Transition on the tundra: The Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Eskimos have signed free-agent wide receiver Cary Koch, who spent the past two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In eight regular-season games as a rookie in 2010, the Baton Rouge native had 21 catches for 299 yards and three touchdowns. He also had four receptions for 57 yards in the 2010 Grey Cup game—the CFL’s version of the NFL’s Super Bowl. Last season, Koch caught 15 passes for 133 yards in nine regular-season games. “Cary missed much of 2011 with an injury, but within the football fraternity his talent is widely recognized. We really like how Cary approaches the game when he isn’t the primary receiver. He runs every route full speed, and he blocks extremely well, too. Championship clubs do all the little things right, and Cary certainly fits that mold,” says Eric Tillman, the Eskimos’ general manager. Koch started his college career at Tulane, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina transferred to the University of Virginia.
Redemption song: The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board is honoring Ryan Perrilloux at its meeting tonight, The Times-Picayune reports. Perrilloux, an East St. John High School graduate who was booted off the LSU squad by Les Miles in 2008, made the trip last month to the Super Bowl as a member of the practice squad for the New York Giants. At 25, the LaPlace resident and member of the Giants’ practice squad has already experienced some of the best and worst that life has to offer. And it didn’t always seem that being a member of a Super Bowl–winning team, in any role, would be in the cards. Read the full feature here.
Still buzzin’: The New Orleans Hornets have signed Lance Thomas to a second 10-day contract, retaining needed depth at forward in the absence of injured regulars Carl Landry and Jason Smith. The 6-foot-8 Thomas has appeared in seven games for the Hornets this season as a reserve, averaging two points and 2.4 rebounds. Landry sprained his left knee in a game at Detroit on Feb. 4. Smith left the same game with a concussion. Landry is expected to remain out for about two more weeks, while it is not yet clear when Smith might return. The 23-year-old Thomas, a former Duke standout, was in training camp with New Orleans and appeared in two regular-season games before first being released Dec. 31. He was re-signed to a first 10-day contract Feb. 6.
