Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
On the field Emmanuel Arceneaux can be like a piece of silk.
The BC Lions’ wide receiver smoothly slips into open areas to make pretty catches. He has the strength to win a battle for the ball and the power to run through a tackle. He combines his six-foot-two, 211-pound size with a speed that can leave defensive backs grasping at air.
Off the field, Arceneaux can rub some people like burlap. The 28-year-old, fifth-year Lion can be prickly in his dealing with the media and chapped in his comments.
Speak to Arceneaux’s teammates and they describe an intelligent, hard-working player who hates to lose. They talk about someone who demonstrates a big heart whether working with local youth or polishing his receiving skills.
After a recent practice, long after all the other players had headed to the dressing room, Arceneaux remained on the field with quarterback Travis Lulay and receiver Lavelle Hawkins. They worked on routes and timing. There were long throws and quick-hitters.
Arceneaux is one of the players the Lions need contributions from when BC (3-5) plays a pivotal game Thursday against the Montreal Alouettes (4-5) at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
The Lions are at a crossroads in their season. They need some wins and must improve their play to remain in the playoff picture.
BC currently is eighth in the CFL in net offence, ninth in passing yards and eighth in quarterback efficiency. Not exactly numbers that have you planning a Grey Cup parade.
The Lions have lost their last two games by a combined score of 75-35. In their last game, before a bye week, they fell 23-13 to Montreal, their first loss at BC Place Stadium to the Als since Aug. 31, 2000.
In a move to steer the ship away from the rocks, the Lions released tight end A. C. Leonard this week and are looking to add Hawkins to the roster. Hawkins has been out since training camp with a broken arm.
Head coach Jeff Tedford said part of the change in tact will be to move Arceneaux around.
“He’ll be inside, he’ll be outside,” said Tedford. “He understands what we are doing well enough we can put him in all the different positions.
“He learns well. He makes sure he understands.”
| Fightin’ Words: Arceneaux fuels Lions, Als rematch |
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“How it came out, it came out. I can care less about it right now. My thing is just going out and backing up my words. I come out each week just to compete. You are more vulnerable after a game . . . you know how words come out.” |
Arceneaux is on board with anything that changes the Lions’ course.
“At this point, it’s whatever helps the team win, that’s what I’m all about,” he said. “It’s a team effort with everything.
“Whatever I can bring to the table, that’s pretty much my focus. At the end of the day it’s about making the plays. When your number is called, be ready to show up.”
After eight games Arceneaux leads the Lions with 27 catches for 458 yards, and three touchdowns. He’s averaging 17 yards a catch and has four catches over 30 yards.
While good, the numbers are not outstanding. Last year Arceneaux led the Lions with 62 catches for 905 yards and eight touchdowns in just 15 games.
“I really wouldn’t give myself a grade-point thing,” Arceneaux said. “Each week, in and out, I come here and fight.
“That’s pretty much what it’s all about, fighting until the scoreboard reads 0:00.”
Arceneaux received some criticism in the wake of the loss to Montreal.
Some questioned if he gave up on a Lulay pass that turned into interception by Montreal’s Dominique Ellis. He also may have simply misread the play. In any event, the interception set up a fourth-quarter touchdown that sealed the victory.
After the game Arceneaux told a radio reporter: “Montreal isn’t good. They’re not talented whatsoever. I don’t respect nobody on their side of the ball.”
Arceneaux makes no apologies for what he said.
“How it came out, it came out,” he said. “I can care less about it right now. My thing is just going out and backing up my words.
“I come out each week just to compete. You are more vulnerable after a game . . . you know how words come out.”
Slotback Courtney Taylor said Arceneaux didn’t say anything to the media he didn’t say to the Alouettes during the game.
“That’s Manny being Manny,” laughed Taylor. 
Lulay said he’s developed “the coolest relationship I’ve made” with Arceneaux.
“He’s a very thoughtful guy,” said Lulay. “He thinks sometimes outside of the box. He relates to a lot of guys really well. That’s one of his best qualities, being able to carry on a conversation with anybody in the locker room.”
Lulay understands how Arceneaux’s words and actions can sometimes be misinterpreted.
“He does have different personalities from time to time,” he said. “Knowing Manny, knowing that’s how he gets himself going, he gets in certain mindsets and sometimes he has outward displays of things he has been thinking that help put himself in a position to be the best he can be.
“If you don’t know Manny, some people might be scratching their heads from time to time. That’s part of his genius plot.”
A football team can be like a ship. It takes a whole crew to keep things heading in the proper direction. But when it comes to missing an iceberg, you need a good navigator and a captain.
That helps explain the extra work Lulay and Arceneaux were doing after practice.
“It doesn’t matter what has happened to this point,” said Lulay. “It’s about looking forward. It’s about getting better this week.”
Arceneaux said he’s ready to do whatever it takes to make the Lions better.
“The thing is, how can we start getting wins?” he said. “That’s what matters most. It’s not about your individual performance, it’s about the wins and losses.
“As far as just beating these guys, I really believe that is what I want to do. I want to come back victorious. The past is behind me.”
