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  • MONTREAL -- Its Victor Andersons time with the Montreal Alouettes. The rookie running back is expected to be the starter Sunday when Montreal hosts the Toronto Argonauts in a crucial East Division showdown. Andersons promotion to the starting lineup comes after incumbent Brandon Whitaker learned Tuesday hes out for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Whitaker, 27, will require surgery after being injured in Montreals 28-17 home win over Saskatchewan on Sunday. Whitaker is fourth in CFL rushing with 631 yards and four touchdowns while adding 516 receiving yards with five TDs. He led the league in rushing last year with 1,381 yards and four touchdowns and also had 638 receiving yards and six TDs. The five-foot-nine, 188-pound Anderson admits he has big shoes to fill. "Brandon is the best running back in the league in my opinion," Anderson told reporters. "You have to stay on your best game in practice because hes always going hard so that continues to push all the younger backs. "We just have to continue to push and play strong for Brandon . . . weve got to do this for him." Anderson, who played collegiately at Louisville, has seen spot duty in his first CFL campaign, rushing 130 yards on 30 carries (4.3-yard average) and two TDs while also registering seven catches for 64 yards and a touchdown. Whitaker spent his first two CFL seasons backing up veteran Avon Cobourne before becoming Montreals starter after Cobourne left to sign as a free agent with Hamilton in 2011. The former Baylor Bear fit into the offence immediately by leading the league in rushing his first season as the starter. "Its frustrating but its football, its one of those things that happens," Whitaker said. "God has a plan for all of us and I dont quite know what it is right now but its his plan and I just have to follow it." Whitaker has often credited Cobourne for helping mentor him when Whitaker was a rookie adjusting to a new game in a different country. While speaking of Cobourne, Whitaker has called him a "big brother." This year, Whitaker assumed the role of mentor with Anderson and believes Montreals high octane offence -- spearheaded by CFL passing leader Anthony Calvillo -- will be just fine with the rookie in the backfield. "Im always trying to help the next guy because Ive been in that position before," Whitaker said. "Victor is a great running back and hes going to do very well. "I dont feel like were going to skip a beat back there. With more reps and more experience hes going to get better and better. Hes always prepared like a starter every week. You never know in this game and thats something I learned in the past being behind one of the great running backs in this league (Cobourne)." Alouettes general manager Jim Popp said while its not known just how long Whitaker will be out, he believes Whitakers long-term prognosis looks good. "With todays technology and the doctors, hell have every bit of a chance to recover 100 per cent and be right back with us next year," Popp said. "I know hes disappointed but its part of the game and we cant control it and just have to deal with it and move on. "Victor is a solid, quality person let alone a great football player. Hes able to do a lot of different things in our offence and help us in other areas like special teams. Hell be the guy now and well give him every opportunity along with anybody else we bring in." The loss of Whitaker comes at a bad time for Montreal (7-4), which leads second-place Toronto (6-5) by just two points in the East standings heading into this weeks crucial matchup. But Argos head coach Scott Milanovich, who spent the five previous seasons as an assistant with Montreal -- the last four as the clubs offensive co-ordinator -- wasnt taking any satisfaction knowing his defence wont have to contend with the versatile Whitaker. "That kid has worked so hard to get his job and how well he has played and hes a great young man," Milanovich said. "I dont see him interviewed very much, he doesnt seem to get a lot of media publicity but that one hurts me. "I had a special relationship with him and I feel badly for him." Veteran Argos cornerback Jordan Younger echoed his coachs sentiments. "I feel bad for him because hes a competitive guy and I have a tremendous respect for the way he plays and how well-rounded he is," he said. "Unfortunately, injuries are a part of football and now they have to have their backup step up." wholesale nfl jerseys. He was 54. Preciado, who only agreed to take charge of the team on Wednesday, had a one-year deal and was set to be presented Friday at Villarreal. cheap jerseys from china.C. -- Brian Shriver scored in the 88th minute as the Carolina RailHawks scored an upset 2-1 win over Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday, knocking the MLS champions out in the third round of the U. http://www.authenticchinacheapnfljerseys.com/. Javier Hernandezs double and Ron Vlaars own goal completed the turnaround that took United four points clear of Chelsea at the top of the table. Chelsea hosts Liverpool on Sunday. "We did put pressure on ourselves today but we came through it," United manager Alex Ferguson said. cheap