B.C. Lions Coaching Camp: Terry Williams returns together with his sights set on large returns

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It took an eternity for the ball — kicked vast left and waggling like a wounded duck by way of the frigid autumn air at IG Area in Winnipeg — to drop into the palms of Terry Williams behind the tip zone.

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It took a blink of an eye fixed for what occurred subsequent.

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4 steps ahead, a tough minimize left, and the B.C. Lions lightning bolt was gone down the sidelines. All that remained was a shoulder faux inside on 6-foot-7 Blue Bombers defensive finish Willie Jefferson, and Williams was dwelling free.

For 2 factors.

It was 126 yards, the primary missed convert returned for a rating in CFL playoff historical past, and the one kick-return rating for B.C. all season.

“It’s good to have the playoffs, the 126-yard return, however it additionally motivated me as a result of it was just for two factors. It wasn’t for six,” stated the Greenwood, Miss., native.

“You are feeling good figuring out I helped, however I might have helped extra with a landing, a giant return, give the staff power. I at all times inform myself I might have did extra. There have been greater performs to be made. It retains me humble and hungry, figuring out there’s extra to be executed.”

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In terms of the Lions and the return sport — each catching and masking — there are extra Herculean efforts to be executed in the event that they’re to enhance on final season.

Williams had been main the league in punt and kickoff return yardage in Ottawa earlier than the Lions despatched a third-round decide (twenty fifth general) to Ottawa for him in September, and gave the B.C. unit a lift on his arrival. However the Leos nonetheless completed seventh in punt return common (8.5) and eighth in kick-return common (19.9) within the nine-team loop.

That they had one kickoff return for 40 yards. The opposition had seven for 40 or extra.

Winnipeg’s Janarion Grant was notably troublesome for B.C., taking two punts and a kickoff to the home in opposition to the Lions.

“A man like Jamarion Grant was doing injury to everybody,” stated head coach Rick Campbell. “There have been simply two kickoff returns for touchdowns I believe in 2021. Final yr, there have been six or seven.

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“I believe we gave up large ones. That was our an issue. … Clearly Janarion Grant was the No. 1 man that damage us final yr. We acquired to do a greater job about setting that edge. There’s some quick guys (within the league) … the place should you allow them to exterior on the sting, it’s unhealthy information as a result of they’re so quick. So we’ll be working exhausting on setting edges, and making these guys run by way of visitors as opposed to have the ability to run across the exterior.”

That would be the purvey of particular groups co-ordinator Don Yanowsky, who’s amped to get extra out of his cowl groups this yr, even when the brand new, narrower hash marks have made his job tougher.

“Now every little thing’s center of the sphere, and also you’ve acquired to cowl 65 yards, he stated. “And should you don’t kick the soccer with some precision and accuracy of the place you need the ball to be, you’ve acquired to cowl quite a lot of grass. Hopefully we are going to do a greater job of that.”

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And, he factors out, the stats are solely a part of the story.

“On the finish of each week, was our web punt higher than our opponents? Was our common begin place higher than our opponents. Did we acquire any possessions? Did we rating or arrange any scores? In case you do this on per week to week foundation … it’s simpler to maintain a deal with on it,” stated Yanowsky. “I believe statistics can say what you need them to. However on the finish of the day, you both win or lose each week, and also you both have been a part of the explanation you probably did, or a part of the explanation you didn’t.”

Williams spent the low season engaged on the “little muscle tissues that don’t present,” his velocity, quickness and cuts. And very similar to quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., he’s hoping a full coaching camp will give him a greater runway into the season.

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“I’m hungry for no matter comes,” he stated. “Receiver, kick return, punt return, no matter comes, I’m hungry for the chance. That’s my phrase for proper now, for the entire camp. Every single day, I’ll come out right here to camp, I need make it appear like ‘yeah, he hungry. He’s up for one thing,’ even when it’s on an air route, or air catch punt return.

“All people’s excited to be again. … All people’s able to make a play. I’m positively able to make a play.”

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