Despite film clearly showing Saskatchewan Roughriders’ receiver Duke Williams thwarting onside kick attempts in each of his first two games back in the CFL, the Edmonton Elks tried him again Friday night anyway.
‘The Duke’ has now added the Elks to his game-clinching resume, next to the Stamps and Alouettes whom he already put into the Riders win column earlier this fall.
Williams constantly talks about channeling his “inner dog” when it comes to catching passes and uses the same mentality for breaking up these onside kicks.
“Probably even worse because you’ve got ten guys running at you and probably like six guys blocking so I already have it in my head that I’m going to get hit, but as long as I can see the ball and I can physically touch it then I know I can come down with it,” said Williams after Friday night’s 19-17 win in Edmonton, which has brought the green and white within a win or tie of clinching a home playoff game.
“I trust my blockers so I’m not really worried about it. I just see the ball (and) go get it.”
‘The Duke’ swears he feels no disrespect from the Elks or any other team that keeps trying to pull off an onside kick on his watch.
“No, I wasn’t offended because at the end of the day they probably practiced that all week long knowing I was going to be right there. It was a good kick by (Edmonton kicker) Sean Whyte,” he said. “It’s no disrespect or nothing like that.”
Williams says the hits he gets targeted for on those special teams plays aren’t going to cause him to shy away either.
“I’m a dog and that’s how it is and how I’m going to be the rest of my life.”
