Edmonton Elks fullback Tanner Green on Wednesday was named to the CFL/pro football focus honour roll for the month of September as the top special teams player.
Green had a top grade of 90 on the strength of 10 special teams tackles in four games in September, including four against the Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day rematch game on Sept. 9.
Green, who missed six games this season with a hamstring injury, is third on the Elks in special teams tackles with 12.
“The injury set me back a bit but I made sure my rehab was on point and my film was on point, so when I came back I could hop back into the action,” Green said.
“Honestly, you never go out and search for tackles but I think if you play hard enough, they tend to come to you.”
LISTEN: Elks fullback Tanner Green on recording 10 special teams tackles in four games during the month of September
https://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=CORU7764897654
Now the task on Friday night in Toronto is to stop the CFL’s most dangerous kick and punt returner in the Argos — Javon Leake —who leads the league in punt return yards (990) and punt return average (15.5) and has set the Argos record for most punt return touchdowns in a season with four.
Leake is one punt return score away from tying a CFL record of five, held by former Edmonton football team players Henry “Gizmo” Williams set back in 1991 and Chris Williams in 2012.
Green says the goal remains the same: limit the opposing returner.
“We’ve watched film, we know what he can do, and he’s been amazing,” Green said. “We never go into a game thinking that we’re not going to hold them to little-to-no returns. We know he loves to move side-to-side and loves to hit the hole hard.
“We’re coming with a good mentality to try and keep him contained and make sure he doesn’t hit those big runs on us.”
The Elks special teams unit received a big blow with the loss of defensive back Scott Hutter, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury suffered in the loss to the B.C. Lions back on September 22.
Hutter leads the team in special teams tackles with 17. The Elks will get two players back for special teams in linebacker Jordan Reaves (foot) and linebacker Jeremie Dominque (hamstring) who both have been pulled of the six-game injured list.
The Elks battle the Argos from BMO Field in Toronto on Friday night.
You can hear the game on CISN Country 103.9 FM starting with Countdown to Kick-off at 3:30 p.m., the opening kick-off will be at 5 p.m.
Comments