Bomber turned Eskimo has put forgettable years in Winnipeg behind him
By Vicki Hall,
Edmonton Journal
WINNIPEG – Kamau Peterson took a bow at centre field Thursday to salute the Winnipeg wordsmith who came up with the perfect nickname.
Someone out there in the windy city gave Peterson the handle, Kamau Incompleterson, during 18 months of football futility with the Blue Bombers.
And Peterson, an aspiring poet and novelist, figures the moniker is nothing short of genius.
Does he like it? No, of course not. Does he appreciate it? Absolutely. Especially now that he’s a member of the Edmonton Eskimos receiving corps.
Sometimes, the pain in the rearview mirror lessens with the turning of the calendar. And sometimes, the agonizing events of the past seem downright hilarious — given some perspective.
“How do things like that work out?” Peterson said Thursday upon touching down in Winnipeg. “I happen to have the name Peterson, and I was in a spell where I wasn’t catching anything. How does that end up tying in? I mean, my name could be Jenkins. Then what would they have ended up naming me?
“I appreciate the fact somebody took the time to think about it.”
The best part of Peterson’s game could be that he’s a thinker. He studies the playbook until it becomes part of him. He’s big. He’s physical. He’s naturally gifted. And he’s willing to learn from fellow receivers like Jason Tucker, in Edmonton, and Milt Stegall, in Winnipeg.
He is what they call, “a student of the game.”
The worst part of Peterson’s game could also be that he’s a thinker. When things go wrong — as they sometimes do — the Canadian pass-catcher tends to beat up on himself more than any wise-cracking fan or media type.
“I’m so hard on myself,” he said. “Anything that touches my hands I feel like I can bring in. And that gets me into trouble at times. I feel I’m athletic enough to get my hands on balls that other people don’t attempt. A lot of people don’t talk about that, but it’s true.
“But I’m not going to stop doing that. That’s why I play the game. That’s why it’s fun to me to go out and try to make the catch that nobody else will make. The catch that everybody is going to say, ‘Oh my God. Did you see that catch?’ I’m not going to stop trying to make that catch. If I stop trying to make that catch, that’s when I stop playing.”
At 28, Peterson said he has put his two unsuccessful years in Winnipeg behind him. The same goes for the 2006 campaign he spent with the toothless Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The past is done, and he feels right at home catching passes from Ricky Ray and playing in the shadow of stars like Jason Tucker and Trevor Gaylor.
With eight catches for 72 yards and a touchdown, Peterson is doing exactly as asked by his new bosses.
“Kamau doesn’t have to worry about coming out here and being the featured guy for the Eskimos,” said head coach Danny Maciocia. “All he has to worry about is being a piece to the puzzle … He’ll get his share of balls from Ricky.”
That’s all Peterson has ever wanted. And if the name Kamau Incompleterson evaporates, all the better.
“Didn’t you hear?” Peterson quipped to a couple reporters Thursday. “I can’t catch. Especially here.”
He’s making jokes about his time in Winnipeg. He laughs at the name, “Incompleterson.”
Guess it’s safe to consider him healed.
SHORT YARDAGE: Slotback Jason Tucker is expected to play tonight in spite of a nagging knee injury. “I’m fine,” he said Thursday, waving his hand before practice at Canad Inns Stadium “And how are you today?” Tucker said he’s ready for the Bombers to target him, as usual, when the two teams tangle tonight. “I’m going to get hit,” he said. “Of course I am. Football is a violent game. You hit and get hit.” Rookie receiver Fred Stamps is here in Winnipeg should Tucker not be able to play.
