Paopao doesn't use kid gloves
Coach's son among 'Gades' seven cuts
By CHRIS STEVENSON -- Ottawa Sun
Cutting other people's sons is tough enough on Renegades coach Joe Paopao.
Yesterday, it was his own.
Paopao had to tell his oldest son, Tyler, who was trying out at quarterback, that he was one of the seven players released yesterday as the Renegades continued to work toward getting down to 40 players by Sunday's 4 p.m. deadline.
Also cut yesterday were kicker Ian Hewitt (handing the job to Sandro Sciortino), wide receivers Christian Heffernan and Andrew Noel, defensive tackle Matt Kirk, tackle Jean-Francois Roy -- all non-imports -- and American wide receiver Aaron Lockett.
Heffernan and Kirk were selections in this year's Canadian draft and will return to Western and Queen's universities, respectively.
After getting cut, it looks like Tyler Paopao will do some cutting.
"Somebody's got to cut the yard. That's the dad side of me," said Joe.
With some wiggle room available through the practice roster and injured list, the Renegades will still need to make decisions on three or four more players and there are some veterans on the bubble. A trade involving a Canadian is also a good possibility as Ottawa is deep and has been getting calls.
Yesterday's cuts were the "easy" ones, at least from a football standpoint.
For Paopao personally, it was another story as he struggled to keep the coach and the proud father separate yesterday.
Tyler Paopao engineered the late-game drive which resulted in the Renegades' only touchdown in Wednesday night's pre-season 38-10 loss to the Alouettes in Montreal, capped by 14-yard run by Raymonn Adams.
Tyler, a 22-year-old rookie from Occidental University, was sitting around reading the paper yesterday morning when his father said, "Hey, I'm glad you're here. I need to visit with you," and delivered the news.
"I am his dad and I'm proud to say that," said the soft-spoken Paopao. "I used to wipe his nose. But it is by merit that people have to win jobs."
But the upside is the chance to have his son around for the summer, something that hasn't happened over the years with each of them pursuing their football lives.
Paopao said yesterday's inevitable outcome might have been toughest on his wife, Dottie.
"She had a big knot in her throat and there are (six) other mothers who feel the same way and the dads feel the same way. It's the reality of what we do for a living. Hey, it was a great experience for him. He had to persevere ...
"Life doesn't stop because of a five-minute conversation with a coach. I've known kickers who have been with five teams before they won a job and then they were there for 10 years."
Tyler Paopao, playing with a bunch of other rookies, completed 4-of-12 passes, all of them for first downs, including one to Jason Armstead on a third-and-10 on the drive which resulted in Adams' TD.
"I was happy for him and happy for the unit," said coach Paopao. "They were playing a soft zone, but they converted on some second- and third-down situations. Heffernan came a long way. Hopefully, they take what they learned with them and implement that where they go."
The way he felt yesterday, as tough as it was, tells Paopao something.
"The day I don't feel swelling in my heart for these guys is the day I don't want to coach anymore," he said.
"It was like releasing seven sons, but it is tougher when it's your own," said Paopao, who thinks Tyler "could be like Dave Dickenson, if he survives. He did some positive things. He's got a curve to learn.
"But he's going to be cutting the yard this afternoon."
