Latest news with #EdmontonElks
Global News
a day ago
- Sport
- Global News
Edmonton Elks to unleash their best in club's pre-season finale on Friday
After an off-season which saw a massive retool of the roster by general manager Ed Hervey, the Edmonton Elks will look to put forth a good impression on Friday night when they welcome the B.C. Lions to Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium. The Elks lost their first pre-season game 31-4 to the Stampeders in Calgary last Saturday. It was a young lineup who played in Calgary. On Friday, the Elks will roll out their starters led by fourth-year quarterback Tre Ford who signed a three-year contract extension in December. Ford is coming off a 2024 CFL campaign where he would play in eight games — starting in six of them, passing for 1,137 yards and throwing for 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Ford would also rush for over 200 yards, recording nine yards per carry. Ford is now the team's starting quarterback and says he is ready to embrace the pressure of that role. Story continues below advertisement 'It does feel like a little bit of pressure with the change, but at the same time, football is my job,' Ford said. 'I come in here every day and my job is to learn. That's my job — I'm here to learn, and I'm going to go out and try to execute on the field.' The coaching staff will be watching several battles for positions. The kicking game saw change in the final week of training camp with the release of Canadian Campbell Fair and the signing of American Brayden Narveson, who has seven NFL games under his belt with the Green Bay Packers and the Tennessee Titans. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Narveson will compete with Elks 2024 draft pick Vincent Blanchard for the place-kicker role. The Elks are looking for their fifth receiver and both American Arkell Smith and Canadian Zach Mathis are competing for the job. The Elks will also be looking at their depth along the offensive and defensive lines along with a couple of starting spots in the secondary. Story continues below advertisement Two projected starters won't play on Friday as defensive lineman Jarret Brinkman and receiver Alex Hollins are nursing lower-body injuries. The following are the projected offensive and defensive starters for the Elks: Offence Quarterback: Tre Ford Running back: Justin Rankin (Fullback: Tanner Green) Offensive line: Martez Ivey, Mark Korte, David Beard, Gregor MacKellar, Brett Boyko Receivers: Steven Dunbar, Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Arkell Smith, Kaion Julien-Grant, Zach Mathis Defence Defensive line: Brandon Barlow, Tomari Fox, Jake Ceresna, Robbie Smith Linebackers: Nick Anderson, Nyles Morgan, Kordell Jackson Defensive backs: Devodric Bynum, Manny Rugamba, Royce Metchie, Kobe Williams, Tyrell Ford You can hear Friday's pre-season finale between the Elks and Lions on 880 CHED starting with Countdown to Kickoff with Courtney Theriault at 6 p.m. The opening kickoff from Play Alberta Field at Commonwealth Stadium will be at 7:30 p.m. with Morley Scott and Dave Campbell calling all of the live action. Hear analysis from former Edmonton Football Team offensive lineman and two-time Grey Cup champion Blake Dermott. Former EE offensive lineman Gord Hinse will provide analysis from the Elks sidelines.
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Lions: Nathan Rourke is playing loose, having fun and it's rubbing off on teammates, says GM
Nathan Rourke is a happy camper it seems. 'You're seeing him playing looser. I think he's having fun out there,' B.C. Lions general manager Ryan Rigmaiden said Wednesday of his starting quarterback and his efforts at training camp in Kamloops. 'Taking that next step in leadership with the off-season program is something that we've all been impressed with, but obviously on the field is where it really counts. I think the guys are seeing him play loose and having fun, and I think that gives them more confidence. And when the offence is confident and loose, they're usually playing fast.' These new-look Lions, with former assistant GM Rigmaiden now having the final call on personnel and Buck Pierce as head coach, are closing in on their official debut. The squad visits the Edmonton Elks for their second of two pre-season games on Friday, and then it's the season opener on June 7 at B.C. Place , with the Elks providing the opposition following a pre-game concert by rapper Snoop Dogg. Check out the Lions' website for more information on proceedings. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Rigmaiden says that Rourke has had his best stint of camp this week in Kamloops. The Lions are banking on a revitalized Rourke, benefiting from a full off-season of preparation after coming in midway through last season from the NFL. B.C. had a pedestrian 2024, finishing 9-9 in the regular season and losing in the Western Conference semifinals in a year they were hosting the Grey Cup. Rourke, 27, only showed glimpses last year of the player who had been dominant under centre for the Lions in 2022. Rourke and the other starters will get anywhere from a quarter to a half of playing time on Friday, according to Rigmaiden. Rourke took just four snaps in B.C.'s first pre-season game, which was a 26-16 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in Langford. 