Rambo signs new deal with Stamps
John Down,
Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
CALGARY -- Ken-Yon Rambo never had a doubt.
"I
made my decision last year," the 29-year-old receiver revealed after
signing a multi-year contract extension Tuesday with the Calgary
Stampeders. "I like this organization, the whole staff is great, I like
the receivers I'm with and you've got to assume the team will be great.
"I just didn't want to leave the team."
Rambo
appears to be hitting the peak of his pro football days. The former
2001 draft choice of the Oakland Raiders marked a career-high 62
catches for 983 yards while tying clubmate Jeremaine Copeland and
Saskatchewan's D.J. Flick for most touchdown receptions at 10.
Needless
to say, the Stamps are happy in the knowledge they'll have the
six-foot-one, 207-pounder around for a few more campaigns.
"I'm
probably more pleased today than I was in the off-season because I've
seen Ken-Yon in person," smiled head coach John Hufnagel, following a
two-hour practice at McMahon Stadium. "He's a great player, so it's a
great situation for this football team.
"He's very talented and hopefully we can use his talents to the utmost."
Rambo is rocking out of a wide-out position this year after playing as a slotback and he hasn't missed a beat.
"It's
cool. I like it," said the one of the club's free agent signings of
2005. "I can move around where they want me to go, so I like the W
position now. But I just want to go out and do my job ... when the ball
comes, make the play and, if it's a running play, make the block.
"Anything to help the team out I want to do."
Hufnagel likes what he's seen of the Californian on the wide side of the offence.
"He was very keen on the change," said the coach. "He's embraced it and doing very well with it."
Clearly
more comfortable with the club and the league after three seasons,
Rambo has added more punch every season and figures the best is yet to
come.
"It was learning to play receiver in the Canadian league
and, last year, I think I got it down," he said. "This year I'll be
learning even more but this year feels more comfortable, more confident.
"I've played all the positions, but W is real good for me."
Terms
of the new deal were not announced, but media managed to squeeze a
little information out of the Ohio State graduate regarding a signing
bonus.
"I know the quarterbacks got a lot better bonus," he said,
"but I think I can take them to lunch, stuff like that. But those big
dinners, they have to take care of those."
While Rambo's job is
safe, others remain on the line when the Stampeders finish off their
two-game, pre-season schedule Thursday night in Vancouver against the
B.C. Lions.
"There's still a lot of jobs to be won and the
competition is there," admitted Hufnagel. "I've told the guys not to
give up on themselves ... that there's still one more game to prove
they deserve to be here.
"Sure, there's a few things that are probably settled in my mind, but there's still a few ones unsettled."
http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/story.html?id=594543