TORONTO - This isnt a typical off-season for Cory Greenwood. Mario Mandzukic Jersey .The six-foot-two, 237-pound linebackers preparation for the 2015 season is well underway but for the first time its with the intention of being a CFL starter.The Toronto Argonauts drafted Greenwood third overall in 2010 out of Concordia. But the 29-year-old Kingston, Ont., native joined the NFLs Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent, playing three seasons there and spending the 13 campaign on injured reserve with the Detroit Lions before being released Aug. 8, 2014.Greenwood finally joined the Argos on Oct. 28, playing in their final two regular-season games. Hell get the chance in training camp to become a full-time starter after Toronto sent starting Canadian middle linebacker Shea Emry to Saskatchewan for defensive end Ricky Foley on Saturday.Every off-season is kind of like, Get back to the grind, switch your mindset, get out of vacation mode, its time to get back to work, Greenwood said in a telephone interview. But I think this off-season is a little different with what happened on the weekend.I went into the off-season with the mindset its going to be an open competition at linebacker . . . but I feel like a door has been opened for me. Ive really been waiting for this opportunity since I started playing professional football. Im really excited about it.Greenwoods time in Kansas City was spent mostly on special teams but Canadian university footballs top defensive player in 09 logged plenty of reps at linebacker on the Chiefs scout team that he says served him well.I dont know if I got a fair shot in the States because its hard to get playing time when youre backing up Derrick Johnson, hes a Pro Bowl player, Greenwood said. But I learned a lot there as far as technique and I was always playing against our first-line offence using those techniques to shed blocks and make plays.You cant be a pushover in practice because theyll get you out of there pretty quick if you dont want to compete. Youre playing special teams but youre just an injury away from having to play. Theyre still coaching you and bringing you up to speed on everything.Greenwood missed the entire 2013 campaign with Detroit recovering from shoulder surgery. Being able to practise and play in Toronto defensive co-ordinator Tim Burkes defence for two weeks following such an extended layoff was crucial — physically and psychologically —for Greenwood.It was good to get in there and start throwing my body around a little bit and get back to playing football, he said. After being off the whole year and watching people play, I was just itching to get back in there.As an injured guy, getting back on to the field is all you can think about in the off-season.One reason why Toronto could deal Emry, a native of Richmond, B.C., and two-time Grey Cup champion, was its Canadian depth at linebacker. In addition to Greenwood, the Argos also have James Yurichuk of Brampton, Ont., and Winnipegs Thomas Miles.I know in their minds they think this is also their opportunity, Greenwood said. Its going to be a really competitive camp and thats great because its going to bring out the best in all of us.Toronto GM Jim Barker, who was the clubs head coach when it drafted Greenwood, said the former Concordia star will get the opportunity to earn a starting position.From our standpoint hes a guy whos got quiet leadership skills and his athletic ability is unquestioned, Barker said. The coaches felt last year he picked up the defence well.Hes going to make this opportunity or hes going to break it. Its in his hands.Its an opportunity Greenwood says he has long wished for and is anxious to make good on now that its here.When I went to the U.S., in my head I wanted to prove I was more than just a special-teams player, he said. Even when I was down there, I was thinking I know my time here isnt going to last forever. I mean, the (NFL) stands for Not For Long so I was always prepping in my head that I couldnt wait to go make a little splash in the CFL.I grew up with (Saskatchewan slotback) Rob Bagg and have always watched him as well as Cory Watson (a former Concordia teammate now a receiver with Winnipeg). Ive gone into the off-season like its my job to lose. Everything that sets you up for a good season is what you do in the off-season when people arent watching and thats my mindset. Gianluigi Buffon Jersey . 11 Ana Ivanovic and American Sloane Stephens, and former world No. Rodrigo Bentancur Jersey . I wondered how NHL coaches would feel about a playoff schedule that allowed them to open a best-of-seven series on the road, which many claim to favour, yet still gave them the precious home-ice edge for a seventh game. http://www.juventusfcpro.com/ . Reimer told TSNs Mark Masters on Tuesday that he doesnt know if he will be moved leading up to the March 5 trade deadline but added he wasnt interested in discussing it. "Who knows whats going to happen on the horizon here and right now I dont know if I want to talk about it too much.Clarity is a wonderful thing. When your mind is clear and you understand expectations it is amazing what can be accomplished on an individual basis and as it relates to football, collectively. And as the 2014 CFL season is about to start it is up to the head coach to be demanding on his expectations and desires from his players. He demands not only that they be the best they can be but also dictates what is expected from them as personalities and players, never forgetting that as a head coach he is their boss and is always evaluating one thing every day...them. What are those demands? Well, some are obvious and logical but until articulated perhaps not put as a priority. But given my top 10 list of demands that if you have them, you are going to win no matter the absence of excessive talent, if you dont...I doubt it. 1. Realize the opportunityTime moves on at a disturbing rate, and before you know it you have become a veteran player and youth is no longer on your side. Realize that pro football is not a career, it is an experience and given that fact you must win now. Not because that is what you are paid to do, but more because pro football careers are shorter than any other in team sports. In many ways there is no tomorrow, just today. So as the season beings you must have a "win now" mentality because there is no tomorrow, only today and only this year. 2. Be dedicatedThe CFL regular season goes from the last week of June to November 30 this year. There is no reason that you can take that time frame and put football as a complete priority. Do not be the last to show and the first to go, quite the opposite, be the first to show, last to go and use the time to know you have improved. There is nothing more aggravating on a football team than apathy. If youre the last to show and first to go, it expresses apathy in loud clear volume. 