[div align=\\\"center\\\"][/div]
In light of the news that broke recently regarding the looming exit of Running Back Eric Kennedy, the Yellowknife Wraiths have acted swiftly to sign a new Wide Receiver. Following the retirement of Gosh Jarden last season, many expected the Wraiths to move Kennedy into a permanent Wide Receiver role, but that no longer seems to be an option due to lingering health concerns on Kennedy’s part. The Wraiths did reportedly have their eye on a few free agents that they hoped would be able to fill Jarden’s shoes this season if Kennedy was unable to return, but the Wraiths have instead turned to an unlikely source, CFL veteran Booker Thomas.
The Canadian Football League has long been a destination for former college players that were unable to reach a larger professional organization like the NSFL. Thomas is 27 years old and stands at 6’2”, making him slightly taller than Yellowknife’s current top Wide Receiver, Bailey Cook. He had actually hoped to be a prospect for the NSFL during its early days and attempted to earn prospect status at a number of positions, but did not make the cut and was passed over. He was then recruited to play for the NSFL and played for the Edmonton Eskimos for 5 seasons, where he settled in at the WR position and made vast improvements over the years. Thomas was encouraged to try out for the Wraiths by one of his former coaches, who now works for the Yellowknife organization in a minor role. Teams often hold open try-outs in their regions in hopes of finding suitable members for their practice squads, but Thomas still held hope that his improvements over the last few years might put him back on the NSFL’s radar. At the staff member’s request, Thomas was invited to participate and the coaching staff was reportedly “blown away”, which led to Thomas being signed by the team. The move marks Thomas as the first player to enter the NSFL after playing in the CFL; several NSFL players have gone to play for the CFL after retiring or being cut from teams, but Thomas is the first to make the move upward. As usual, coaches went into the try-out with low expectations and were not expecting a player that could match Jarden’s talents, but surprisingly, Thomas is already impressing officials inside the camp. Though he lacks the type of speed that Jarden brought to the table, he is said to be a more well-rounded player and will offer the Wraiths another reliable target in the red zone.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"][/div]
In the wake of this news, many NSFL analysts are asking “Where did this guy come from?”. Local Edmonton Sports caster Kip Tremblay has followed both the Wraiths and Eskimos for years noting that he feels that Thomas has been the best kept secret in the CFL for a long time. “This guy slipped under the radar early on. And don’t get me wrong. He struggled in his first few years as a pro, but so did a lot of guys in the NSFL that look like stars right now. He’s a man that just needed an opportunity and I think he’s about to get a lot of people talking.” Reportedly, the Eskimos still had Thomas under contract, but were said to be very agreeable to terms after receiving a personal call from Wraiths Owner Spike Crown. “This is a good move for both sides”, Spike told reporters, commenting on the deal. “Thomas is a game-changer and we’re excited to see him play for us, but I think a lot of fans may give the CFL a good look after seeing a player of this caliber come out of their ranks. I know I’m going to watching a lot more Eskimo games now.”
In talking to the Eskimos’ PR team, they were happy to talk about Thomas’ background and feel that he will be a great ambassador for the CFL as he enters the big leagues. Thomas is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and played for LSU alongside the Wraiths’ own Eric Kennedy back when he lined up as a Tight End for the Tigers, though he was hardly the star that Kennedy was at the time. After failing to enter the NSFL as a prospect, Thomas relocated to Canada to play for the Eskimos, where his teammates describe him as a quiet guy that tends to show a lot of passion on the field. It was in Canada that Thomas married his wife, Alex. The two met in college, but Alex was born in Canada and helped Thomas acclimate to the Canadian culture after he received an offer to play in the CFL. Since then, he’s become a proud supporter of the Canadian people and is even a fan of the Wraiths. “This is Canada’s only NSFL team and I’m truly excited to be part of that. I just want to bring glory back to this team and to this country. They’re two-time NSFC Champions. Maybe, if I do my part, we can do it again. And an Ultimus wouldn’t hurt, either. I’d like to bring the Ultimus home to Canada.”
Thomas and his wife also have a son, Rashad, who is now three. Talking with Thomas, it becomes easy to see why many have come to also see him as a family man. “You couldn’t ask for better timing. My son is almost old enough that he’ll be able to start watching the sport. He’s going to have a chance to become a fan and, now thanks to Mr. Crown, he’ll have a chance to see his dad play in the NSFL. That means so more to me than I can ever say.” The deal is only for one season and is said to be a “prove it” contract, but Thomas is said to be more optimistic and feels that he’ll be able to be a long-term contributor to the organization if he’s given the chance. In the meantime, we’ll be watching closely to see if this underdog story has a happy ending.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"][/div]
1,010 Words
Ready for Grading
In light of the news that broke recently regarding the looming exit of Running Back Eric Kennedy, the Yellowknife Wraiths have acted swiftly to sign a new Wide Receiver. Following the retirement of Gosh Jarden last season, many expected the Wraiths to move Kennedy into a permanent Wide Receiver role, but that no longer seems to be an option due to lingering health concerns on Kennedy’s part. The Wraiths did reportedly have their eye on a few free agents that they hoped would be able to fill Jarden’s shoes this season if Kennedy was unable to return, but the Wraiths have instead turned to an unlikely source, CFL veteran Booker Thomas.