'I want to see execution. I want to see us limit the mental mistakes that we had on the Island,' Rigmaiden said. 'The buy-in is already there for the guys. I think the physical play can always be better. I want to see them just play and not think. 'For Nathan, I'm just looking for consistency. He's only had limited time in this offence, but you want to see him get the ball out on time. The other guys are going to have to back him up. Nathan's going to know where to go with the ball.' "These things have been around since the opening of the 1988 Olympics. We're in break, I throw it in the hallway!" 🪑 @The_Real_Moj talks #BCLions camp and pet peeves on certain @CFL press boxes on 1st and Now 😂 FULL EPISODE 📺 | @worldvisioncan There are only three or four starting up jobs to be decided, Rigmaiden says. At the same time, he points out that these exhibition games can have a major bearing for some players, and cites defensive back T.J. Lee, who was a rookie on the bubble going into the 2014 final pre-season game versus the Calgary Stampeders. He had two interceptions that game, B.C. decided then to keep him, and he played 10 seasons with the club. 'Some of these guys, the lights are too bright for them,' Rigmaiden said of the newcomers. 'They may have a terrific week of practice, but they go in on game day and they're screwing up mentally or they're dropping passes or whatever it may be. And then there are some guys with a little steeper of a learning curve, and they get into a game and everything just clicks. When that happens, you have to hang onto those guys.' Since taking on the top job, Rigmaiden has talked frequently about the Lions needing to be a more physical team and one that can find a way to run the ball better at crunch time. To aid in that, Rigmaiden acquired 2023 CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Dejon Allen, 31, from the Toronto Argonauts in a January trade, with linebacker Ryder Varga, 26, and a second-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft going the other way. Allen, a tackle, had missed much of training camp with back spasms, but he was a full participant at camp on Wednesday. 'We'll put him in the game just to bang him around a little bit and make sure he's good to go health wise, but he looks like he's ready,' Rigmaiden said. 'He's a former offensive lineman of the year and CFL all-star. He's a tremendous player, and I think he gives everybody confidence around him both in the run and the pass game. 'This is how we want to win. We want to be tough and gritty in the trenches. And adding a player like that is absolutely huge.' SEwen@ @SteveEwen
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Elks add American kicker with NFL experience to training camp roster
Green Bay Packers placekicker Brayden Narveson (44) kicks for a field goal during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. A new field-goal kicker is on the scene at Commonwealth Stadium. The Edmonton Elks signed Brayden Narveson on Wednesday, releasing Campbell Fair in a corresponding move, the Canadian Football League club said in a media release. The 25-year-old Narveson, an American, played in the National Football League last season, suiting up in six games for the Green Bay Packers and one for the Tennessee Titans. Fair, a Canadian from Oakville, Ont., who played college football at the University of Ottawa, is a former 2023 draft pick of the Calgary Stampeders who joined the Elks' practice roster in September. He had been battling fellow Canadian Vincent Blanchard, who was signed to the team's practice roster in October and re-upped with the Elks this month, for 2025 kicking duties. Zach Mathis, Marquel Lee Edmonton Elks' Zach Mathis, left, is tackled by Calgary Stampeders' Marquel Lee during first half CFL preseason football action in Calgary, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press) Blanchard kicked a 40-yard field goal in the Elks' first preseason action of the season on Saturday in a 31-4 loss to the host Stampeders. Edmonton returns to CFL exhibition action on Friday against the visiting B.C. Lions. Narveson – a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., and an alumnus of North Carolina State, Western Kentucky and Iowa State – made the Titans roster out of training camp as an undrafted rookie in 2024, handling almost all their kicking duties in the preseason last summer and drilling the second-longest field goal in NFL exhibition play: a 59-yarder during Tennessee's second warmup test against the Seattle Seahawks. He made seven of eight field goals in preseason, his only miss coming from 58 yards. The Titans waived him before the season started and was claimed by the Packers, for whom Narveson handled field-goal duties for their first six games of the season. Green Bay waived Narveson in mid October after he went 12-of-17 in field-goal attempts. He re-joined the Titans in early December and played for them Dec. 22 in a 38-30 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, in which he missed his lone field-goal attempt and converted two touchdowns. He was released by the Titans the next day.
