06-12-2019, 02:10 AM
As a kid hed watch from the upper deck of Rogers Centre, back in the days when fans were allowed to sit in that area. Michael Palardy Jersey . Saturday afternoon Jermaine Gabriel will make his first CFL start far, far below those nosebleed seats. Gabriel was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, in Torontos east end. Hed become a star on the field at Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute, then hed watch the local CFL squad, particularly drawn to the skills and leadership of Jordan Younger. Now he gets to start at the same safety position where "J.Y." excelled at the end his career, before walking off the field for the final time after a win in the 100th Grey Cup game in 2012. "Its my first start," Gabriel beamed. "I was supposed to start in a game last season, but I got hurt on the first play of the game on special teams." If you think the 24-year old is pumped to play, youre bang on. "Of course youre going to get amped up," Gabriel told TSN.ca. "Im just ready to go." The opportunity to play came about when Matt Black, the Argos starting safety, was injured in the seasons opening game in Winnipeg. By the end of the 2013 campaign, Black was splitting time on the field with Gabriel, who had been the 17th overall pick in that years draft. The veteran has been very helpful in first-time starters preparation for the Roughriders. "Matts like an older brother to all of us in the secondary," continued Gabriel. "Hes been here the longest (six seasons) and you can ask him anything and he wont hesitate to give us the right answer. Hes actually helped me quite a bit in getting ready mentally for the game." Black and Gabriel are both Toronto raised, but provide different skill sets. The elder player has the speed of a corner, but plays the game very cerebrally. The second-year player is more physical and will make opposing players pay the price if they wander into his area. Getting ready for the Riders means preparing for one of, if not the most talented team in the CFL. When asked what the best part of the Riders offence was Gabriel paused, as if going over a mental checklist of all the problems the opposition could provide. After a long pause he settled on what was likely the person he thought about as soon as the question was posed. "Darian Durant," deadpanned the safety about Saskatchewans quarterback. "Hes a great player and were just going to have to play solid, disciplined defence." As Gabriel wades into his pro career, hes still sometimes at a loss to think about the way his career has progressed, now playing for the team he watched as a kid. "It sunk in a bit last year," Gabriel admitted, the smile on his face widening as he continued. "Ive got guys in the stands that when I walk by they scream Scarborough! and they cheer, so its good that they recognize that Im actually from here and I get to play for my home team." There will be many young football players in the stands at the Rogers Centre Saturday afternoon. No doubt, at least one of them will be a defensive back, and if Gabriel makes a big play or two, the fan may become as inspired by the hometown hero as the current Argo was by Jordan Younger. Carolina Panthers Jerseys . -- John Fox will coach the Denver Broncos from the sideline and not the booth upon his return Sunday five weeks after heart surgery. Trai Turner Jersey . -- Henry Josey watched helplessly from the sideline last fall, rehabbing from a serious knee injury, while Missouri was getting pushed around in its first SEC season. http://www.officialcarolinapanthersfootb...sey-womens .com) - Former New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya is joining the Major League Baseball Players Association staff as a senior advisor to executive director Tony Clark.TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Neither Floridas defence nor Alabamas mistakes could contain Blake Sims and Amari Cooper. Sims threw for 445 yards, the second-best passing performance in school history, and Cooper scored three touchdowns as the third-ranked Crimson Tide overcame a sloppy performance to beat the Gators 42-21 on Saturday. The Tide (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) committed 11 penalties for 80 yards and four turnovers that turned into 21 points for the Gators (2-1, 1-1), who still couldnt handle Sims and the prolific passing connection. Sims threw touchdown passes of 87 yards to Kenyan Drake on the opening play and 79 to Cooper later in the first quarter. Still, 400 yards for an Alabama offence known more in the past for bruising running games? "I didnt think it was possible," Sims said. "I just try to take what I take and what the defence gives me, and just try to trust my guys that theyre going to be there." Cooper, who came in leading the nation in receptions, caught 10 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He broke Dennis Homans 47-year-old record of 18 career touchdown catches. The Tides turnovers and miscues kept the game close into the fourth quarter. Alabamas 645 total yards was the most the Gators have allowed. The previous high was Nebraskas 629 yards in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl. Sims was 23-of-33 passing with four touchdowns, and was already up to 335 by halftime. That placed him a yard shy of the Tides Top 10 passing games. "People have to respect his passing," Tide coach Nick Saban said. "He has made too many plays for people not to respect him as a passer." Derrick Henry gained 111 yards on 20 rushes. Sims deflected much of the credit, saying that when you have Alabamas offensive line, receivers and tailbacks, "Youre bound to have a good game." The Gators offence wasnt much more successful than its defence. Floridas Jeff Driskel was harassed and ineffective passing. He was 9-of-28 passing for 93 yards and was intercepted twice while the offence produced just 200 yards. Driskel did run for 59 yards, but it got sso bad that Florida legend Emmitt Smith called for the quarterbacks benching on Twitter. Shaq Thompson Jersey. Demarcus Robinson, who had 15 catches in an overtime win over Kentucky, was held to two receptions for 14 yards. Florida failed in its bid for a statement-making performance after a 4-8 season and to perhaps lift coach Will Muschamp, whose mentor Saban was on the opposite sideline, from the hot seat. The Tides blunders kept the game from being even more lopsided. "We had our chances and we didnt do it," Muschamp said. "Thats the frustrating thing." It was all Alabama after Driskels 14-yard touchdown run tied the game at 21-21 early in the third quarter. That came two plays after Neiron Ball got his left hand on a Sims throw at the line and Antonio Morrison scooped it up for a 20-yard return. All three of the Gators touchdowns came after turnovers. "Obviously everybody that watched the game could tell that there were some things that we did extremely well and some things (that) were pretty sloppy," Saban said. "But I thought in the second half we really controlled the game." Alabama answered the tying score with a 16-play drive sustained despite two penalties and a sack. Henry dodged a couple of defenders for a 29-yard catch on third-and-23 and scored on a 3-yard run on the next play with 5:27 left in the third quarter. "We didnt make the plays and they did," Driskel said. "We didnt get it done. Its a matter of execution. "It was a game of big plays. Alabama had a lot more than us." The Tide did get a scare when Sims went to the locker room after getting hurt on a 24-yard run late in the third quarter. He appeared to be clutching his right shoulder on the sideline but played again. Sims returned shortly after backup Jake Coker hit Cooper for a 4-yard touchdown and received a big ovation as he sprinted across the field to the sideline and congratulated Coker with Alabama having just extended its lead to 35-21. Saban said Sims had a bruised right shoulder, but the Tide has an open date next week to heal. 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