For Courtney Taylor, quitting football was never an option.
Not even when he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a debilitating disease of the central nervous system with symptoms that affect hearing, vision, balance and mobility, according to the MS Society of Canada. There is also no cure.
Taylor was diagnosed in 2008, and, after getting waived by the NFL?s Seattle Seahawks in 2009, didn?t play football for almost two full years. But he hasn?t given up ? and it?s a good thing he didn?t.
The B.C. Lions will likely call upon Taylor to take the place of the injured Arland Bruce Saturday night in a West Division first-place showdown against the Calgary Stampeders at BC Place Stadium.
?I?m excited, nervous all at the same time,? said Taylor after Tuesday?s practice at the Lions? Surrey facility.
?You know, with the coaches and with teammates, everybody is right behind us and saying, ?hey, we believe in you, we know you guys can get the job done.? And, you know, that?s all I can put in my head is go out and play hard.?
A product of the Auburn Tigers, Taylor, 28, was added to the Lions? practice roster on Oct. 11, 2011 ? almost a full calendar year ago. It?s because of a concussion to Bruce that he could make his debut in the B.C. lineup in arguably the biggest game of the CFL regular season.
He?s certainly paid his dues and not just in the NFL, where he began his pro career with the Seahawks back in 2007. Life may have hit harder than any opposing defender.
According to the MS Society of Canada, an estimated 55,000 to 75,000 Canadians live with the disease. There are various treatments, and, according to the U.S.?s National Multiple Sclerosis Society, exacerbations ? ?new symptoms or the worsening of old symptoms? ? are followed by a period of dormancy.
Kevin Scarbinsky, a sports columnist for the Birmingham News in Alabama, wrote in 2010 that Taylor was taking intravenous infusions of a medication called Tysabri as a form of treatment. It?s an ordeal, and the effects of the disease on an individual are the same that can directly impact Taylor as a receiver.
?It is, but at the same time, it?s life,? said Taylor. ?I?m not one of the guys that gets down, like ? why?s this happening to me? I just look at it as a stepping stone. It?s another stepping stone, another obstacle that I had to go through in my life, and football taught me that.?
Taylor took part in first-team reps at Tuesday?s practice, as did Nick Moore, who could also replace Geroy Simon against the Stampeders. Simon left Saturday?s game in Regina with a hamstring injury, and both he and Bruce are listed as ?doubtful? by head coach Mike Benevides.
Both Moore and Taylor stayed out on the field after most players left to work more with quarterbacks Travis Lulay and Mike Reilly.
?What I?ve seen in (Taylor) is a guy with tremendous enthusiasm, he?s got tremendous speed, he?s got great body control and he?s got size,? said Benevides.
?Someone asked me why that position. Well, his skill set and his playmaking ability is very similar to Arland?s and the position he plays. So what I see is a guy with tremendous amount of ability that is going to have an opportunity.
?He knows this, as I told him earlier today: ?Go play the game that you?ve played your entire life and that you love and let the game come to you.? ?
The Lions come into Saturday?s home game with Calgary just two points up on the Stampeders for first place in the West Division. The Lions are 3-3 against teams in their division, while the Stampeders are 5-2.
Naturally, for Taylor, there may be a few nerves as the week of work continues and game-day draws closer.
?You just encourage him to do what he?s done that?s made him successful over his career,? said Lulay.
?He doesn?t have to be more than he is. He doesn?t have to play above and beyond. He just needs to play like he?s capable of playing and just to relax. I know early in that football game, he?ll be juiced.?
GRID BITS: The Lions could get help on the injury front, as kick returner Tim Brown took part in a few drills Tuesday. Defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell, who didn?t play in Regina because of a thigh injury, made a brief appearance on the practice field but didn?t take part in any drills. Clad in workout shorts and a sleeveless shirt, Mitchell walked out of Surrey's practice facility and on to the field to mingle with a small group fans and GM Wally Buono. Benevides said Mitchell worked out on the elliptical machine and ?he?s going to try and give it a go tomorrow.?
ctucker@vancouversun.com
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