Latest news with #EdmontonElks'
Global News
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Javon Leake hoping to be special teams star that's eluded Elks for years now
There was a time, ages ago, when fans in Commonwealth Stadium rose and roared in unison as Henry (Gizmo) Williams picked his way through a horde of defenders to return another kick for another touchdown. Now there is only the ghost of Gizmo. Since Williams retired in 2000 — having set more than 20 CFL records for punt and kick returns, including 31 return touchdowns — it's been a mostly fruitless search for a long-term returner to give some punch to the Edmonton Elks' return game. In the last 10 years Edmonton has had only one return touchdown — in 2023 by Deontez Alexander, who played only two games for the team. The latest to try is Javon Leake, who last year had the fastest recorded speed by a ball carrier in professional football. He had some success last season, but never reached the end zone. Story continues below advertisement 'I'm back at returner and I've got a point to prove this year,' said Leake, who joined the team last year and can only imagine the feeling of a return touchdown. 'Man, here with coach (Mark) Kilam and knowing the returner who was here, Gizmo, it's going to feel amazing.' 2:19 Edmonton Elks name Mark Kilam as football team's new head coach While it is one of the most exciting plays in football, returning a kick for any substantial gain, let alone a touchdown, takes a co-ordinated and efficient effort by lot more players than just the one with the ball. 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 'There are a lot of things that have to go right,' said Kilam, a highly respected special teams coach before assuming the head coaching job with the Elks this winter. 'Twelve guys have to do their job.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Twelve guys have to do their job." Story continues below advertisement It starts with the returners first step and becomes successful when everyone involved executes properly. That first step, said Leake, is important in creating misdirection for the kicking team. 'Just selling it, making the defence go one way, just setting up your return, setting up your blocks,' Leake said. 'It's a lot of points that go into it, but the important one is that first step.' Then he counts on his teammates to execute their blocks correctly to create the hole he needs to break through the initial wall of defenders. 'Then me trusting my guys that they're blocking down the field and then just hitting it, the vertical.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Then me trusting my guys that they're blocking down the field and then just hitting it, the vertical." Elks linebacker Josiah Schakel says the blocking team has to know where the returner is headed so they can block the defenders away from the direction of the play. 'You're reading the returner,' he says. 'If he decides to go one way, you're trying to flip your block the other way.' And when everybody does their job, says Leake and Schakel, it can be electrifying for fans and teammates. 'There's nothing better,' said Leake. 'The whole crowd goes crazy; the sideline goes crazy. 'I feel like there's no better play than a missed field goal return, or a regular punt or kick return.' Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I feel like there's no better play than a missed field goal return, or a regular punt or kick return." Story continues below advertisement 'Coach Kilam always talks about the best play in the CFL, the missed field goal return,' added Schakel. 'That's a 10-point swing. That's why the fans get excited. You can watch it, when someone begins to return a field goal, the fans start raising as they realize, 'Hey, this is going for a touchdown.' ' And, he adds, there's personal satisfaction as well. 'Man, when you get a great block and you know you're won that battle, you feel good inside and you're readying to go for the next play.' And when, or if, Leake or a teammate does return a punt, kick or missed field goal for a touchdown, it will be, said Schakel, 'amazing.' 'I feel like the whole team will light up if we start returning kicks. That's just going to change our game. We're a three-phase team so if special teams can contribute to scoring that's going to help the whole team.' No decisions have been made on who will be returning kicks for the Elks, largely because Kilam hasn't had the opportunity to really study the players. Something, he said, is tough to do in practice. 'Returners is a position you really have to get into the game to really get the evaluation,' Kilam said. 'Until that point, we're learning the rules, fielding the football, understanding where to go, but it's definitely a position, when the lights come on you see who's got it and who doesn't.'
