If he stays wholesome, Greg Ellingson can change into Als' main receiver

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TROIS-RIVIÈRES — Greg Ellingson has been round professional soccer lengthy sufficient to consider receivers shouldn’t be designated on a crew by way of significance, since all shall be counted on to provide all through the season.

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However there’s little question the Alouettes are searching for a No. 1 receiver after shedding Eugene Lewis — the East Division’s most excellent participant final season — to Edmonton in free company.

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And, whether or not anybody cares to confess it or not, Ellingson’s being anticipated to fill that area of interest. That’s why the Als signed the 34-year-old veteran to a one-year contract early in free company final February. Now it turns into a query of holding the 6-foot-3, 211-pounder wholesome.

“I don’t suppose I’ve ever thought that (I used to be within the No. 1 receiver function), even when I statistically was,” Ellingson mentioned following Tuesday’s coaching camp apply at Stade Diablos. “You’re on the market with a minimum of three different receivers more often than not and often 5. I’ve been blessed to be on groups that had 4 1,000-yard receivers. Do you say we had 4 No. 1 receivers? Probably, however I don’t give it some thought like that. I take into consideration going on the market and doing one of the best for my crew, my teammates and the coaches that put the work collectively.

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“You’ll be able to count on me to do what I do yearly,” added Ellingson, from Tampa, Fla. “Go on the market, give my all, be certain I’m ready, be certain I talk effectively with the blokes round me and the quarterback. And ensure, when the alternatives come up that I can capitalize on them. However you may’t actually predict something. You simply go on the market and provides your finest.”

Ellingson’s finest has been greater than enough over time.

Following short-lived NFL stints with Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, together with a while in Enviornment soccer, Ellingson got here north, signing with Hamilton in 2013. Whereas he has made the CFL circuit — the Als changing into his fifth crew — he additionally produced 5 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons at one level, together with a career-high 96 receptions for 1,459 yards and 12 touchdowns over 18 video games in 2017 with Ottawa, the 12 months after the Redblacks captured the Gray Cup.

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Ellingson was a league all-star in 2017 and was a division all-star between 2016 and ’18, together with a West Division all-star the subsequent season, at Edmonton.

It was in each Ottawa and Edmonton that the paths of Ellingson and Jason Maas, the Als’ new head coach, intertwined.

“I’m excited to teach Greg once more,” Maas mentioned. “I do know the sort of man we’re getting for the locker room and I used to be enthusiastic about that. With the younger receivers I knew we had been going to have, I used to be excited concerning the mentorship side of that. When Greg’s wholesome I do know what he can do on the sphere. There’s one other vet in our offence to assist alongside the way in which.

“Any time a man will get on the incorrect facet of 30 in professional soccer, that (health-related) thought creeps into your thoughts. However you have a look at the way in which he strikes and runs. Age might be only a quantity, too, at occasions. When he’s right here and on the sphere, we’re anticipating the identical Greg Ellingson we’ve seen for years now.”

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Whereas it might sound unfair to recommend Ellingson’s injury-prone, he was restricted to 10 video games throughout the shortened 14-game 2021 marketing campaign. Final season, with Winnipeg, it was solely eight of 18 video games. Nonetheless, Ellingson was effectively on his method to starring within the Blue Bombers’ potent offence, having caught 38 passes for 598 yards, with three touchdowns.

Ellingson already has missed parts of this 12 months’s camp — nothing uncommon for any participant — with knee- and hip-related points. He practises with a protecting sleeve on his proper knee.

“In my thoughts he can nonetheless be a No. 1 receiver,” mentioned his place coach, Mike Lionello. “He is aware of all the things and he’s savvy together with his routes. It’s spectacular. The veteran presence he brings is superb. His data of the league, his data of routes, his data of idea. Something that we do he has executed. One, he can do it however he can even assist train it, too. It has been phenomenal having him round.”

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Ellingson, who considers himself a late bloomer, has acknowledged he desires to play till age 41, emulating the legendary Jerry Rice. And, given his matinée-idol look, Ellingson appears to be like youthful than his age.

“I feel there’s a great group right here,” he mentioned. “You could have a quarterback (Cody Fajardo) that’s hungry and desires to show himself once more. You could have a brand new head coach that desires to show himself.”

And as for Ellingson? “I really feel like I’m 24,” he mentioned.

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