from the Truro Nova Scotia paper..
Murray Siding native will be starting punter for CFL club this season
It’s fitting Justin Palardy is a pro football player now.
He certainly acts like one.
Only a couple hours after learning he would be the starting punter for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this season, the 22-year-old Murray Siding native was more focused on keeping his spot than he was on patting himself on the back.“It feels really good,? Palardy said over the phone from Tiger-Cats training camp at McMaster University. “I just have to keep it up and just keep getting better because it’s a business and they can bring in someone to challenge me and try to take my spot.?
Palardy was given confirmation Monday he would be the team’s starting punter in a meeting with Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille. The coach sat Palardy down in his office and told him the coaching staff believed in him, gave him credit for his leg strength and told him he did well in the team’s preseason tune-up’s against Toronto and Winnipeg.
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It was a bit of relief for Palardy, whose job it was to lose being the only punter in camp.
“It was really my job, I just had to come in and prove myself and I believe I did that in camp.?[/b]
Palardy was selected in the fifth round, 36th overall by the Tiger-Cats in May’s draft. He’s now the youngest player on Hamilton’s roster and comes to the team with an impressive university football resume with the Saint Mary’s Huskies. The six-foot, 210-pounder holds the Atlantic University Sport record for career points (320), field goals (116) and converts (65). He set a new single-season field goal mark of 23 in just 27 attempts in 2009 to lead the AUS in scoring with 96 points.
He is also 90 points away from matching Jesse Lumsden’s CIS scoring record of 410 and five field goals away from equalling Frank Jagas’ mark of 70.
He’s so focused on improving he admitted he hasn’t spent much time spreading the good news to family and friends, save for his mentor and CFL kicking great Terry Baker.
“No not really,? he said. “I’ve just been focusing. I still need to prove myself all season. I’m never safe so I just have to do well and stay steady and things should go well.?
“They have great film and I have a great snapper and it’s a lot easier when you have perfect snaps every time. I just have to do the little things to do better and get the ball down the field.?
Although kicking field goals was what Palardy was known more for in his university days, he says his punting has gotten much better since arriving at camp. But it hasn’t been without it’s share of bumps and Palardy is the first to admit that he wasn’t happy with his performance in Hamilton’s final preseason game against Winnipeg Sunday.
“I’m still getting adjusted and it’s a slow process but I feel like I’m learning,? he said. “It’s a rhythm thing. I’m getting used to the snapping speed and how fast the play speed is.?
The team has today off before it leaves for Hamilton to start training at Ivor Wynne Stadium for it’s season opener July 2 in Winnipeg. But before he even gets there Palardy knows it’s somewhere he wants to stay. “Definitely,? he said. “I don’t want to go anywhere but stay here and be the punter and if I continue to prove myself everything should go well.?