith and Vonnie Watkins and defensive backs Maxwell Worship and Avery Young … Justin McGriff, Jason Lewan (DL) and Johnny King (WR) were added to the suspended list … the Black and Gold Kickoff begins at 7 p.m. (gates open at 6 p.m.) at Mac’s Ron Joyce Stadium on Sunday. To attend you should RSVP to Ticats.ca/bgkickoff … Hamilton native Jacob Patten made a great diving catch for a touchdown today… In a quick post-practice interview yesterday new Ticat defensive back Jamal Peters, who is a premier shutdown cornerback, said this about having his two former Argo teammates, defensive linemen Brandon Barlow and Dewayne Hendrix, with him in camp:
“It helps me a lot. I’ve known Hendrix since 2021, we came in together, and Barlow came into Toronto in 2022. We always knew that once we hit free agency we were going to try to be together if we could. And then to be able to come down the QEW with them! It’s about friendship. We just bond. We’re real brothers, we always push each other to the limit. After we get done with practice we put in the extra work together, that people don’t see, to make each other better.”
