BC Bound’s BodyBlog

"We in a fight ’til we finish, so why not fight ’til we finished? Dig it?" - Juelz Santana.

Those words and the lyrics of that song have become my theme and motto for this upcoming off-season. In case you didn’t know, the Edmonton Eskimos released their official roster for the 2007 season, and my name was not on the list. However, I did get the chance to speak with Paul Jones, the Director of Player Personnel, and he told me that he was extremely impressed with my athleticism, speed, and personality, and wants me to tryout again next year.

This is not good news for the defensive secondaries in the OUA. Why, you may ask? Because frankly, I’m PISSED OFF! I should’ve made that roster the first time around, but now, I have to go out and take it out on these poor CIS defensive backs for another year.

With that being said, I’m laying out a set of new goals for myself before coming into fall training camp, (U Windsor, it’s our time now boys….):

1. Gain 10-15lbs.: I want to be able to both outrun and outmuscle the competition. Period.

2. Improve on balance and flexibility: Starting next week, I will be implementing some pilates and ballet training to greatly improve my muscle coordination.

3. Catching up to 500 footballs in a week: Get the jugs machine out, Coach, cuz Poppa’s coming back home!

4. Watch more CFL football than I ever have before: By the time I get ready for next year’s tryout, I’ll know the game just as good as the coaches, and that mental edge makes route-running that much easier.

5. Clean up my diet: Eventhough I’m about 5% bodyfat right now, I’m going to clean up the diet some and that way, I can cut down on the amount of cardio I do, this will help me gain all of that weight.

6. Utilize the members of the bodyspace community to my fullest ability: I’ve got a lot of brains to pick, so if you’ve got a field of expertise, then share some insight. There’s a proverb that roughly says, "Surround yourself with wise council….."

My goal for this year is to break the University of Windsor single-season touchdown reception record. It’s not that high at all, and I WILL do it. That’s all I need to do to become an All-Canadian…..I just have to take it one game at a time.

"If you fall, get up and try it again. If you drop, get up and try it again….." 

Hey Bodyspace, I’m just sitting here, getting myself out of the may sunshine for a bit after my workout earlier today. I had a good one, working on the L-Cone drill, and some other cone drills, as well as catching the ball some. All-in-all, a solid day.

Still no calls from Edmonton, but I’m not really worried about it. However, I did get some bad news today, I won’t be able to travel to Hamilton this weekend for that tryout, so it looks like I’ll be sitting this season out.

However, I have a backup plan that I’m trying to get in place as we speak. I’m going to return to school, and play my last year of eligibility, see if I can get some more stats and film, and tryout next year. That is, unless I get a call from the Eskimos. In that case, I’ll go to training camp, and just take it from there.

So since I’m not going to Hamilton, tomorrow, I’ll be hitting the weights pretty hard. Gotta try and put on some extra pounds, and keep that speed up, if not get faster…

Until tomorrow bodyspace, Keep it movin….

Hey gang,

Today I had a chance to go an workout in a place that I haven’t been to in almost  eight years, my old high school football stadium. They’ve done a lot of things since I played there, like filling in those pits that accidently knocked some trainer into my senior year. (If you’re still out there, I’m sorry……total accident.) And they added a field turf football field.

It was good to be able to run around out there, I felt like it was old times again. I still haven’t heard anything from the Eskimos, but I’m shopping myself around, and working on a contingency plan. There’s a tryout for the Hamilton Ticats this Saturday, so I’m trying to make arrangements to go up to Hamilton and work out for them. But it’s still very early in the process, and Edmonton may still call.

Anyways, tonight, I’ll be hitting the weights moderately for the last time this week, in the event that I go to Hamilton to work out. I want to make sure that I’m good shape for them.

Until the next entry, keep it movin’ and keep workin…..

Hey gang,

Today, I did alot of footwork, footspeed, and overspeed work at the track. We’re shutting down the lifting portion, in the event that I have to go to Hamilton for a tryout next weekend. Still no word from Edmonton, which isn’t nessassarily a bad thing, but it’s not a good thing either. They probably have had anywhere between 300-400 players that they’ve been looking at over the last few weeks, and to get an invite to training is a great feat in itself. I still feel pretty good about my chances, since I haven’t seen anyone get signed this week. So they’re still looking….Hopefully, I have what they’re looking for…..If not, we dust ourselves off and try again.

I have to admit to you, this is hands-down the HARDEST part of the whole experience, the waiting and not knowing anything….It’s driving me nuts. Oh well, it’s completely out of my hands, so I just have to let it be…..

Until Monday, have a safe weekend, and most importantly, keep it movin’!

Hey gang,

Monday was an off day for me as far as the weights are concerned, but I did do some plyos, footquickness, and agility drills. Beginning to work some more on my overspeed training.

As some of you may know, this is the week that the scouts from the Edmonton Eskimos are supposed to be getting back with people that they want to camp to Training Camp at the beginning of next month. It’s been two days, and no calls yet for me. I’m a little antsy about it, and I’ve been trying to keep my mind off of the whole thing, but it’s been rough.

Today was a total-body workout, comprising of bench press, both flat and inlcine, squats, dips, power-cleans, barbell curls, triceps pressdowns, and pull-ups. The ab/core training was a little tough too, I’m struggling with being in the sitting position as I’m typing this. Tomorrow’s another day away from the gym where I’ll be working on routes, overspeed, and the standing broad jump test.

Until Thursday bodyspace, keep it movin’ and those fingers crossed! And thanks for the support…..

Hey gang,

I had a good upper body workout today, worked on the flat and incline bench, doing some heavier weights and lower reps, some reverse-grip triceps pressdowns, and forearms! (Whew! I can barely type…..)

Went for a little run this evening, got some fresh air and enjoyed a beautiful sunset. But, it was at a terrible cost, I lost a pair of Nike Shox running shoes, the sole completely worn off….But like they say, "every cloud has a silver lining…." I scored some awesome Nike Free 5.0 cross-trainers for half off! So I’m not complaining…..

Off until Monday, may play some catch with the girlfriend, but nothing really demanding…..Until then bodyspace, keep it moving…..

Hey gang,

I had an awesome workout today, got a chance to lift with some of my old teammates, Creel Deal, Lumley, Osi, Jamie…..what’s good? Worked on the legs, doing some barbell reverse lunges off of a step-up box, (Gotta get that positive shin angle Coach Gough is always preaching about….) barbell squats, calf raises, deadlifts, and then I hit my triceps pretty hard today, since I wasn’t feeling too much from yesterdays workout in them, I also did some work on my shoulders, doing dumbbell front raises, lateral raises, dumbbell presses, and then finished off with some more lat work, inlcuding pull-ups, and lat-pulldowns on the hammer strength machine…..

I’m actually starting to set in that I will be moving to a whole new place soon, chasing a life-long dream of mine, and seeing it through to the end. It’s a weird feeling, truly like slaying a Dragon, it’s something you thought you could never accomplish, until you do it.

Until tomorrow bodyspace, keep it movin’…..

Hey Bodyspace,

It’s me, BC Bound, giving you another installment of my bodyblog. I had a pretty good workout today, and the lifts were pretty good. Upper body workout with bench, close-grip bench, lat pulldowns, triceps pressdowns, biceps curls.

My legs were still a little sore from the workout they put me through on Saturday, so I loosened them up with a couple of games of full-court basketball. Man, jump shot is gone, but I can still see the floor with the best of them!

At any rate, and easier day today, but recovering from the tests. Tomorrow will be a little bit more difficult.

Until then bodyspace, keep it movin’…