Edmonton Journal


A knee injury will keep Edmonton Eskimos offensive lineman Greg Wojt out of the lineup against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday.
 
"Greg has a knee situation that will keep him out of this football game," Eskimo Head Coach Kavis Reed said after the team completed practice on Friday.
 
Reed noted that the decision to sit Wojt, 26, is a preventive measure, considering the team just kicked off its 2012 season a week ago.
 
"It's not more serious (than missing a game). We got some very good news and we expect it'll be a short-term thing," Reed said.

"(There are) 17 regular-season games left and we have to be very smart with how we handle our roster and the situation with someone very important like Greg Wojt. We have to be very smart about it.
 
"If this were a playoff game, the consideration may be different. If it were a game later in the season, it may be a different decision, but right now we're going to take the smart approach and give him the time to recover."

Eskimo wide receiver Matt Carter is likely out of Sunday's game after injuring his leg in practice on Thursday. Carter sat out of Friday's session. His replacement appears to be non-import rookie Shamawd Chambers.

Rashad Jeanty seems to be the man who will take the fall for the return of defensive end Julius Williams.

Jeanty played in Williams' absence in Edmonton's win over the Toronto Argonauts last week, but now that Williams has his legs and lungs back, a fellow import on the team's stacked defensive line will have to sit out on Sunday. Jeanty worked out on the sidelines on Friday but didn't wear any pads in practice.
 
Bonding over for guest coach Carter

Lee Carter has had a great influence on Reed, providing the format for his coaching style with the Eskimos.
 
Carter was Reed's high school coach in Georgetown, S.C. He also coached two other presentday Eskimos - Julius Williams and Dobson Collins.

Reed has had Carter as a guest coach at his training camp the last two years. He said one trait that jumps out from Carter's kids is their discipline. Reed said it was something he's talked about with Williams.

"It's one of those things where he's an ex-marine and discipline and condition was first and foremost," Reed said.

Asked about similarities between himself and Williams, Reed said he sees the benefits of Carter's style on Williams.

"One thing that I think is being lost in football is that at the grassroots level the coaches aren't as hard as they used to be," Reed said. "Discipline was stressed from coach Carter and I can see that with Julius.

"He does all of the little things, the extra things and we were taught very young that discipline and going the extra mile is going to lead to a lot of success."

A look at Collins, whose six-foot-two, 183-pound frame has an extremely low percentage of body fat, suggests that the lessons hit home.