Calgary Herald from Calgary, Alberta, Canada • 22

I B8: CALGARY HERALD Sunday, July 27, 1997 CANADIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE imiBiJ tod BRUCE COVERNTON Offensive lineman Born: August 12, 1966, Morris, Man. University: Weber State. Height: Six-foot-five. Weight: 305 pounds. Career: Six seasons, 71 regular season games, one Grey Cup.

CFL West Division rookie of the year, 1992. GREG KNOX Safety Born: June 12, 1969, Toronto. University: Wilfrid Laurier. Height: Six-foot-one. Weight: 195 pounds.

Career: Six seasons, 94 games, 21 interceptions (this year, two pickoffs for 58 yards); two Grey Cups; CFL all-Canadian safety, 1994. COVERNTON may be out for good with bad shoulder KNOX is out for the season with torn Achilles tendon "Spr-o-o-o-i-ngggg. SASKATCHEWAN 21 CALGARY 19 Calgary was BIG PLAY poised to make it two in a row over Saskatchewan. Leading 19-18, they needed one, perhaps two first downs, to run out the clock. Running back Kelvin Anderson made what should have been the game-saving play.

On a second and 11 situation, he caught a pass for 17 yards and the crucial first down. But Saskatchewan safety Ryan Carey closed in for the tackle and hjs helmet hit the football square and it went bouncing back towards the Calgary end zone. Saskatchewan's Dale Joseph made the recovery, well within field-goal range. crape Quarterback g'e Slack carried 11 times for 109 yards. But the Saskatchewan fans really took to diminutive running back Profall Grler, a refugee from the Ottawa Rough Riders' dispersal draft.

He'd been on the injured list, after suffering an eye injury in the pre-season. In his Saskatchewan debut, he rushed for 24 yards, caught two passes for 23 and returned three kickoffs for 108 yards. ven with 30,000 guests in the house, Calgary Stam-peders safety Greg Knox maintains he could hear his right Achilles tendon snap, like the e-string on a guitar when you tune it too high. "Like someone shot you in the heel," said Knox. His wire-rimmed glasses make him look professorial, and Knox reflected on the season-ending apocalypse with dispassionate cool, like a INJURIES Stampeder defen: sive tackle Steve Anderson missed portions of the game because of an undetermined injury to his left arm or elbow.

Anderson is just back from knee surgery. scientist On the other hand, Bruce (Tuna) Covernton's moment of truth lacked the dramatic touch. "It was nothing. I just kinda landed funny on the turf. I wasn't hitting anybody or anything," shrugged the 305-pound of STATS PICTURE Three StamPs re" ceiVers had more than 80 yards.

Vlnce Danlelsen caught eight passes for 85 yards, Travis Moore caught six for 83 and Terry Vaughn had five receptions for 80 yards. Stamps defensive back Eddie Davis had an interception, while defensive back Kenton Leonard had three knockdowns. TOM KEYSER Herald columnist fensive lineman. Two surgeons, two scalpels, two operations, within days of each other. Two popular Canadians who broke in together.

Leaders on the field, and in the room, lost to the Stampeders as a youthful team strives to regain LIKE OLD TIMES rx (r A 7 1 A i i A ft 1 .1 1 iy A i i 1 i- A 'J f' mniMfimn 'iX Mc- slept well after being acquitted on an assault charge and he led the Stamps with seven tackles. He had also planned to go back to what he enjoyed even more spinning tales for the media. But he was ejected after ripping the helmet off Saskatchewan centre Carl Coulter and clobbering him with it. He was long gone from the park by the time the game was over. WHAT'S NEXT The 1-4 Stamps play host to Win nipeg, also 1-4, at McMahon Stadium next Friday.

If Calgary loses that one, start the airlift. Winnipeg is struggling more than the Stamps. SUMMARY First Quarter No Scoring. Second Quarter Sask Single McCallum 49 4:34 Cal Single Marino 59 6:22 Cal TD Moore 41 pass from Garcia 7:42 (McLough- lin) 7:42 Sask TD Daniels 1 run (McCallum convert) 10:18 Sask TD Slack 36 run (McCallum convert) 12:29 Third Quarter Cal Single 50 McLoughlin 6:09 Cal Bailey 8 pass from Garcia (McLoughlin convert) 13:54 Fourth Quarter Sask FG McCallum 52 1:59 Cal FG McLoughlin 38 6:07 Sask FG McCallum 29 13:37 Calgary 0 8 8 319- Saskatchewan IS 621 Attendance: 26,483. Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald WALKING WOUNDED: Greg Knox and his wife Jennifer take a recent stroll along Kensington Road Repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon Statistics Cal Sask 20 174 133 307 9 298 13-25 4-120 00 33 4 740 8-75 34:08 First downs Yards rushing Yards passing Total offence Team losses Net offence Passes made-tried Returns-yards Intercepts-yards by Fumbles-lost Sacks by Punts-average Penalties-yards 18 38 319 357 27 330 27-37 368 1- 7 2- 1 1 847 14-139 25:56 Time of possession DARK DAYS FOR STAMPS Tough on the Stamps, without question.

They're now 1-4 with Sunday's 21-19 loss to Saskatchewan. But, with two Canadian Football League careers on hold, harder still on the guys forced to chill on the sidelines. "You don't feel like you're part of the club at all," agreed Covernton, recovering from his third shoulder operation. Ifou don't enjoy the wins as much, the losses don't hurt as much, because you haven't been part of it. Your investment has been nil.