jerseys.C. - Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith is donating $100,000 to help the survivors of the movie-theatre shooting in Colorado pay for medical expenses. cheap nfl jerseys. Earlier this week, those very same fans were openly hostile towards Ferguson as they questioned his motives behind recent public support of the Glazer family. Its no coincidence that Fergusons support for the owners comes at a time that the club will shortly be listing on the New York Stock Exchange where approximately 10 percent of the clubs shares will be made available.Mathew Dumba confronted his fair share of setbacks this season. The Red Deer Rebels defenceman started the year slow. Then, in December, he failed to make the Canadian world junior team. And, a few months later, his Rebels failed to make the Western Hockey League post-season. Dumba proved to be his own worst enemy at points during the tumultuous campaign. "In mid-November he really started to struggle," said Rebels head coach and general manager Jesse Wallin. "We had a few players go down with injuries and Matty is one of those guys who wants to make a difference every time hes on the ice. He just tried to take everything on his own shoulders and do too much, forcing plays, rushing the puck when he didnt need to and really pressing the play as opposed to letting it come to him." The hard-hitting teenager from Calgary was eventually able to get back on track thanks to his teams sports psychologist, Derek Robinson. MASTERING THE MENTAL GAME "He helped me a lot," said Dumba, who is expected to be a first-round pick at the NHL draft on Friday. "Im an intense guy. I like to please everyone. He wanted me to relax and focus on school, my family and let other stuff come and go. He told me to enjoy it, lay back and watch TV and hang out with the boys and just enjoy this whole experience Im going through as a 17-year-old." Players on the Rebels dont have to talk to Robinson, but Dumba recognized how important it was to have a clear mind on the ice. "I chose to do it to help with my game mentally. Its a huge part of the game. Its probably 50% physical and 50% mental. You have to be able to channel both and have them work together. Thats what the great players do." "The mental side of the game is so important in this day and age with the parity among players," said Wallin. "Everybody trains, everybody has developmental opportunities through the summer and through NHL teams and everything else. The mental side of the game is such a huge component and yet it may be the most under-utilized." VOICE CRACKING Dumba was emotional in the moments after he was cut by Team Canada in December. Voice cracking he insisted he expected to make the team despite being among the few draft-eligible players at the tryout. Dumba did earn positive reviews from the Canadian coaching staff, but there were simply too many mmore experienced players to choose from.dddddddddddd Among those who liked what they saw at the selection camp was Wallin. "I watched him play one game down there and I thought he was outstanding," said Wallin, a defenceman who twice played for Canada at the world junior event winning gold in 1997. "It was one of the best games Id seen him play in six weeks. I really think the biggest part of that was that he got out there with guys who were the top players in our country and they were all a year or two older than he was and he realized he had to keep it simple in order to survive and he did." GETTING BACK ON TRACK But Dumba initially failed to gain momentum from the strong camp showing. "When he came back to Red Deer he was wound up and wanted to prove everybody wrong and he went, kind of, right back into that trying-to-do-too-much mode," said Wallin. "We lost three defenceman for the season at the start of January and he really had to simplify his game just because of the sheer number of minutes he had to play and I think when he simplified his game it started to come back to him." Dumba helped the Rebels make a playoff run, which came up just short. "In Red Deer, if anybody watched our season, it was tough," said Dumba. "We went through a lot as a team with a ton of injuries, more than 300 man games lost. Thats not an excuse by any means its just a fact. Its tough to play like that, but its a real testament to our team how we battled out of that situation and made a playoff push." OPEN BOOK Dumba openly talks about his relationship with Robinson and how it was beneficial. And while some players are hesitant to speak candidly about using a sports psychologist its really not a big surprise that Dumba would be forthcoming. "Im a guy who likes to talk," Dumba said with a laugh during the NHL combine earlier this month. And thats another reason why he may be an attractive pick for teams at the draft in Pittsburgh. "At the top of the list would be his personality," said Wallin when asked what is most impressive about the young blueliner. "Hes a great kid, very outgoing, has a real genuine passion for the game. He brings a lot of energy to the rink and he plays with a lot of energy, a lot of passion. "Hes one of those guys you genuinely enjoy being around." ' ' '
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