don't know if this was posted ,but being a packer fan ,I thought I would.
The Montreal Alouettes have teamed up with Dr. David Suzuki’s environmental foundation for several years now, but this year’s recycling project could give new meaning to ‘going green’.
Ahman Green insists he can still play. In the NFL. But he’s longing for longer and wider green pastures in 2011 with nothing to lose. Even if some of his former teammates may suggest very little green to gain.
“I still can play. I’m not in denial. I don’t have to prove something to anybody,” said Green. “I think I can be a good back for any team in the NFL or the CFL. I still want to play and the Montreal Alouettes are giving me this chance.”
Green is on the line from his offseason home – where else for the most productive running back in Packers’ history but Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“A teammate of mine, my college recruit at Nebraska Dahrran Diedrick, showed me his championship ring. We were at a Christmas party of a mutual friend (another ex-Packer teammate) and he told me he’d ask his team if they were interested in me,” explained Green. “About a month and a half later I got a call from Marcel Desjardins (the Als’ Assistant GM) and one month later I had a contract.”
“I was actually thinking of coming to Canada a year ago, but I tried the UFL in my hometown. It went alright.”
“Now I gotta get used to the backfield in motion. That’s gonna be fun for me. It’s brand new, but a lot of the routes are the same too. If I go into coaching I can look back at this and say I learned something.”
Diedrick recalls flashing his ’09 bling and interesting Green in his CFL fling. The special teams warrior heading into his sixth season in Montreal will also confess to having a chore he needs Green to take care of.
“We have an impressive ring, you know. That’s how the conversation got started,” explained Diedrick.
“He was my host when I went to Nebraska in 1997, I was 17. He’s one of the reasons I chose Nebraska. He showed me a good time and had a great game. He left that year, then we were both Packers.”
“Ahman is a great guy,” added Diedrick. “He’s one of the hardest working guys. He was a Pro Bowler who trained and worked as hard a rookie who thought he’d be losing his job.”
They became workout partners for a time.
“He used to be big into the spinning,” said Diedrick. “I wasn’t into that so much.”
At a recent CFL mini-camp, Diedrick could help Green with translation, not French to English, but NFL instinct to CFL playbook and the voluminous Trestman playbook.
“It’s something I’m used to,” says Green. “I’ve played for Coach (Mike) Holmgren, Mike Sherman, Mike McCarthy, Gary Kubiak and they’re all speaking the same language. I just have to associate different words with different plays that are re-worded to hide it all from other teams and other players.”
“It doesn’t strike me as crazy at all that he’s coming north,” insists Diedrick. “I know he’s gonna come put his best into it, put his all into it.”
“He definitely doesn’t need the money,” adds Diedrick. “He just wants to play. I’m sure he’s gonna be thankful. Great coach, great team. Great opportunity.”
“I just hope he’s gonna be even more impressed by the next ring. I can’t wait to get it.”
The Als will receive their new rings June 3 before heading to training camp, sequestered on campus at Bishop’s University, far from any Montreal distractions.
“We’ve been winning and hopefully he’ll just be part of a great team,” concludes Diedrick. “Losing Avon (Cobourne) was a great blow for us.”
And whether Ahman Green makes it in the CFL or not, Diedrick won’t be shy about completing a pass of his own to the former All-Pro.
“I want him to sign a rookie card of mine from Upper Deck. It’s a great shot of Ahman and me. I got tons of stuff signed by AC – pictures, balls, team photos. When you win championships, you want the memories.”
CFL.ca - Official Site of the Canadian Football League
Related Links
The Montreal Alouettes have teamed up with Dr. David Suzuki’s environmental foundation for several years now, but this year’s recycling project could give new meaning to ‘going green’.
Ahman Green insists he can still play. In the NFL. But he’s longing for longer and wider green pastures in 2011 with nothing to lose. Even if some of his former teammates may suggest very little green to gain.
“I still can play. I’m not in denial. I don’t have to prove something to anybody,” said Green. “I think I can be a good back for any team in the NFL or the CFL. I still want to play and the Montreal Alouettes are giving me this chance.”
Green is on the line from his offseason home – where else for the most productive running back in Packers’ history but Green Bay, Wisconsin.
“A teammate of mine, my college recruit at Nebraska Dahrran Diedrick, showed me his championship ring. We were at a Christmas party of a mutual friend (another ex-Packer teammate) and he told me he’d ask his team if they were interested in me,” explained Green. “About a month and a half later I got a call from Marcel Desjardins (the Als’ Assistant GM) and one month later I had a contract.”
“I was actually thinking of coming to Canada a year ago, but I tried the UFL in my hometown. It went alright.”
“Now I gotta get used to the backfield in motion. That’s gonna be fun for me. It’s brand new, but a lot of the routes are the same too. If I go into coaching I can look back at this and say I learned something.”
Diedrick recalls flashing his ’09 bling and interesting Green in his CFL fling. The special teams warrior heading into his sixth season in Montreal will also confess to having a chore he needs Green to take care of.
“We have an impressive ring, you know. That’s how the conversation got started,” explained Diedrick.
“He was my host when I went to Nebraska in 1997, I was 17. He’s one of the reasons I chose Nebraska. He showed me a good time and had a great game. He left that year, then we were both Packers.”
“Ahman is a great guy,” added Diedrick. “He’s one of the hardest working guys. He was a Pro Bowler who trained and worked as hard a rookie who thought he’d be losing his job.”
They became workout partners for a time.
“He used to be big into the spinning,” said Diedrick. “I wasn’t into that so much.”
At a recent CFL mini-camp, Diedrick could help Green with translation, not French to English, but NFL instinct to CFL playbook and the voluminous Trestman playbook.
“It’s something I’m used to,” says Green. “I’ve played for Coach (Mike) Holmgren, Mike Sherman, Mike McCarthy, Gary Kubiak and they’re all speaking the same language. I just have to associate different words with different plays that are re-worded to hide it all from other teams and other players.”
“It doesn’t strike me as crazy at all that he’s coming north,” insists Diedrick. “I know he’s gonna come put his best into it, put his all into it.”
“He definitely doesn’t need the money,” adds Diedrick. “He just wants to play. I’m sure he’s gonna be thankful. Great coach, great team. Great opportunity.”
“I just hope he’s gonna be even more impressed by the next ring. I can’t wait to get it.”
The Als will receive their new rings June 3 before heading to training camp, sequestered on campus at Bishop’s University, far from any Montreal distractions.
“We’ve been winning and hopefully he’ll just be part of a great team,” concludes Diedrick. “Losing Avon (Cobourne) was a great blow for us.”
And whether Ahman Green makes it in the CFL or not, Diedrick won’t be shy about completing a pass of his own to the former All-Pro.
“I want him to sign a rookie card of mine from Upper Deck. It’s a great shot of Ahman and me. I got tons of stuff signed by AC – pictures, balls, team photos. When you win championships, you want the memories.”
CFL.ca - Official Site of the Canadian Football League
Related Links
