Moore makes amazing recovery Mon Jul 19 2004
Rob Vanstone
Regina Leader-Post
The Roughriders are anxious to make amends for a dismal showing against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who were the beneficiaries of seven turnovers during their 32-15 CFL victory at Canad Inns Stadium on Thursday.
Saskatchewan's miseries were compounded by a fourth-quarter injury to Moore, who was down on the field for several minutes after wrenching his left ankle. Moore was unable to put any weight on the injured ankle while being helped off the field.
An unsightly defeat left Saskatchewan with a 1-3-0 record. Not only that, the Roughriders were faced with the unenviable prospect of missing their ace receiver for a prolonged period.
"I thought I would be out for a while,'' Moore said after Tuesday's practice at Taylor Field.
"I just rolled my ankle pretty good and there was a lot of swelling in there on Thursday. When they taped me up, I tried to go on it and I couldn't put any pressure on it.
"The next day, I was walking on it. A lot of the swelling went down. It looked like a grapefruit one night and a golf ball the next and now it's all the way down.''
Consequently, Moore is adamant that he will play Friday against the visiting Toronto Argonauts. How does he explain the remarkably rapid recovery?
"I don't know,'' he said with a smile. "It's just a blessing from God.'' And a blessing for the Roughriders, who desperately need Moore's leadership and pass-catching ability if they are to atone for a poor start.
Moore's presence is especially crucial in light of the fact that emerging receiver Jamal Richardson is to miss Friday's game with a bruised leg bone and a sprained left ankle. Richardson was also felled during the Winnipeg disaster.
When asked to imagine life without Moore and Richardson, Riders head coach Danny Barrett said: "It would have caused some concerns for us.''
But not for opposing defences.
Minus Richardson and Moore, the Roughriders' passing attack would be less threatening than Switzerland.
Moore's presence is especially crucial. The three-time all-Canadian, who was named the Roughriders' outstanding player last season, commands the attention of defenders at all times. He frequently attracts double coverage, which creates opportunities for Saskatchewan's other pass-catchers.
The 33-year-old slotback also has a rapport with Henry Burris, who is preparing to make his third consecutive start at quarterback for Saskatchewan.
Over the past two games, Burris and Moore have hooked up nine times for 138 yards. Two of Moore's receptions have given the Roughriders first downs on the one- and five-yard lines.
"We know each other,'' Moore said of his relationship with Burris -- a former Calgary Stampeders teammate. "It's just about getting the opportunities. When the play is called for me, he looks for me. He knows I'll be there for him, and he'll be there for me.''
Moore plans to be there despite some discomfort. When Moore was asked if he expects to be 100 per cent for Friday's game, he laughed.
"No . . . no,'' he responded. "Those days are over. Whatever I'll be, it'll be good enough. I know it's going to bother me some and there's going to be pain, but I've been playing through pain a lot of my career. It's just more adversity that I have to go through, being out here with these guys going to war. We'll try to get a win on Friday.''
With that objective in mind, Moore is to resume practising at full speed today. Initially, he wondered if such a day would arrive in, say, September.
"When I went down, I thought, 'Not again . . . not again,' " Moore said. "I've been hurt a lot in my career and it's always the freakiest things -- a dislocated toe, a couple of eye injuries, and last year my knee.
"I had knee surgery in the offseason. I'm still trying to rehab it because, with the kind of surgery I had, you've got to keep trying to rehab it. You have good days and you have bad.''
Thursday was one of the bad ones. But, as Moore & Co. can attest, it could have been considerably worse.