Stampeders.com
Along with the weather, the progress of a few veterans has been one of the central stories here at Calgary Stampeders training camp.
Aside from complaining, there isn’t much anyone can do about the weather. The first two days of workouts were conducted in driving rain and cold, but it’s expected that Mother Nature will ease up down the stretch.
There has also been plenty of attention paid to the status of offensive lineman Dan Federkeil. The 29-year-old is a rarity of sorts as he’s a CFL rookie with a Super Bowl ring.
Federkeil played his college football at the University of Calgary and was selected in the first round of the 2006 draft by Toronto. But at the same time the Argos were busy sizing him up, so were the Indianapolis Colts.
Legendary CFLer and later, Colts scout Cal Murphy pushed for the Colts to sign Federkeil and ultimately converted him from defence to offence.
The Colts took Murphy’s advice and Federkeil spent three years down south. However, a tough bout with concussions forced him into retirement and he settled into post-football life in Calgary.
Last year, while watching games on television, he began to feel the urge to return to football. Once the Stampeders found out about his interest, they worked out a deal with Toronto for his rights and signed him to a deal.
Federkeil has been competing at the left tackle position, giving the Stampeders some ratio flexibility. The team is deciding whether to play four non-imports on the offensive line or utilize three non-imports as they did last year.
The addition of Federkeil gives the team some options as they make that decision.
Plenty of training camp eyes were also focused on defensive lineman Steve Baggs. The outgoing lineman is hoping to earn a defensive end spot as a bookend to Charleston Hughes.
Baggs arrived in Calgary late last year while nursing a groin injury. The Stamps anticipated he would need a couple of weeks to return to full health. Instead, after one game, he was placed back on the injured list for the balance of the season.
Baggs threw himself into returning to form. He stayed in Calgary for most of the off-season and became a fixture in the Stampeders complex. Not only did he work on rehabbing himself, he worked hard on many Stampeder community initiatives.
The early returns on Baggs suggest he is back and ready to return to the form that made him so prominent during his time with Saskatchewan.
While those players are making an impact at camp, the news is not as promising on another veteran.
Linebacker Rod Davis is expected to miss another week of activity with a foot injury. Also on the sidelines is veteran offensive lineman Edwin Harrison.
Quarterback Drew Tate missed the Western Final and Grey Cup with a broken wrist. There are no lingering effects from that injury and he appears ready to go for the Stamps in 2013.
