Quarterback Travis Lulay was on the sidelines getting ready for the B.C. Lions鈥� next possession when a Hamilton Tiger-Cats rookie receiver grabbed everyone鈥檚 attention.
Inserted into the starting lineup because of injury, Chris Williams collected a short pass and slipped through two would-be tacklers before getting spun around by another.
鈥淗e stayed on top of the defender鈥檚 body,鈥� Lulay vividly recalled of the 2011 game. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 get ruled down, popped up and got shot out of a cannon for another 60 yards.
"I'll embrace the grind and go to battle with these guys." jacked to join new teammates 馃 馃張
鈥� BC Lions (@BCLions)
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鈥淲e鈥檙e like, 鈥榃ho is that guy? We鈥檝e never seen this guy before.鈥� 鈥�
Williams would go on to finish with eight catches for 189 yards and a touchdown in an emphatic first step to winning the CFL鈥檚 rookie of the year award.
鈥淗e caught a hook pattern and went (71 yards) because he out ran everybody,鈥� said B.C. head coach/GM Wally Buono, who was also at Empire Field that night. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard not to admire that kind of skill.鈥�
The Lions (4-2) will finally get a chance to see what the dynamic speedster can add to their lineup when he makes his debut Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders (2-3) at B.C. Place Stadium.
Williams, 29, signed with B.C. through 2018 this off-season despite recovering from surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee late last season while playing for the Ottawa Redblacks.
After working out on his own for most of training camp and spending the first six weeks of the schedule on the injured list, Williams is eager to get back on the field.
鈥淚鈥檓 ready to go out there and just play,鈥� said the soft-spoken New Mexico State product. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time coming.鈥�
In his four CFL seasons split between Hamilton and Ottawa 鈥� he spent 2013 and 2014 in the NFL 鈥� five-foot-nine, 155-pound Williams has 318 catches for 4,822 yards and 32 touchdowns.
He registered more than 1,200 yards the last two seasons as part of an impressive Redblacks鈥� receiving corps, including a ridiculous 493 yards and six TDs over the first three games of 2016.
Williams, who nearly joined B.C. in 2015 before signing with Ottawa, had a combined 10 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown in last year鈥檚 two meetings with the Lions.
鈥淚 just want to do my thing, keep doing what I do, what I鈥檝e been doing my career,鈥� said Williams. 鈥淚 make plays.鈥�
Needless to say, his new teammates are happy to finally have Williams on their side.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been seeing Chris Williams do things against us for a long time,鈥� said Lulay, who will make his third straight start Saturday in place of the injured Jonathon Jennings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to have him.鈥�
Williams joins a talented group of receivers that includes Emmanuel Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham and Nick Moore. He鈥檒l also likely be called upon to return kicks alongside the electrifying Chris Rainey.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an awesome situation for our football team,鈥� said Lulay. 鈥淚t only makes us better.鈥�
B.C. will be looking to be better in many areas following last Friday鈥檚 37-26 road loss to the Edmonton Eskimos 芒鈧�� the Lions鈥� second defeat of the season to their West Division rivals.
The line of scrimmage was the most glaring area of concern after Lulay was sacked four times and under seemingly constant pressure. B.C.鈥檚 pass rush was unable to consistently get in the face of Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 as good as we wanted to be,鈥� said Buono. 鈥淗ave we worked hard to be better this week? Yes. Are we going to be better this week? Yes.鈥�
Saskatchewan is coming off an encouraging 38-27 home win over the Toronto Argonauts where Duron Carter had nine receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns, including a jaw-dropping one-handed TD grab.
鈥淗e should be confident,鈥� Lions cornerback Ronnie Yell said of Carter. 鈥淲e know he鈥檚 going to be confident, but it鈥檚 my job to kill that confidence.鈥�
No setbacks and ready to return. eager to return to the in his new team colours.鉃�
鈥� CFL (@CFL)
Saskatchewan is aiming for its first road victory of the year, and first win away from home against a division opponent since Week 11 of the 2014 season.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a very well-coached football team,鈥� Riders head coach/GM Chris Jones told reporters in Regina this week about the Lions. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not invincible, but they play very good, tough, solid football.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to match that physicality.鈥�
Notes: Saskatchewan QB Kevin Glenn is poised to leapfrog Ron Lancaster for sixth on the CFL鈥檚 all-time career passing yards list. Glenn sits just 108 yards behind Lancaster (50,535). 鈥� Lions defensive back T.J. Lee is out with a dislocated elbow, meaning Steven Clarke will see his first action of the season. 鈥� B.C. and Saskatchewan play the rematch Aug. 13 in Regina.
The Canadian Press
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