The battered feet that hold the line
Written by on November 27th, 2010 in Latest News.
Saskatchewan’s Gene Makowsky (left) is an ancient soldier on the Riders’ offensive line. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)
If you ever meet an offensive lineman, question him to take his shoes and socks off to show you his toes.
Yes, that takes some bravery, but what you’ll likely see is a sad collection of digits, many purple or black, some without nails.
That’s what happens when you get your foot stepped on at least a half dozen times a game by guys who weighs upwards of 300 pounds.
“Oh sure, you get the bruised feet, and the black toenails that eventually fall off,” says Saskatchewan’s ancient man of the line, Gene Makowsky, as though he’s discussing a paper cut.
“That’s just part of it. And it’s a lot worse when it’s cold out. These days are tough.”
It is indeed cold in Edmonton, where the 98th Grey Cup goes late on Sunday afternoon in temperatures expected as low as –12 Celsius by the end of the game.
Makowsky, 37, is a left guard and 14-year veteran who has literally played every position across the line, so he knows where the real danger spot for getting your toes squished is.
That would just to his right, where centre Jeremy O’Day lives.
Centres, who line up with their legs widely spaced, have the fun of being stepped on by players on both teams. All the time.
O’Day was saying on Friday that by this point in the season, it’s not simple even getting up and walking the day after a game.
Josh Bourke knows that feeling.
The Montreal Alouettes tackle (in the relative world of the tough offensive lineman that’s where the wimps live, compared to the inside guys — don’t say that to Bourke) doesn’t have to place up with getting trod on as much.
“I play tackle, so I’m a bit removed from the centre, I don’t have that problem too much,” he said on Saturday at walk-through. “Maybe once of twice a game I’ll get stepped on — usually it’s the guy beside me.”
Imagine that — only once or twice a game you have a 300-pounder stomp on your digits.
That brings us to a conversation about seven studs, and their recent banishment from both offensive and defensive lines of CFL teams.
Before you get carried away with the comeback lines, a seven stud is a football shoe with seven long, hard studs that can be screwed into the sole. They are for playing on grass, and since the CFL no longer has grass fields, they aren’t needed.
“We don’t allow the guys to wear seven studs now,” says Bourke. “You get stepped on by one of the guys next to you [wearing those], and that’s a lot of force behind it.
“It can break a toe, you can lose a toe nail.”
Terrible backs, terrible knees, terrible hips, terrible ankles, broken fingers, broken hands — linemen say it’s just part of the game.
A recently retired example, now working in Edmonton on the TV side, says by this time of year most are at about 60 to 70 per cent — maximum.
“No offensive lineman or defensive lineman is 100 per cent,” Makowsky says.
“It’s a battle of attrition. It’s a very long season of pounding on the body. Just part of the game and we know that coming in.”
As Bourke reveals, he’s ready for a vacation — after 60 more minutes and a championship, of course.
