Murray Wood: Of Easter bunny bells and Juicy Fruit gum
For Murray Wood, Easter brings to mind grandma's practical advice about repurposing, and some of life's little lessons.
Buck Pierce is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ new offensive co-ordinator.
The Bombers promoted Pierce to the post Tuesday. He replaces Paul LaPolice, who is now the Ottawa Redblacks head coach.
Pierce will continue as Winnipeg’s quarterback coach.
Kevin Bourgoin moves from running backs coach to receivers coach while Pete Costanza joins head coach Mike O’Shea’s staff as running backs coach. Marty Costello remains as offensive line coach.
Costanza comes to Winnipeg after 12 seasons as the receivers coach with the Calgary Stampeders. He was part of three Grey Cup-winning teams.
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Eskimos finalize 2020 coaching staff
EDMONTON _ Edmonton head coach Scott Milanovich finalized his staff Tuesday, adding Terry Eisler as running backs coach and Kelly Jeffrey as quarterbacks coach and special-teams assistant.
Eisler returns to Edmonton, where he’d served previously as special-teams co-ordinator (2013), defensive and special-teams assistant (2012) and running backs coach (2007-09). Eisler spent last season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as the special teams coach.
Jeffrey is reunited with Milanovich, who brought him to the CFL in 2016 as the Toronto Argonauts’ special-teams co-ordinator.
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Argos add DB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
TORONTO — The Toronto Argonauts have signed American defensive back Stanley Jean-Baptiste through 2022.
Jean-Baptiste, 29, played in three pre-season games for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 and five in 2018 after signing with the NFL club in October of 2017, while getting in one regular season game during the 2017 season.
Between September 2015 and July 2017, Jean-Baptiste spent time with Jacksonville, Kansas City, Seattle and Detroit.
The six-foot-three, 216-pound Florida native was a second round draft choice of the New Orleans Saints in 2014 and played in four regular-season games for the NFL club that year.
Tiger-Cats re-sign OL Okafor
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have re-signed national offensive lineman Kay Okafor to a two-year contract.
Okafor, 26, appeared in all 18 regular season games with three starts at both guard and tackle for the Tiger-Cats in 2019. The six-foot-three, 281-pound native of Enugu, Nigeria also suited up in both of Hamilton’s playoff games, including the 107th Grey Cup in Calgary.
Okafor has appeared in 27 career Canadian Football League games over three seasons with the Tiger-Cats (2017-19) after being selected by Hamilton in the third round, 21st overall, in the 2017 CFL Draft.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020.
The Canadian Press
