WitP: C.J., Libre, Pisa

C.J. Hawthorne had 3 catches for 15 yards in his CFL preseason debut.

Wide receiver C.J. Hawthorne took part in his first CFL game on Sunday. He finished the game with 15 yards on three catches. "I think I played a good game. It was great to be back out there and play some football but there's a lot to be done to be better mentally and physically on and off the field."

The Toronto Sun has a note on Daniel Libre.

The Esks plan to have a real close look to see what RB Daniel Libre can show in game conditions this Sunday.

“Each time he carries the football, he’s getting more comfortable,” said Hall. “So far, he’s done a good job.

“When you bring players in during training camp, you’d like to see what they can do in the first preseason game you can put them into. That’s his evaluation. We didn’t bring him here to put him on the roster in regular-season until we see him play.”

Pisa Tinoisamoa talks about battling back from his knee injury and battling Nick Roach for a starting spot.

Roach, who started 15 games in 2009, downplays his competition with Tinoisamoa.

"You can't really take (starting) personally,'' he says. "It's about who's going to be the most effective for us on the field. Basically, no matter who ends up starting, we're both going to end up contributing in a significant way.''

Tinoisamoa agrees and is a staunch Roach supporter, even after absorbing the ball to the face. The duo actually seemed inseparable during this weekend excursion.

"I'm not going to try to say Nick's not the starter right now,'' Tinoisamoa says. "I watched him last year. You have to go with that.

"Right now, my role still is getting defined, for the most part. I never go in trying to short myself, but I understand what we're dealing with. We have a very talented player in Nick Roach that a lot of people don't know about. … I think Nick Roach is the future.''