Davion Taylor of the Ottawa Redblacks is looking forward to the chance for redemption

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Here’s the thing about the facemask foul Ottawa backup linebacker Davion Taylor committed with a minute and a half left in Winnipeg last week, essentially destroying any chance of a comeback for the Redblacks:

It was only because he is as good as he is that the 25-year-old rookie was able to execute this penalty against Blue Bombers quarterback Chris Streveler.

Taylor will get his chance at redemption on Sunday night in Edmonton, where he will make his first appearance in the Canadian Football League as a weakside linebacker for the injured Frankie Griffin.

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Some background information about Taylor:

The 6’1″, 225-pound player from Magnolia, Missouri, played for the Colorado Buffaloes before they became famous under Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.

In 2020, Taylor was selected in the third round (103rd overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League and became a starter in his second year – until his career hit a major obstacle with a serious knee injury that required MCL surgery.

“It was from the bone,” Taylor said Saturday before the Redblacks flew to Alberta. “When I came back in my third year, it was more of a confidence issue, like I wasn’t comfortable with the knee anymore. I felt like I took a step back instead of getting better every year.”

Because Taylor wasn’t 100 percent fit, he filmed “some bad stuff,” which caused him to fall out of favor with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff.

After spending a year on the Eagles’ practice squad, he was released. After offers from the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals, his NFL options expired.

That was the moment when the Redblacks called.

“Just playing, even here in the CFL, has given me confidence,” Taylor said. “I just have to keep playing, whether it’s five or 10 years here or back in the NFL. I’m excited to be playing football again.”

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Taylor believes his first start couldn’t come at a better time.

“I’m not happy that another linebacker got hurt, but I’m glad I got to sit back and watch for a minute because the CFL is totally different than the NFL,” he said. “I was glad I got to watch the first couple of games and just play special teams, get a feel for the game and actually watch from the sidelines.”

“Now that I can be there from the start, I feel much more comfortable. I’m playing a game in the CFL, I know the rules and the situations. I’m really looking forward to this first game.”

With the Redblacks trailing 23-16, Taylor had to step in for Griffin, who had limped off the field with a hip injury, and stopped Streveler on a second-and-8 run at Ottawa’s 49-yard line just short of the marker.

But instead of getting the ball back with more than a minute to go, Winnipeg was able to keep the ball thanks to the face mask penalty against Taylor and get into position for a game-winning field goal.

“For one thing, I should have just set my target lower,” Taylor said when asked what he would do differently. “I trust my speed. I wasn’t worried about that. I knew I was going to get to the quarterback. It’s just about being a smart football player. Bringing him down before the first down mark and just making sure I don’t get a foul, a horse collar, a facemask… as a professional player, I just can’t make mistakes like that.”

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“After that play, I was depressed. I feel like I didn’t really show who I am because I’m a very good player. So I don’t want that one play to define me. This is an opportunity to redeem myself and just show what I can really do. Play a whole game and make some big plays.”

The Redblacks’ defensive line will also be hoping for revenge against the Elks after the Blue Bombers, led by 2023 rushing king Brady Oliveira, rushed for 212 yards.

Edmonton running back Kevin Brown, who had the second-best rushing record in the league last season, has yet to rush for more than 50 yards in a game this season, and you know he’s going to lose control at some point.

“We were intense and played physical, but we lacked presence and that led to some of those runs,” Ottawa defensive end Bryce Carter said of the game against the Bombers before looking ahead to this week’s matchup against Hunter Steward, a former Redblacks backup who now plays right guard for the Elks. “When you get those reps against those certain guys, you get a feel for what their strengths and weaknesses are. I think playing against him for two years (in practice) will definitely give me keys to success.”

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With McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the Elks also have an experienced quarterback who makes them one of the top four players in the league in passing statistics.

“They’re definitely going to throw the ball in the air,” Redblacks safety Alonzo Addae said. “They’re going to put the ball in their quarterback’s hands and let him do what he does best. He’s got a lot of snaps under his belt and he knows where to go with the ball and he’s accurate. We’ve got to make sure we do all of our jobs.”

Like the Bombers last week, the Elks have a 4-0 record, but their last three losses have been by field goal and their first by eight points.

The combined record of Edmonton’s four opponents is 16-4 so far, and the Elks are well rested after a break from play.

Redblacks head coach Bob Dyce says it’s important for his team to stay in the moment.

“You can’t focus on winning, you have to focus on doing the things right that put you in a winning situation,” he said, meaning taking care of the ball, starting fast and playing aggressively. “What we do will determine our future. We want to define or dictate our future. We do that by making sure we’re on top of everything and we’re focused for six seconds on every single play.”

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“They’re a talented team,” Dyce added, “from a veteran Grey Cup-winning quarterback to a great coaching staff with Coach (Chris) Jones to a physical defense. We’re not focused on their record because that record is in the past. It’s a team that’s going to be on the field that we’re playing. We’re not playing the team that lost. We’re playing the team that wants to win. They’re going to come out determined to win. I know they don’t like the idea of ​​being 0-4. They want to give it everything they’ve got in front of their home fans. It’s our job to stop that from happening.”

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