3. Make football a study, not a jobI loved university life when at school at University of Arizona. Because everything was interesting, including football. And one of the reasons I excelled was that I looked at the meeting the same way as I looked at school, I studied. There is a magnificent mental element to football when you study the game. Watching video of yourself and opponent, perfecting plays and knowing not only your position but everyones position. Knowing philosophy of the game, history, mechanics, techniques and adjustments. Look at football as if you just enrolled at the University of Football and you must graduate. Make it a study and by doing so you make it interesting. 4. Work with people, not because of themIn any locker room you have a lot of people from a lot of different backgrounds that do not always have the same values. To think you will get along well with everybody is ridiculous. There will be personality conflicts and problems. But that does not mean it has to be a detriment. Quite the opposite, it can be an asset if youre the one that makes the effort to get along. It does not mean you change, it means you accept that not everyone is like you and there is nothing wrong with it. Great teams are great teams because they make an effort for the cause. You dont have to like the guy or even respect him. But you have to understand his success is your success so concentrate on success and not the person and his personality. Make the effort. 5. Stay off the streetsThere is a saying, "nothing good ever happens after midnight". Very true. It is one of those subjects that is awkward to talk about but so critical to success. No one has the right to tell you what to do with your free time but the consequences of being at the wrong place at the wrong time can be devastating. Fans of football and athletes in general do not respect seeing their stars, players out in a club at 2am intoxicated. It is a respect crusher and a conversation that never ends at the other persons place of employment. In many CFL cities players are recognized everywhere. Being 67" and on national TV I know what it is like and must stay aware at all times. Many in the public want to see you fail and the first and best place to do it is late in the club trying to impress. I have known a few, but very few, that can run the streets and run a successful career. Not just in football, but in any worthwhile occupation. 6. Keep your moneyThere may be nothing in sports more difficult to understand than the high number that dont have anything to show for it whenn it is all over. Miralem Pjanic Jersey. And when I say anything to show for it I mean cash. You want football players to play football because they love football. Its motivating. But to think some play because of the fame and money is true. And nothing is wrong with that, if that is how you are wired then that is the way you are. Still if you love the game and what the game can get you so be it. It sounds so cliché but if you have 80 per cent of what you earned when the season is over than in an abstract way it was a winning season. If when 2014 is over you lost 80 per cent of what you earned it was a losing season. Keep your money...it makes you feel good and if you feel good you will play good. 7. Stand up for your teammatesThere is a lot of intimidation that goes on that goes unnoticed and is very subtle. There is nothing better than when you are in your personal battle that is about to get out of hand when instead of a one-on-one it becomes a three-on-one with your advantage being the three. The best teams are the teams that know everyone will defend everyone. The worst are teams where its you and only you defending you. Football like all team sports has a "gang mentality" of creating confidence. You see it in hockey perfectly when a role player defends the different role player. Football teams have to have that too or they dont become teams, they become individuals on teams. Working with each other is important but defending each other makes ann even bigger difference. 8. Take video critique as serious as the gameThe day after every game players receive their grades and watch every play, and I mean every play. If youre winning and playing well it can be an enjoyable experience. But if you are losing and not playing well it can be agony. Film analysis, video analysis leaves clues. Clues of what is right, wrong and everything in between. The keys are the preparation for the game, the performance of the game, but the most important aspect is the evaluation of the game. So significant as the honest evaluation improves the next weeks preparation which improves the performance which leads back to the evaluation again. It is this game after game cycle that when mastered, guarantees improvement. It begins with evaluation of performance. If you take it as serious as the game you will excel at an exceptional rate. It is inevitable and logical - iff you dont you flat line or regress. It is that simple. 9. Take the game and make the game personalI will be the first one to say football is just a game. There are so many other things in life that are so much more important it is staggering. Still, if you blow it up in your mind and trick or convince yourself that nothing is more important, you again are guaranteed enhanced success. Take your individual play personally, take winning and losing personally. When you do you tap into hidden resources that maybe you did not realize you even had. Pride is motivating. Being respected is exhilarating. The more you play with pride, the more you demand respect and the better you are. Taking the game personal means you care and is the exact opposite of apathy. Your grade after the game should be extremely important to you. Winning should be incredibly important to you. Blow it up in your mind. Benefits will follow quickly. 10. Earn your paychequeSome people think that it is their right to have a job. Other feel they need to earn the job and make it right. Either way we all want to get paid. A great feeling is the feeling that you earned your paycheque. Earned money feels good and satisfying. Often players forget that they are being paid to be at their best both on and off the field. Because the cheques can come frequent and fast you as a player forget you are a paid professional. It is an unusual statement and it is almost subconscious but this is a job now. Youre a pro and you must perform. College is over and anytime money is involved everything changes. Being a pro is being aware you now paid to play and although it is called a game it is no long the same game you used to play. Stay aware, earn your paycheque or someone will be very happy to earn it for you. From June to November, some will rise and some will fall. But given the memories and moments with money and a bit of fame, it is all worth it. And to stay focused on the goal of becoming a Grey Cup champion, a little sacrifice for the next six months is not much to ask for. Cheap Predators Jerseys Cheap Jets Jerseys Cheap Ducks Jerseys Cheap Coyotes Jerseys Cheap Sharks Jerseys Cheap Canucks Jerseys Cheap Bruins Jerseys Cheap Sabres Jerseys Cheap Panthers Jerseys Cheap Canadiens Jerseys Cheap Senators Jerseys Cheap Hicanes Jerseys Cheap urricanes Jerseys Cheap Blue Jackets Jerseys Cheap Islanders Jerseys Cheap Rangers Jerseys Cheap Flyers Jerseys ' ' '