Giles makes life hard on Bombers

He was one of the many Winnipeg Blue Bomber spring signings who drew little fanfare and a collective shrug of the shoulders from across the Canadian Football League.

Oh sure , 23-year-old Lavarus Giles has size at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, and was said to have decent wheels for his size. But his numbers in college — Jackson State, the same school as the legendary Walter Payton — were only so-so.

But veterans Fred Reid and Joe Smith were listed above him on the depth chart and former Oregon State star Yvenson Bernard, whose resume positively glows and came with the recommendation of ex-Bombers head coach Mike Riley, also had a training camp invitation. Giles looked like he would not be around for long.

In fact, when he arrived for Bombers rookie camp in late May, honestly, he had “no chance” written all over him.

Trouble is, no one told the young man about the long odds stacked against him.

And all Giles did in two preseason games, including an eye-popping effort in Tuesday night’s 31-27 pre-season loss to the Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Stadium, was run over, around and through anybody who got in his way. He rumbled for 161 yards on just 12 carries against the Alouettes, including an explosive, jaw-dropping 77-yard gallop that was the game’s biggest highlight.

Couple that with the 77 yards he had in last week’s win over Hamilton and all Giles finished with 238 yards on 26 carries. That, folks, is 9.15 yards per carry.

His efforts accomplished two things: it makes veteran tailback Joe Smith — the physical equal of Giles, but with a considerably bigger paycheque — sweat bullets; and it gives head coach Mike Kelly and his staff one massive headache as the team must declare its final roster by this afternoon.

Giles may not have a handy-dandy nickname yet, but “Migraine” would seem to be a good fit.

“Coach Kelly told us over and over again, ‘Make the coaches’ job hard.’ I hope I made it hard for him,” Giles said. He added with a grin, “I hope he can’t sleep.”

“That’s why I went to the pharmacy before the game and got some Sleep-Eze,” Kelly quipped afterward. “I’ll take one and then try not to get too excited about anything and go in and evaluate and make decisions. But he is special.”

So now here’s one of the many Bomber conundrums as the regular season approaches: How do you not keep Giles around and what do you do about the crowded backfield? That’s of little concern for Giles, who is simply trying to find regular work in Winnipeg after failing to crack the Calgary Stampeders last year and spending the rest of the season on the New Orleans Saints’ National Football League practice roster.

“All I wanted to do was go out there and leave it all on the field,” Giles said. “I’m living for today, one day at a time. I’m not going to smile until I make this team. Then I’ll smile.”

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