"I find myself leaving the locker room Nodded Knox: "Life goes on without IhiHnjured guys. It's part of the deal. Butto be out of the mix when things are tough (with the team) makes it that much harder." When he went down as the clock petered out on Calgary's 22-13 victory over last week, the 28-yearold safety was wrapping up his 94tKTsuccessive regular-season game as aStampeder. But his reputation for durability was bought and paid for, at full retail. "Could be stupidity," speculated Knox.

He was kidding. But, after playing through the normal aches and pains through five-plus seasons, Knox had to concede his last two go-rounds have been less than a tiptoe through tulips. "Recurring neck problems, and related nerve damage hounded him through the end of last season. He broke a thumb, but disoriented nerve messengers failed to transmit the data to his brain. "I had a broken thumb for two games before I had it checked out," he said.

"Then I separated a shoulder in my last game (of '96). "I told myself if the neck kept bothering me, then this would be my last season. But it's been fine," thanks to a winter's rest, and rehab work with Stampeder therapist Pat Clayton. JUST BAD LUCK Then came Game 4 against the Roughriders Lesson No. 2, courtesy of the school of hard Knox.

U'Ja the second half, I tore cartilege afduhdmyribcage. I'm standing there wheezing, and I said to Patty, 'Here we go "We joked, like at least it's not something major. Ten minutes later Spr-o-o-o-i-ngggg. that game, I was saying it's our last summer to take a holiday together," smiled his wife, Jenny, expecting the couple's first child in December. "She jinxed me," kidded Knox, concentrating on a silver glow beneath the clouds.

"Hopefully, I can start next year fresh, 100 per cent, to play up to my potential. I still have professional goals to reach." So does Covernton, who, in '92, began his career by becoming the first offensive lineman ever to nail Rookie of the Year honors in the CFL West But today, a portable IV hookup is pumping antibiotics into his infected right shoulder. Tuna's not convinced he'll get the chance. A few weeks from his 31st birthday, Covernton's bothersome shoulder's been cut into three times. And, yeah, it's a drag.

"It was easier in 1995," said Covern Net offence is yards passing, plus yards rushing, mi i M' iV i I i Herald Graphic nus team losses such as yards lost on broken plays. Individual Rushing: Cal Garcia 7-22, Anderson 7-16: Sask Slack 11-109, Grier 6-24, Mimbs 8-21, Mason 2-19, Daniels 2-1. Receiving: Cal Danielsen 8-85, Moore 6-83, Vaughan 5-80, Rogers 2-23, Forde 1-19, Anderson 1-17, Bailey 2-12; Sask Mayfield 3-30, Farthing 2-24, Grier 2-23, Narcisse 2-19, Harris 1-12, Mimbs 1-11, Walters 1-10, Daniels 14. Passing: Cal Garcia 26-37, 319 yds, 2 TD, 0 Sask Slack 9-29-830-1, Mason 44-50OO. Murray Rauw Bernard expects to be traded MURRAY RAUW Calgary Herald REGINA It could be a home-coming for a couple of Canadian Football League performers.

Calgary Stampeders linebacker Ray Bernard is under the impression he will be be traded to the Montreal Alou-ettes today in a deal that would bring safety Jon Kalin back to Calgary Bernard is from Montreal and attended Laval University. Bernard, 30, who played with Saskatchewan, between 1992-94, visited the 'Riders dressing room after the Stamps 21-19 loss Saturday and left the impression with former teammates that he already knew of the trade. Stampeders general manager-head coach Wally Buono was en route to Calgary after the game and was unavailable for comment. But Buono has been talking to the Alouettes all week about obtaining Kalin, who would replace injured safety Greg Knox, who was lost for the season after severing his right Achilles tendon last week. season lidlifter that year.

"Then it was cut and dried. It's torn, you're out But this is more of a grey area. You wake up, your shoulder's swollen. It's like, 'You've got a tear, you've got an infection, they treat the tear, they treat the infection. "It's a dangerous spot If the infection gets into your joint, it can really cause some tissue damage." FUTURE IN DOUBT The troubles of Tuna began in '95, lost to his season-opening injury In '96, he started tentatively, but soon picked up steam.

"I thought I played real well down the stretch, back to my old form. Then in Day 5 of training camp, I took a funny fall "I don't know when I'm gonna come back, or if I'm gonna come back. If I was told I couldn't play anymore, I've got the transition set up. (Like Knox, who works for CP RaiL Covernton works full time, with Mark Personnel Services). Tve had a lot of family tragedy (i.e., untimely deaths of his mother and brother), so football's not the end of the world to ma "Still I want to leave on my own terms.

I want to win another Grey Cup." Apart from his contributions on the line, Covernton is the Stamps' maestro of the one-linen Now for the good Vv Mike Sturk, Calgary Herald WILL THE REAL TUNA STAND UP: Bruce Tuna' Covernton sits with his dog, which has the same handle, Tuna. news. His sense of humor's in the pink, Hansen to Covernton: "You can't as per this Friday exchange with long- make the club in the tub." Covernton to Hansen: "No. But you still get paid in the shade." ago lineman George Hansen, of the Stamps alumni. ton, who tore his rotator cuff in the.