Hetherington finally earns stripes; will start for Lions, Friday
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MONTREAL -- Receiver Greg Hetherington, a ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ graduate from Toronto, will make is his first official CFL start when he suits up for the B.C. Lions against Edmonton on Friday (Oct. 9) at Commonwealth Stadium. The game will be televised on TSN, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
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Hetherington, a 6-foot-4, 204-pound slotback who earned an education degree in 2007, has dressed for 14 career CFL games, including 13 this season. Wearing No.83, he will replace injured receiver Paris Jackson, who leads all Lions players with seven touchdowns, in the starting lineup.
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"I knew, especially the way this league works with turnover, injuries, the long season, you knew you'd get a shot at it eventually," Hetherington told the media on Thursday. "You've just got to be patient. You just keep trying and hopefully you get a shot. It transpires in strange ways."
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Hetherington says he's learned a lot going against B.C.'s starting defence in practice.
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"You always get to work your trade and your skills, then when you get up into live action you're ready for it. It's been shooting a bunch of blanks, now I'll have live ammunition."
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Originally selected in the sixth round (46th overall) of the 2007 CFL Canadian Draft by the Stamps, Hetherington dressed for one game with the Calgary Stampeders that year and was claimed off the Stamps practice roster by the Lions in August, 2008.
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He starred at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ from 2002 to 2006 and earned CIS all-Canadian second-team honours in his senior year. He registered 14 career touchdown receptions to establish an all-time school record (since broken). In 30 career contests with the Redmen, Hetherington caught 116 passes for 1,690 yards and a 14.6 average per catch. He also holds the school record for the fastest touchdown from the start of a game (30 seconds), catching a 76-yard pass from Dave Campbell in 2003.
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Other career highlights at ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ include winning the Charlie Baillie trophy twice as most outstanding team player (2005 and 2006) as well as receiving the Dan Pronyk memorial trophy as the most outstanding offensive player in 2006. Hetherington also played in two CIS East-West Bowl all-star games (2004 and 2006).
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SOURCE:
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