Jesse Lumsden: Pure Class

How about a little more pop for Jesse Lumsden? Sick of hearing about him here at THN? Too bad. It seems that down here he has become ‘my boy’ to many people on the sidelines and I have even been accused of having a man-crush on him. So what? Big deal… say what you want… I think I opened a lot of people’s eyes this week at Redskin Park and personally… I think the kid has earned every bit of it. Obviously Jesse’s performance is the REAL reason people are taking notice. I don’t see any harm in doing what I can to accentuate the positive things that he has done. I think he is one of the brightest, most polite players I have ever had the pleasure of talking to. He’s a credit to Canadian athletes and I’m sure his parents must be very proud of raising such an even-keeled, balanced young man. Jesse and I had a couple of casual conversations, as well as the more formal interviews that we did. He even thanked me yesterday for giving him the little bit of extra ‘pub’ that I have been able to afford him. We joked a little yesterday about the fact that his former coch Greg Marshall (both with the TigerCats in the CFL and at McMaster University ) has just been asked to take over the reigns as coach of my hometown university and alma mater, the Western Mustangs . I actually felt at some points that I was just talking to a buddy of mine who happened to be trying out for the Washington Redskins. It’s been simply awesome to go from being the ONLY one at Redskin Park who knew who he was, to just one of many talking about how great he has played at camp. It’s great to hear the young fans screaming at him for autographs and to see reporters starting to line up to talk to him. I can honestly say that regardless of what happens with the Redskins, I will follow Jesse’s career intently. If he does make this team, I hope that I can do some more things with him throughout the season because he is quite simply one of the nicest guys I’ve met in a football uniform… and trust me, it just isn’t always the case in these days of multi-million dollar contracts. He’s so humble, so polite, and so well-spoken that it truly is refreshing for me as the ‘interviewer’. It’s very endearing, and I personally think that it will have as much to do with him making it in the NFL as his raw talent and ability will. If you have aspirations to play football at an elite level… take your queues from a guy like Jesse who hasn’t sacrificed any integrity for the sake of ‘fitting in’. I just hope that the coaching staff can find a spot for him because to be honest, I’m sure they are as impressed with the way the young man conducts himself as I have been. I mention all of this because I think it’s the kind of thing that you aren’t likely to read in the press or find a ‘headline’ on. Football is just a game… being a good person is far more important. Stay real Jesse… and best of luck the rest of this…