Each team has been practicing strong, working towards Saturday’s game, in an effort to come out on top in the East West Bowl. A few of the players have shown a little pressure under the coaching, and as a result have sustained a few minor injuries. That is to say, it hasn’t been an uncommon experience to see players hobbling around the field, bags of ice on arms or legs, or even meters of tape wrapped around rolled ankles. One such player for the West team was Steven Lumbala.
Showcased as a 1st Team All-Canadian in 2011, and current Calgary Running Back, Lumbala spared a few moments to talk about how his week had been going. When asked about his ankle that had been stepped on, he was adamant that it would not affect his performance for the coming game, and was emphatic about going a little easier on it to help its recovery. As for how his week has been so far, and how he was feeling about the coming game, he had the following to say; “The week was pretty good, and we’ve had a great week of camp. Its cool to have all of these coaches from all over the country teach us. More than anything, it’s a great learning experience and a good football experience.” When asked about how he felt to be compared against other players from across the country in similar field positions he said, “It’s always good to be in a position where you have to compete, because it makes you better. It makes players better, and you get a better product at the end of the day.”
It seems that this sentiment was in his mind on Tuesday when he performed at the Under Armor Combine against fellow players in an effort to showcase his talents. Although Lumbala didn’t place within the top ten in any of the events, he was ecstatic about this being his first official combine. “It’s nice to get it done before summer so that you know what you need to work on to get better for next year” he said. “I have four full months of training and I’ll be focusing on that. Then I have the fall where I’ll play a good season, and then in the winter I can just prepare for [more] testing”. In light of everything going on, and the testing he’s facing, Lumbala has a positive outlook for the weekend, and one that’s sure to guarantee some exciting football on the field.
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