Calgary Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Defensive linemen in Calgary Stampeders camp: 'Game-wreckers' wanted
Article content 'And then on the edges, you've got to be a full-time player … but you've got to be able to stop the run and then get after the quarterback.' Article content With 18 d-line hopefuls still in camp Wednesday, Dickenson and his staff have plenty of talent — and options — on hand. Article content Beyond Orimolade on the edge, returnee Clarence Hicks has been a standout during camp. As have fellow Americans Cedric Wilcots II and Shaun Peterson Jr., who earned two QB sacks in last Saturday's 31-4 pre-season victory over the visiting Edmonton Elks at McMahon. Article content Of the big American fellas inside, returnee Josiah Coatney, fourth-year CFLer Miles Brown and Jaylon Hutchings — who signed with the Stamps last October — are all turning heads. Article content Article content Then there's the Canadians in the mix — returnees Kail Dava, Kelon Thomas, Ryan Leder, Justin Sambu and Anthony Federico, 2024 draft-picks George Idoko and Jason Janvier-Messier and 2025 draftee — and Calgarian — Max von Muehldorfer. Article content Article content 'I think we have a lot of talent,' added Orimolade. 'I think there's a lot of guys that are still like budding, but I think number one, I think we're going to defend the run really well, and that's going to put us in a lot of opportunities to give guys behind the sticks. It makes it easier for d-line to get to the quarterback.' Article content The ending Article content So far, it stacks up as Orimolade, Brown, Hutchings and Hicks from edge to edge. Article content But with so many talents in the mix and Dickenson declaring jobs up for grabs, that could change overnight. Article content Plus Canadians starting on the d-line amounts to being ratio-breakers. Article content No matter, though … just as long as whoever's got those gigs are game-wreckers. Article content 'It's a hungrier group,' added Orimolade, when asked about the difference between the Stamps before he left and this year's edition. 'When you've had bad seasons, no one wants that taste in their mouth. They wanted the season to be over just because of all the losing, and it starts to weigh on you mentally. Article content Article content 'But now it's like everyone has the drive to be better this year. That's a big change. That was kind of missing. You get kind of complacent, and now you have the rejuvenation. It's good.' Article content Short yardage Article content The Stampeders have released American WR Ishmael Hyman, who appeared in five regular-season games for the Red and White in 2024 and made 18 catches for 220 yards and one touchdown … The Stamps signed global K Jordan Noyes, a native of Gravesend, England, who recently concluded his NCAA career with the Colorado State Rams. In two seasons with the Rams, he converted 29-of-39 field-goal attempts and added 62 converts for a total of 149 points. He also averaged 64.6 yards on 16 kickoffs. In a 2024 game at Nevada, Noyes connected on a 60-yard field goal. Noyes started his NCAA career with 30 games over three seasons with the Utah Utes. He was 8-of-12 on field goals for the Utes, a perfect 45-for-45 on converts and accounted for 79 points. He averaged 61.9 yards on 145 kickoffs … The Stamps placed rookie American FB Ryan Jones on the retired list after he underwent surgery for a broken leg suffered during the Red and White pre-season victory over the host BC Lions on Vancouver Island on Victoria Day … Stamps training camp continues Thursday at McMahon (9:15 a.m.). Article content
Global News
4 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
What's in a name? Elks vs. Eskimos debate returns to Edmonton football team
An issue some thought had been settled has been reopened in Edmonton, where the city's football team is reviving a discontinued name that was the topic of much debate and disagreement — something that continues to this day. In 2020, the CFL club's board of directors made the decision to discontinue the use of the word 'Eskimo' and launch a rebrand. The following year after consultations and a public poll, the team renamed the Edmonton Elks. Story continues below advertisement Prior to that, the CFL team faced criticism for its name over the years, with some people arguing it was racist, offensive and showed a lack of respect for the Inuit community in northern regions of Canada and the U.S. But not all felt that way — some in the Inuit community felt pride over the Eskimos name. The tipping point came when sponsors threatened to pull their support. Now, the team's leadership is bringing the Eskimos name back — well, sort of. 'We are going to be proud of the Eskimo era of this franchise,' said Chris Morris, 56, who was appointed the team's president and chief executive last year. Morris also wore the green and gold for 14 seasons, as a linebacker from 1992 to 2005. 