Doug Brewster

Growing up in Regina, I have fond memories as a child (like most kids from the Queen City) of heading out to what was then the Taylor Field turf to watch the Green and White from the beginning of rookie camp till the end of the season. Eddie Lowe was by far and away my favourite player, but by the time 1991 hit, his career was near an end. So the question came up….who would replace him? At 1991’s rookie camp, the astute mind of a 17 year old thought Doug Brewster would be the man. Doug who, you ask?

The Atlanta native was a standout linebacker at the University of Clemson, came up here and made the 1991 roster. I raved and pumped the tires of the rookie ‘backer to the point that I really thought that Brewster would be the second coming of Eddie Lowe.

He ended up playing 8 games for the Riders that season, leading the CFL in fumble recoveries. Which is all fine and good, but my fondest memory was a mid-season game against the Eskimos. Edmonton fullback Blake Marshall (who I hated…which makes this a still bitter pill to swallow) came around the left end at about the Rider 45, Brewster read the play perfectly and was about to lower the boom on the 6’1″ 230 pound Canadian runner. Right at that moment, Marshall dropped his shoulders, and ran him right the hell over for a large gain. I’m still crushed over it all. Brewster would be released by the Riders the next season, had a cup of coffee with the Stampeders, and was never seen in the CFL after that.

 What does all of this mean…nothing really. The only other thing I remeber from 1991 is John Gregory getting let go mid-season, and Don Matthews taking over. That was inevitable. For some reason it was Brewster being the nail to Marshall’s hammer that hurt the most from that year. 

I wasn’t at day 6 of training camp today, because I’m manning the fort back at the station tonight. Just check out Woody’s report on “The Evening News @ 6” and “News Final @ 11”. The Riders are off to Saskatoon for practice and a meet the fans session before heading back to Mosaic Stadium for Sunday’s day 8 of camp.