WINNIPEG — After getting much of the blame for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers loss to the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday, Lirim Hajrullahu is being replaced as the club’s field goal kicker.
READ MORE: Winnipeg Blue Bombers to wait to make decision on kickers
Hajrullahu, 25, missed four field goal attempts and a convert against the Eskimos. He’ll still dress against the B.C. Lions on Saturday as the teams punter, but newcomer Sergio Castillo will kick the field goals.
“Just getting comfortable with, you know, the snap and hold, you know with the first team,” Castillo said. “I think that’s just the main thing, to just get into a rhythm. And accuracy, you know, it’s been pretty good. So it’s just getting comfortable. That’s the main, main thing.”
Castillo, 24, had tryouts in the NFL with New Orleans, Miami and Atlanta and was even working as a high school teacher in San Antonio, Texas. He was signed to the Bombers practice roster in August and will now get a chance to kick in his first CFL game.
“Throughout the practice week he made the majority of his kicks,” Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “He looks comfortable, he sped up as the week went along so his timing is good.”
Castillo was chosen as the winner of the Fred Mitchell Award as the nation’s top kicker in his senior year at West Texas A & M. And his 62 career field goals are both a school and Lone Star Conference record.
“Let’s give him a chance and let’s give Lirim a little breathing room,” O’Shea said.
After being one of the leagues top kickers last season with an 87 per cent success rate, Hajrullahu made just 22 of his 32 field goal attempts this season. And his 68 per cent accuracy rate is dead last among the CFL’s active kickers. He’s also made just 15 of his 21 converts in 2015.
“I’ve had a nice chat with Lirim and you know, I told him the honest truth,” O’Shea said. “He believes in himself so why wouldn’t we. To me it didn’t make sense to trot him out there again right away. Let’s give him a bit of time while we have the opportunity to with Sergio here. Lets give him a bit of time to you know clear his head and get kicking well again.”
WATCH: Sergio Castillo and Mike O’Shea discuss Castillo taking over the field goal kicking duties.
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