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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:48 am Post subject: china jersey nfl Blue Bombers release Westwood - T |
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Troy Westwood says he isn't closing the book on his CFL career, but he sure sounds ready to write the epilogue.
The Blue Bombers released the 41-year-old kicker on Sunday, ending his 17-year career in Winnipeg. And though Westwood says he will listen if teams come calling, he's not sure he'd want to play anywhere else.
"I'm not retiring, but I'd be surprised to get a call from anyone," Westwood said in a phone interview from Winnipeg. "I'd be open to the idea but I'm not expecting that.
"I have a lot of things set up in Manitoba and I have a deep connection with the province and the people here,[url=http://ba.hh2244.com/guestbook.asp?guestid=]wholesale[/url], and it would have to be a fairly special situation for me to uproot everything and leave for some period of time."
Westwood is coming off an up-and-down year. He struggled through much of the regular season, missing six games because of being benched or injured.
His inconsistency landed him in Bombers head coach Doug Berry's doghouse, but he rebounded from what he called the "struggles and mental warfare,[url=http://ditieguan.com/post/]china jersey nfl[/url]," and was solid in the playoffs doing the field-goal kicking and punting in place of injured Rob Pikula and Pat Fleming.
Westwood was particularly good in the Bombers' 23-19 Grey Cup loss to Saskatchewan in November, punting 11 times for nearly a 50-yard average and connecting on both of his field goal attempts.
So, his release caught him off guard.
"I was surprised for sure,[url=http://pcadvies.nl/init/4172.html]wholesale nhl jerseys[/url]," he said. "I came to camp in great shape and I felt really strong."
Berry told reporters in Winnipeg that the team needed to go with a more reliable kicker after Westwood made only 60 per cent of his field goals last season.
"I just have felt that we need to get more consistency out of (that position), and that's the primary reason for this decision," Berry said.
Though Westwood has only positive things to say about the franchise that let him go, he was less than receptive when Bombers GM Brendan Taman suggested he retire.
"I knew the answer I was going to get, and I can't repeat it ... it was declined, I'll say that," Taman told reporters in Winnipeg.
A self-described gym rat, Westwood says he's going to stay in shape - "either to be ready for the beach or to play football" - and he's confident as ever in his ability. Still, he's not counting on playing in the CFL again.
"I have no doubt whatsoever that I can still make a positive contribution to the success of any team, but whether I'm going out at the top of my game or not, I don't know, I don't really measure my game like that," Westwood said. "I just know I'm still playing at a high level.
"But I think most teams across the league are settled in with their personnel at this point in time, and, unless somebody's really struggling, they're not going to be air-lifting anybody in. I suppose if somebody gets injured, there's not a lot of Canadian kickers out there, so it's a possibility (that I'll get) a phonecall."
If he has indeed played his last CFL game,[url=http://www.hxpool.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=89398][/url],[url=http://magasban.hu/webconfig/tina.php]real nba jerseys cheap[/url], Westwood can look back at an accomplished career.
He appeared in 278 games, including four Grey Cup contests. He holds more than 30 team records, including all-time scoring (2,741) and most seasons leading the team in scoring (15) and he holds the CFL record for best career field goal percentage in the playoffs (85.7 per cent).
Westwood was wistful Sunday when looking back.
"It's just been a dream come true. When I was five years old I told my dad I wanted to be the kicker for the Blue Bombers.
"I was one of the few who actually lived my dream. I got paid a decent wage to play football a great deal of my adult life. It's been a great ride for sure and I've been very privileged and honoured to have that opportunity.",[url=http://dslksy.com/addon/3768.html]wholesale hockey jerseys nhl[/url];
Westwood seems to be looking forward to the future.
He's been recording music since 1993, now writing and performing under the name Little Hawk. His 2007 album, "Home and Native Land," was a Juno nominee for Aboriginal Recording of the Year.
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"I'll be playing a lot of music and festivals this summer that I haven't been able to get to because of football," he said. "Musically,[url=http://sy555666.com/huige/3582.html]nhl game jerseys wholesale[/url], I'll get to spread my wings a bit."
And so while he bristled at his general manager's suggestion of retirement, Westwood does seem comfortable looking to a future without a CFL jersey in it.
"This is a new beginning," he said. "A number of opportunities are going to make themselves present to me because football has probably come to an end. And I think football has put a lot of aspects of my life on hold for a number of years.
"So this is a new beginning, it's a new chapter, and I look forward to it, all the new challenges and opportunities that will be coming my way." _________________ ray ban sunglasses |
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