The Canadian Football League has long been a destination for former college players that were unable to reach a larger professional organization like the NSFL. Thomas is 27 years old and stands at 6’2”, making him slightly taller than Yellowknife’s current top Wide Receiver, Bailey Cook. He had actually hoped to be a prospect for the NSFL during its early days and attempted to earn prospect status at a number of positions, but did not make the cut and was passed over. He was then recruited to play for the NSFL and played for the Edmonton Eskimos for 5 seasons, where he settled in at the WR position and made vast improvements over the years. Thomas was encouraged to try out for the Wraiths by one of his former coaches, who now works for the Yellowknife organization in a minor role. Teams often hold open try-outs in their regions in hopes of finding suitable members for their practice squads, but Thomas still held hope that his improvements over the last few years might put him back on the NSFL’s radar. At the staff member’s request, Thomas was invited to participate and the coaching staff was reportedly “blown away”, which led to Thomas being signed by the team. The move marks Thomas as the first player to enter the NSFL after playing in the CFL; several NSFL players have gone to play for the CFL after retiring or being cut from teams, but Thomas is the first to make the move upward. As usual, coaches went into the try-out with low expectations and were not expecting a player that could match Jarden’s talents, but surprisingly, Thomas is already impressing officials inside the camp. Though he lacks the type of speed that Jarden brought to the table, he is said to be a more well-rounded player and will offer the Wraiths another reliable target in the red zone.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"][/div]
In the wake of this news, many NSFL analysts are asking “Where did this guy come from?”. Local Edmonton Sports caster Kip Tremblay has followed both the Wraiths and Eskimos for years noting that he feels that Thomas has been the best kept secret in the CFL for a long time. “This guy slipped under the radar early on. And don’t get me wrong. He struggled in his first few years as a pro, but so did a lot of guys in the NSFL that look like stars right now. He’s a man that just needed an opportunity and I think he’s about to get a lot of people talking.” Reportedly, the Eskimos still had Thomas under contract, but were said to be very agreeable to terms after receiving a personal call from Wraiths Owner Spike Crown. “This is a good move for both sides”, Spike told reporters, commenting on the deal. “Thomas is a game-changer and we’re excited to see him play for us, but I think a lot of fans may give the CFL a good look after seeing a player of this caliber come out of their ranks. I know I’m going to watching a lot more Eskimo games now.”
In talking to the Eskimos’ PR team, they were happy to talk about Thomas’ background and feel that he will be a great ambassador for the CFL as he enters the big leagues. Thomas is from Shreveport, Louisiana, and played for LSU alongside the Wraiths’ own Eric Kennedy back when he lined up as a Tight End for the Tigers, though he was hardly the star that Kennedy was at the time. After failing to enter the NSFL as a prospect, Thomas relocated to Canada to play for the Eskimos, where his teammates describe him as a quiet guy that tends to show a lot of passion on the field. It was in Canada that Thomas married his wife, Alex. The two met in college, but Alex was born in Canada and helped Thomas acclimate to the Canadian culture after he received an offer to play in the CFL. Since then, he’s become a proud supporter of the Canadian people and is even a fan of the Wraiths. “This is Canada’s only NSFL team and I’m truly excited to be part of that. I just want to bring glory back to this team and to this country. They’re two-time NSFC Champions. Maybe, if I do my part, we can do it again. And an Ultimus wouldn’t hurt, either. I’d like to bring the Ultimus home to Canada.”
Thomas and his wife also have a son, Rashad, who is now three. Talking with Thomas, it becomes easy to see why many have come to also see him as a family man. “You couldn’t ask for better timing. My son is almost old enough that he’ll be able to start watching the sport. He’s going to have a chance to become a fan and, now thanks to Mr. Crown, he’ll have a chance to see his dad play in the NSFL. That means so more to me than I can ever say.” The deal is only for one season and is said to be a “prove it” contract, but Thomas is said to be more optimistic and feels that he’ll be able to be a long-term contributor to the organization if he’s given the chance. In the meantime, we’ll be watching closely to see if this underdog story has a happy ending.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"][/div]
1,010 Words
Ready for Grading
Thanks to Jangorhino for the sig.