OSU Football

The Portland Tribune, Apr 13, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

Mike Riley will be inducted into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Hall of Fame in a special ceremony June 13. The Oregon State coach was an assistant coach in Winnipeg 1983-85 and was head coach 1987-90.

The Blue Bombers won Grey Cups in 1984, ’88 and ’90, and Riley was twice Canadian Football League coach of the year. The Bombers haven’t won a Grey Cup since Riley left.

“It’s a neat honor,” Riley says. “I have some great memories of my time in Winnipeg.”

• Ten days into spring practice, Sean Canfield is slightly ahead of Lyle Moevao in the battle for the starting quarterback job. Canfield, a 6-4, 225-pound redshirt sophomore, is in his third spring with the OSU program after graduating early from high school.

“Sean is definitely ahead of Lyle, as we expect him to be,” Riley says. “He has thrown some great balls and appears very confident. Lyle has never had a spring ball, so he is behind in the knowledge of where the ball should go, the timing and so on. But he has presented himself very well.”

• Linebacker Derrick Doggett, dogged by back spasms, is improving but remains on the sidelines. “As long as (Doggett) has any bad feeling in that back, he’ll (sit),” Riley says. “Derrick has made a lot of tackles the last three years, and he’ll make a lot of them in the fall. There’s no sense in putting him at any risk.”

• A receiver to watch: JC transfer Damola Adeniji, a 6-3, 220-pound junior-to-be from Orange Coast College in Irvine, Calif., who played high school ball at South Eugene. “He’s a good-looking kid athletically,” says Riley, who is using Adeniji at slotback this spring.

• Two redshirt freshmen who have caught Riley’s eye this spring: 6-0, 240-pound outside linebacker Dwight Roberson and 6-1, 170-pound safety James Dockery. Both are candidates for extensive special-team duties and could work into backup roles at their positions. “Dwight is smooth, has good footwork, fits our linebacker mold well,” Riley says. “James is athletic, enthusiastic, smart.”

• The Beavers will run a 50-play scrimmage at some point during Saturday’s practice session.

– Kerry Eggers

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