Global News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Cody Fajardo excited to be part of Edmonton Elks camp: ‘I feel like a rookie again'
Listening to Cody Fajardo speak several days into the Edmonton Elks' training camp, one would not know he has two Grey Cup championships and a Cup most valuable player award on his resume. Instead, the 33-year-old, eleven-year CFL veteran quarterback sounds a lot like a rookie eager to kick off his career. Obtained in the off-season to provide veteran backup experience to Tre Ford, Fajardo is pumped. 'It's been exciting, the juice is up, energy's up,' he says of his 11th CFL training camp. 'Any time you're part of a new program, new organization, there's always some things you don't know what to expect. 'And it's keeping me young. I feel like a rookie again, coming out here, learning a new system. I've been with (Jason) Mass for five years, learning a new system with a new coach. It's keeping me young, keeping my mind fresh. Lot of fun to be around these guys.' Story continues below advertisement When the Elks traded for Fajardo, Ed Hervey, new vice-president of football operations and general manager, said the veteran would be a key piece in the team going forward. 'We believe in the importance of depth at the quarterback position and having two dependable options behind centre in the Canadian Football League,' Hervey said. 'Cody is an accomplished CFL quarterback who will bring valuable experience to our locker room and organization.' 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 'We believe Cody can help this team and push Tre Ford to be the most successful quarterback he can be.' 2:42 Tre Ford speaks at news conference after re-signing with the Elks Fajardo, who won Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017 and the Montreal Alouettes in 2023 — the year he was named the game's MVP — welcomes his role. 'For me it's a veteran presence,' he said. 'The biggest thing is you have to have two quarterbacks to win in this league. It's so hard to stay healthy for 18 games. Story continues below advertisement 'I've been in this league for 11 years and I haven't seen a starter go 18 games healthy. It's better to have too much depth rather than not enough depth.' Although he is with a team that hasn't had a winning record since 2017 and has missed the playoffs the last four seasons, the native of Brea, Calif., sees a club full of hope for 2025. 'The energy is very high, the bonding of the team is very close already, which is real surprising for how much turnover there is.' he said. 'Guys care about each other; you can see that, and that's what wins football games at the end of the day, how fast can we come together as a team, especially with how much turnover there's been on this team.' The excitement has been evident the last several days in practice, and Fajardo says he and the players are determined to get the Elks back into the playoffs. 'We want to do everything we can to bring Edmonton back to the top so I think we have the right guys in the locker room and we're excited. The Elks play pre-season games May 24 in Calgary against the Stampeders and May 30 at home against the B.C. Lions. They open their regular season June 7 in Vancouver against the Lions Story continues below advertisement
Toronto Star
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Veteran QB Fajardo excited to be part of Elks camp: ‘I feel like a rookie again'
EDMONTON - Listening to Cody Fajardo speak several days into the Edmonton Elks' training camp, one would not know he has two Grey Cup championships and a Cup most valuable player award on his resume. Instead, the 33-year-old, eleven-year CFL veteran quarterback sounds a lot like a rookie eager to kick off his career.
Global News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Edmonton Elks' Mark Korte signs deal to remain in green and gold for 3 more seasons
Edmonton Elks' All-Star offensive lineman Mark Korte has signed a three-year contract extension with the football club which will run to the end of the 2027 CFL season. Korte was drafted fourth overall by the Ottawa Redblacks in 2018. He signed with the Elks in 2022 and is entering his fourth season in green and gold. Korte said he believes in the new vision of the organization led by president and CEO Chris Morris along with general manager and vice-president of football operations Ed Hervey and head coach Mark Kilam. 'It's been a very good picture of a vision from the top and working its way through the whole organization,' Korte said. 'You've seen the hype throughout the city and the people are loving it. 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 'The honeymoon is over. Now we're in training camp and we're getting ready for the season as players and coaches. We need to get things on the right track, so that's the next mission ahead is get to winning.' Story continues below advertisement In 2024, Korte was named a West Division All-Star after leading an offensive line unit to the fewest sacks in the CFL (29) and the most rushing yards (2,365). Korte played the last two-and-a-half seasons at centre. He will move over to left guard for the returning David Beard who signed a deal to rejoin the Elks in the off-season after spending parts of three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Elks will hold Fan Day on Saturday at the Emerald Hills Sports Pavilion in Sherwood Park from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The Elks will play their first pre-season game on May 24 on the road against the Calgary Stampeders.
