Bell Earning His Shot at Running Back

In a different CFL world—one where roster ratio considerations wouldn’t conspire against it—the Tiger-Cats would like to have both James Butler and Greg Bell in uniform on game days.

But there is only room for one American running back on the Ticats’ 45-man list and this Saturday afternoon against the Ottawa Redblacks (Tim Hortons Field, 3 p.m.), that will be Bell.

He’s coming off a game-influencing Labour Day performance, in which he rushed for 78 yards on only nine carries against the Argos, and also had another 40 yards in receptions out of the backfield. It was the second time this season he’s gone over 100 yards from scrimmage; he had 88 yards receiving and 85 overland against Edmonton.

This will be the 26-year-old Californian’s fifth game in the CFL. Last week’s effort was much superior to the week before in Winnipeg when he replaced the bruising Butler, who’d suffered an injury.

“They’re just different styles,” says head coach Scott Milanovich. “Bell has a bit more explosiveness. I think they’re both great players: James is an elite pass protector and also a good receiver. He had a 100-yard game in receiving (against BC in July). I know what it looks like but this is not an indictment on James Butler whatsoever. He’s a good back.”

Bell, played at Arizona Western, then Nebraska but eventually transferred to San Diego State for his final three seasons after he lost his starting job with the Cornhuskers. He was the first San Diego Aztec to record a 100-plus yard rushing game in each of his first three appearances and is among the top 20 in the college’s career rushing stats.

“Greg is an explosive back,” says quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell who will start against Ottawa.  “He’s a guy that at times can use a bit more patience, but there are also times that (his) speed is the reason that he gets into holes so quickly and opens things up. You saw him get out on the edge a couple of times (against Toronto)  and there was also that time, on a kind of screen, where he had collision and I don’t know how he stayed up on that.

“He does a lot of really good things that help us on offence, as far as moving teams laterally, and kind of get guys running side to side. He’s a guy who wants it, he’s hungry, he’s ready to play. He’s a guy that gets it, understands it and he’s looking to get better too.”

Bell says the Redblacks, who beat the Argos last weekend, “bring a lot of pressure off the edges so we have to pick that up and execute and make plays.”

He adds that he’ll “run hard, follow my blockers and if they open the hole I’m going to hit it hard.”

Milanovich says of Bell, “I think he’s played well. He’s a rookie, he’s getting his feet wet.  He’s a threat receiving. We ran the ball better against Toronto, obviously, than we did against Winnipeg so whether that was all on him or a combination of everybody—which is more likely—he’s learning every week.

“He’s kind of a slasher and when he does see the hole he hits it. He reminds me a little of (former Alouette and Argo) Brandon Whitaker in that he’s not a conventional runner necessarily but he finds the hole and once he does see it, he hits it. It was a good job by him last week and he opens things up in the passing game.”

CATS CLAUSES: QB Taylor Powell who was in concussion protocol for a hit to the head suffered against Edmonton was moved off the six-game injured list and is practicing this week. But head coach Scott Milanovich won’t say anything else about his quarterbacking plans for Ottawa other than Bo Levi Mitchell will be the starter, after an excellent outing against Toronto … at practice Tuesday there were no changes to the 24 starters who beat the Argos on Labour Day, but it won’t be clear until late in the week who will be the primary kick returner as Jordan Byrd is injured … among the five American players brought in this week, is DB Jayden Price who had 63 punt returns for 910 yards and five touchdowns n at North Dakota State. He spent time with the Atlanta Falcons … other signees include DB Leonard Johnson out of Duke who suited up for four games with the Argos this year; WR Reggie Brown who spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs this year; RB Lorenzo Lingard, whose college resumé included Akron, Florida and Miami; and DL Mario Kendricks who had 16 tackles for loss, three pass knockdowns and seven sacks in his college career at Virginia Tech.