HOT TIME: Ottawa Redblacks’ running game may get a boost with De’Lance Turner

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How is this for a statistic? The Ottawa Redblacks have had just one rushing touchdown by a running back since 2018, and that was for running back / returner DeVonte Dedmon as an emergency replacement earlier this season.

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Even with the Canadian Soccer League not playing a single game in 2020, no Redblacks running back scored on the ground in 2019. The last one? November 2, 2018, by Mossis Madu. William Powell, now a Saskatchewan Roughrider, had six rushing touchdowns in 2018.

“That’s crazy,” Redblacks head coach / offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice said Friday. “There have not been many opportunities within 10, within five, within three. Our touchdowns come from further afield. You have to go down there. “

The Redblacks need to find a way to put jumper cables in the running game very soon. With that in mind, De’Lance Turner, who was hired less than a month ago, was receiving first-team replays during practice Friday at TD Place. He could replace Timothy Flanders as the starter for Monday’s contest in Montreal.

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Turner, 26, made a name for himself at Alcorn State University, winning the All-SWAC first team and the AP FCS All-America third team in 2018. He finished his college career fifth among the all-time leaders of the school with 2121 yards.

Turner says he’s excited to get a shot, if that’s the direction the Redblacks go.

“I haven’t played in over a year,” said Turner, who spent time with the Baltimore Ravens (four games, one run for four yards, and two receptions for 17 yards in 2018) and the Miami Dolphins (eight games, four carries for six. yards in 2019) of the National Football League. “I’m ready to go out and take my chance.”

When his time in Miami came to an end, he wondered if it would be the end of the road for his professional soccer career.

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“Most of us have played football our whole lives,” he said. “When you get to that point where there’s no football anymore, you start thinking, ‘What’s next?’ You go into that mode … Will you keep playing or what are you going to do? This is our job. Once you don’t have a job, you have to find another. And if you can’t, move on to the next … life goes on. A few months ago I did not know if I would play football again. Fortunately, I have this opportunity. “

Turner, who is from McLain, Miss., Had been speaking with Pier-Yves Lavergne, the Redblacks’ player personnel coordinator, since last year.

“I didn’t want to come at first. I was trying to get back to the NFL, but that didn’t work out, ”Turner said.

Now that you are here, you are taking one step at a time.

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“My problem has always been that I rush everything,” he said. “I’m just going to do this, I’m going to take advantage of my reps. I’m going to try to run 100 or 200 yards … most importantly, I’m just trying to help the team win. If I go back to the NFL, I go back. If not, I’m going to win a Gray Cup, I’m going to win a championship here ”.

When asked about his strengths as a player, Turner said: “I can see things before they happen. I like to know what everyone’s job is. That helps me. I like to know where the defense is going. That helps me find the holes faster. I focus on the little things. “

LaPolice said Turner “has a lot of speed. You can change direction quickly, on a dime. “

He wants to make a difference, help his team beat the Alouettes on Thanksgiving.

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“I don’t want to lose,” Turner said. “I’d rather have zero yards and win… I hate losing. I’ve only been here for a short time, but these guys have a bit of a fight. We just have to put it all together and hopefully start turning things around. “

Will Turner Play?

“We’ll see how he does it and how he understands it at the system level,” LaPolice said. “We have two days to fix it.”

RECEIVER COACH SAYS NO: Redblacks wide receiver coach Alex Suber, who will be out of the team indefinitely, has been working from home for the past few days. When asked about Suber’s absence, LaPolice said: “His doctor advised him not to follow OSEG’s policies. He’s still working … he did scripts, he did scouting work. “One of OSEG’s policies is that employees must be vaccinated. With Suber out of the field, QB coach Steve Walsh moved from above to field level to helping out during Wednesday’s game in Toronto “We’ve adjusted pretty well,” LaPolice said.

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THE END AROUND: WR Terrance Williams, who played with the Dallas Cowboys for six NFL seasons (2013-18), was released by the Redblacks on Friday… Defensive back Sherrod Baltimore comes off the six-game disabled list and practiced on Friday . When asked about the return of his defensive partner Abdul Kanneh earlier this week and possibly Baltimore against the Alouettes, both of whom were on the six-game disabled list, LaPolice said: “Those guys are some of the best communicators in our country. team. Hopefully everyone is on the same page ” … QB Duck Hodges, who was hired less than a month ago, is getting more reps as he gets used to the system … When asked about left tackle Chris Ferguson, who made his CFL debut earlier this week, LaPolice said: three or four days of practice (in training ground), then he got injured. He’s been back to practicing for a week. As the game progressed, he got a little out of shape, but, for a guy who hasn’t had a lot of reps, I thought he performed well his first chance. ”… The Redblacks have signed defensive lineman Howard Stephens and Tre Hornbuckle … The Redblacks spoke with wide receiver DeVier Posey, released last week by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but signed on Friday with the BC Lions.