EDMONTON — Jonte Buhl spent four years with the Edmonton Eskimos, suited up in 44 games and has half of the team’s interceptions this season.
Yet it wasn’t enough for the import cornerback to keep his job.
The Eskimos released the native of San Antonio, Tex., following their win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday.
“It’s just an unfortunate situation,” said Eskimos head coach Richie Hall.
“It was a tough decision to make as an organization. The decisions we make aren’t rash decisions. Even talking to Jonte, he’s felt that he hasn’t played the way he’s capable of playing and we just felt we needed to go a different way.
“It’s a great game, but a (crappy) business really. That’s the downside of professional sports, but that’s just the reality of it.”
The Eskimos brought in import defensive back Gemara Williams to take Buhl’s spot on the roster.
The native of Buffalo, played one game with the Montreal Alouettes last season before suffering a knee-injury that kept him out of the rest of the year.
“Williams is a very talented young man,” Hall said. “He doesn’t have a lot of familiarity with the CFL, but has been in training camps with Montreal. He’s a good athletes which provides some depth for us, even though it’s inexperienced depth.”
No sign of McCarty
Calvin McCarty is still not out on the practice field.
The Eskimos running back injured his hamstring early in a victory over the Calgary Stampeders three weeks ago and has not been in the lineup since.
If he can’t go, Arkee Whitlock, who scored three touchdowns in the victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is again expected to get the bulk of the carries on Labour Day against the Stampeders.
“The game has slowed down a lot more me, I’m more relaxed now,” Whitlock said. “I just have to let the game come to me and try and do what I do.
"I don’t have to try and be anybody else, just be myself and that’s all my focus is right now.”
