JOSEPH TO START VS EDMONTON, CFL ROUND-UP

Following Tuesday’s closed Saskatchewan Roughriders practice at Mosaic Stadium, head coach Corey Chamblin announced Kerry Joseph will be the team’s starting quarterback Saturday against the Edmonton Eskimos.  It will be Joseph’s third consecutive start.

Chamblin said Darian Durant took no reps with the first team offense on Tuesday and revealed if Durant plays at all on Saturday, it will be in the second half.

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CALGARY – Researchers with the Canadian Sports Concussion Project will be studying the brain of a former Calgary Stampeders football player who died last week.

A friend and former teammate of John Forzani says the two of them discussed the matter four years ago.

Basil Bark says Forzani decided at the time that donating his brain to science would be worthwhile.

Bark said Forzani, who was also part-owner of the CFL team, suffered several concussions during his playing years.

“I remember one game John got hit hard and his helmet broke. We didn’t have another one so he continued to play with it. He was glassy-eyed after the game and who knows what the effects were? I knew John for 47 years and everything seemed fine. But his brain should be examined.”

The project led by Dr. Charles Tator at Toronto Western Hospital is believed to be the world’s first study of the long-term effects of concussions on professional football players.

Forzani was an offensive lineman with the Stampeders for six seasons in the 1970s.

He died on Friday at age 67 after suffering a heart attack in California.

Tator said it’s a very generous gift by the family, as Forzani’s stature both on and off the field will help raise the profile for this kind of research.

“Somebody like John Forzani, who was a great player and then he was a great business person and community person, it’s even more important to get that whole spectrum,” he said, adding the position Forzani played is also significant.

“That makes this donation even more important because there is a suspicion that linemen take even more hits to the head and it is the mechanism of repetitive hits to the head that we are very worried about,” Tator said.

Leo Ezerins, executive director of the CFL Alumni Association, said Forzani’s wife, Linda, should be given credit for her courage and strength.

“I spoke with Linda and she was very pleased that John could continue to leave a legacy even in passing.”

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TORONTO – It looks like the Toronto Argonauts will have to make their playoff push without star quarterback Ricky Ray.

Ray is doubtful for Friday night’s must-win home game against Ottawa after suffering a concussion in Sunday’s 17-14 road loss to the Montreal Alouettes. Backup Trevor Harris took all the practice snaps Tuesday and is expected to make his first CFL start against the Redblacks.

“Ricky would be doubtful, at best,” head coach Scott Milanovich said. “I’m planning right now on Trevor playing but it’s not out of the realm of possibility (Ray) could play.

“He’d have to essentially get cleared and then come and say, ‘Listen, you’ve got to play me, I’ve got to be in there.’ There’s a lot of stuff that has to take place before that can happen.”

Toronto (7-10) remains in playoff contention but doesn’t control its destiny. The Argos must beat expansion Ottawa (2-15), then have Montreal (9-8) defeat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-9) on Saturday afternoon to secure second and host either B.C. or Saskatchewan in the East Division semifinal Nov. 16.

Hamilton would clinch second place by beating Montreal and could take first place – and home field for the East final Nov. 23 – if that victory was by eight points or more.

Ray, 35, has made all 17 regular-season starts and leads the CFL in attempts (620), completions (425), passing yards (4,595), TDs (28) and completion percentage (68.5). Toronto leads the league in passing yards (4,767), touchdowns (29) and efficiency rating (95.3).

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CALGARY – The Calgary Stampeders have had enough bad news on the injury front lately that they welcomed any good news they could get.

The return of receiver Marquay McDaniel after a six-game absence due to a broken hand provided players and coaches with a positive talking point after practice on Tuesday.

“I’m very pleased about that situation,” said Calgary coach and general manager John Hufnagel. “I know he’s excited about playing. He’s a big part of our offence when he’s on the field. He’s probably our most complete receiver.”

After a disheartening 18-13 loss at home to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday, the Stamps (14-3) are looking forward to welcoming McDaniel back to the lineup for their road game against the B.C. Lions (9-8) in Vancouver on Friday night.

Not only did the Stamps lose the game to the Bombers, they also lost running back Jon Cornish and receiver Maurice Price to concussions as well as rookie receiver/kick returner Sederrik Cunningham to a sprained ankle.

McDaniel and his fellow receivers will catch passes from both of Calgary’s quarterbacks, Drew Tate and Bo Levi Mitchell, on Friday against the Lions.

“Both Drew and Bo will play in the game,” Hufnagel said. “We’re planning on starting Drew – get him a game where he has to prepare as the starter.”

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TORONTO – Montreal wide receiver Duron Carter was named CFL offensive player of the week Tuesday after catching 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown in the Alouettes’ 17-14 win over Toronto last week.

Edmonton linebacker J.C. Sherritt earned the defensive player of the week honour. He had seven tackles, a career-high three sacks, a special-teams tackle and a forced fumble in the Eskimos’ 37-3 rout of the B.C. Lions.

The special-teams honour went to Hamilton kick returner Brandon Banks. He had 118 combined return yards and notched the first kickoff return touchdown of his career as the Tiger-Cats beat Ottawa 34-25.

Redblacks defensive lineman Justin Capicciotti was named top Canadian after registering four tackles and two sacks.