Will Blackmon’s Twitter account runs the gamut.
It features inspirational messages , comments about video games, reviews of rap albums and even messages to friends and family.
His profile, meanwhile, begins with the word “Resilient.”
“There is nothing that I can’t handle, I believe,” the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive back said Friday after the CFL team practised at Mosaic Stadium.
“I’ve been through every situation. I’ve been cut. I’ve been injured. I had so many surgeries. I dealt with political stuff. I haven’t played in a year. When it gets difficult, at the end of the day, that’s when I rise up.”
Blackmon is slated to make his CFL debut Sunday, when the Roughriders play host to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Labour Day Classic (1 p.m., CKRM, TSN).
It’s unclear who the 33-year-old product of Providence, R.I., will replace on the roster, but he has been taking reps with the first-team defence this week in place of Crezdon Butler and Jovon Johnson.
For Blackmon, Saskatchewan is the latest stop on a pro career that started in 2006 and featured as its highlight a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants during the 2011-12 season.
After spending four seasons at Boston College, Blackmon was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (115thoverall) of the 2006 NFL draft.
He played four seasons with the Packers before being released with an injury settlement. He then signed with the Giants and played parts of two seasons with them, winning the NFL title in February of 2012.
He didn’t play in the NFL in 2012, but returned to the league in 2013 and had stops with the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars. After two seasons with the Jags, he spent two with the Washington Redskins.
Since being released by the Redskins, Blackmon has had workouts with a number of NFL teams. None signed him, so he opted to look to the CFL.
“I had some interest down south, but it came down to, ‘Who’s going to give me the opportunity?’ ” Blackmon said. “Obviously (the Canadian game) is different when you get down to all the little details, but for me, my heart was still in football. They gave me a call to see if I was interested and I said I’d check it out.”
And why, at his age and after bouncing around the NFL, was his heart still in it?
“That’s all I ever wanted to do,” Blackmon replied. “I was a typical little kid, four years old watching football, and I was like, ‘My dream is to play professional ball.’ That’s all it was.
“I can still move and I still feel good; that’s the whole thing. As long as my body is good, that’s a huge part. Usually in football, (when you’re) 30 years old, people look at it like 50 years old. (I decided to continue) as long as my body is healthy and I feel good and (after) talking about it with my family. Otherwise, I would have stayed home and probably done something else.”
Blackmon was added to the Roughriders’ practice roster on July 24, released on July 30 and brought back to the practice roster on Aug. 15.
He claimed it wasn’t difficult for him to wait for an opportunity — “I’m a patient guy; I’ve got two kids (seven-year-old Ryder and three-year-old Jade), so I’m good,” he said with a grin — so he passed his time in the Roughriders’ playbook.
More than a month after he initially landed in Saskatchewan, his time has come.
“The whole thing was they just had to be able to trust me, that I could learn (the playbook) pretty fast,” Blackmon said. “For me, (it’s about) studying and learning. I just love football in general, so learning the game is something I take pride in.
“It came down to, ‘OK, can we trust to put him out there?’ I feel like they do.”
Saskatchewan head coach-GM Chris Jones likes Blackmon’s size (6-foot-0, 210 pounds) and the way the NFL veteran has been diligently studying and working in post-practice one-on-ones. In Jones’ estimation, Blackmon is “a pro’s pro.”
On Sunday, he’ll get his initiation into the CFL game.
“He has been matched up on some of the best guys in the NFL, so it’ll be interesting to see (how he does) with our game,” Jones said. “I tried to explain to him the quicker game and the quicker tempo. You don’t have all day in between plays, so I think that will be one of the bigger hurdles that he has.”
Blackmon believes he’s ready for that and for the talent level he’ll see. He has watched games and has friends in the league, so he’s not underestimating the CFL.
“I’m not up here looking at it like, ‘Oh, I’m going to just take over and destroy because I came from the NFL,’ ” he said. “There are some extremely talented guys up here that I highly respect.”
He also respects the traditions. His first CFL game is the 54th edition of the Labour Day Classic, which annually is one of the most-hyped games in the province.
Blackmon is looking forward to it.
“I love when it’s difficult and I love when it’s energetic,” he said. “For my first game to be this Labour Day game, that’s for me. I’m a ham, so I love energy (and) I love excitement.”
- Jones said national receiver Devon Bailey won’t play Sunday due to an undisclosed injury. His replacement will be revealed Saturday, when the roster is to be announced.
