Re: Whizzanator 'not faring much better' in CFL. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Troubled RB Smith not faring much better in CFLBy Len PasquarelliESPN.comIf he is going to use his time in the CFL to eventually get back onto an NFL roster, it appears that former Minnesota Vikings tailback Onterrio Smith had better get back onto the field.And soon."I can't put him on the team if I haven't seen him perform," Winnipeg Blue Bombers coach Doug Berry told the Winnipeg Free Press. "I mean, we're going to have to see him do it, because we've got other guys that I've seen do it, and that are doing it very well."Smith, 25, has been sidelined by a foot injury and has missed virtually all of training camp, which began last week. It is unlikely, unless he makes substantial progress early in the week, that Smith, who is serving a one-year suspension from the NFL, will play in Friday's preseason opener against Montreal.The former University of Oregon star has said that his goal is to play again in the NFL and that signing with the Blue Bombers two weeks ago represented a means to that end. But he has been hampered by the foot injury since his arrival at camp and, while Smith has made some progress in his recovery, the injury is only about 75 percent to 80 percent rehabilitated, he estimated."Sure, it's frustrating," Smith said. "I want to play football. It's just tough to play when you're hurt."Smith is listed fourth on the Blue Bombers' depth chart, and the players in front of him include Charles Roberts, who led the CFL in rushing in 2005 with 1,624 yards. In his absence, young tailbacks such as Tellis Redmon and Henri Childs have moved ahead of Smith, who signed a one-year contract that is believed to have a base salary of about $70,000.While his arrival in the CFL wasn't greeted with the kind of attention the Toronto Argonauts will garner for the contract agreement they reached Sunday with suspended Miami Dolphins tailback Ricky Williams, the addition of Smith was supposed to be a significant move for the Winnipeg franchise. And it was supposed to be meaningful for Smith, as well, because it might mean a second chance at an NFL career. It appears, though, that Winnipeg officials' patience is wearing thin."It's not that Onterrio Smith can't do it, [because]he probably can," Berry said. "But I haven't seen it [yet]. Nobody's seen it here. We've heard about it, but we haven't seen it."A fourth-round choice by the Vikings in the 2003 draft, after a troubled college career, Smith rushed for 1,123 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons, and also registered 51 receptions. But he was suspended for four games in 2004 for a repeat violation of the league substance abuse policy, and then was suspended last June for an entire season for yet another violation.The one-year suspension was originally set to end June 7, but was extended, and now the earliest Smith can apply for reinstatement to the NFL is October. It is believed that Smith remained in the NFL drug program. That means, while the CFL does not test its players for drugs, the NFL can continue to regularly test Smith even while he plays north of the border.Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.</div>
Re: Whizzanator 'not faring much better' in CFL. <span style="color:#993399">And now Chubzilla can add the CFL to his list of "previous employers." </span><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Former Viking Smith cut by CFL team By Len PasquarelliESPN.comFormer Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith, who had hoped to resurrect his flagging career in the CFL while completing a one-year suspension for repeat violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy, was released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night.Smith's release came just five days after Winnipeg general manager Brandan Taman had all but guaranteed him a roster spot. CFL teams had to reduce their rosters to the regular-season limit of 42 by Saturday. The former Vikings starter was one of 21 players the Blue Bombers set free."Toronto's suspended NFL guy [Ricky Williams]gets all the accolades, but our suspended NFL guy, despite all the baggage and the [injured] foot, is pretty darned good, too," Taman said.Apparently, he wasn't good enough.Being released by the Blue Bombers is a stunning setback for Smith, who is eligible for reinstatement to the NFL in early October, provided he meets all of the league's stipulations. It is believed Smith remained in the NFL drug program, even after signing with Winnipeg, so that he would have a chance at some point to play in the league again.Williams has stayed in the program, which means he is subject to 10 random drug tests per month.Smith, 25, did not distinguish himself while with Winnipeg. He reported to training camp with a foot injury and missed the first week of practice and the first of the Blue Bombers' two preseason games. He returned to practice last week and played in Thursday night's preseason game, but his performance -- two carries for seven yards and a fumble -- was disappointing.The Vikings' fourth-round choice in the 2003 draft following college stints at Tennessee and Oregon, which included some off-field problems and his dismissal from the Vols' squad, Smith ran for 1,123 yards and seven touchdowns on 231 carries in 2003-2004. He also had 51 receptions for 523 yards and two touchdowns.But in 2004, Smith was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the substance abuse policy. In summer 2005, he was stopped at the Minneapolis airport and a search of his baggage revealed "The Original Whizzinator," a device designed to beat drug tests. Less than a month later, the NFL suspended Smith for a year for another violation of the substance abuse policy.Smith was released by the Vikings nearly two months ago and signed with Winnipeg last month.</div>