'For one reason or another, over the last few years, the term 'Eskimos' internally here in this organization has been stricken further and further from how we talk about ourselves,' Morris said. The leader made the comments on Monday at an event welcoming longtime equipment manager Dwayne Mandrusiak back to the club, after he was sacked a few years ago. 'Over the years, we've forgotten elements of our history. And with Dwayne coming back here, that will return,' Morris said. Story continues below advertisement 1:38 Dwayne Mandrusiak back with the Edmonton Elks 'We are done hiding in the shadows from something that really isn't something to be afraid of: 14 Great Cup Championships, the most incredible fan support, and I apologize to our fans, for over the years somehow being villainized for being called the Eskimo fan base.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Morris stressed the team won't be ditching the Elks name on the gridiron, but rather is going to stop pretending the Eskimos name never existed. 'Internally, we will use the term 'Eskimos' because we are proud of that history as an organization that did some many great things,' he said, explaining he wants the Eskimos name to be associated with the excellence achieved under it. 'We are honouring the past of this organization. We … honour what was great.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are honouring the past of this organization. We … honour what was great." Some of the changes include putting back up a sign over the entrance of the team's locker room saying, 'Once an Eskimo, always an Eskimo.' Story continues below advertisement 'It was a brotherhood, it was a way of doing things, it was the sign that you were part of something bigger than yourselves, which made a difference not just on the field, but in the community,' Morris said. The team's vintage fire truck that used to make laps around the field after a touchdown will also have the Eskimos name put back on. 'We are proud of that history, and we are going to embrace it moving forward.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are proud of that history, and we are going to embrace it moving forward." 4:51 Edmonton's CFL team reviewing controversial name amid public pressure Reaction to the announcement was mixed. Lifelong football fan Kimberly Tologanak wants the team to ditch the name 'Elks' and return to its roots. 'Inuit that hunt polar bears and warriors, that's the strong people,' Tologanak said. 'Edmonton Eskimos are a strong team and I think it goes with who we are as Eskimos. Story continues below advertisement 'The team is strong and resilient like Inuit people.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "The team is strong and resilient like Inuit people." The Inuk woman moved to Edmonton 25 years ago said the former name made her proud. 'To me, I grew up with being known as an 'Eskimo,' so that's what I knew,' the passionate fan said, adding people she knows up north were also proud of the name. 'It doesn't offend me.' 4:22 Len Rhodes says dropping 'Eskimos' name was inevitable for Edmonton football team But not all people of her heritage feel that way. Tupaarnaq Kopeck is Inuit and grew up in Greenland before moving to Denmark, where she first learned of the negative connotation attached to the word 'Eskimo.' 'It was used against me as a slur, as a dehumanizing word against me and my people,' Kopeck said. Story continues below advertisement She now lives in Spruce Grove and said her heart started racing when she heard the team would be using 'Edmonton Eskimos' again in some capacity. She said many in the Inuit community consider the word racist. 'Words have power,' Kopeck said, adding she was happy when the team changed its name in 2020, even while acknowledging amongst her own community members there's no consensus on how one should feel about the former name. 'I think they should invite a group of Inuit and hear their thoughts and talk to them, have conversations. That's important.' She said she understands there's great nostalgia attached to the former name for some fans, but argued it's a step backward for reconciliation with the Indigenous community. 'There's people in the Elks that have those beliefs — I don't think I want to support that, if that's what they truly believe. That makes me really sad and upset.' 4:20 Consumers push businesses for change when it comes to race, inclusion On Monday, Morris apologized to fans for being villainized. Longtime fan Troy Lutz said that comment resonated. Story continues below advertisement 'Any time you use the word 'Eskimos' on Facebook, there's people attacking you —people that didn't care about the game,' he said. Tologanak said she would love to see the team lean into the old name more by celebrating Inuit culture or hiring more Inuit people. But what she wants the most: a winning team that gets more people in the seats at Commonwealth Stadium. 'Our team hasn't been doing very well since the name change. The fan base has gone down, I think.'
