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Laurent Duvernay-Tardif cant wait to strut his stuff Thursday. Rod Thorn Jersey . The McGill Redmen offensive lineman will hold a private workout in Montreal for NFL and CFL scouts. And after spending much of the last four months preparing for the audition, the six-foot-five, 315-pound tackle is ready for it to finally happen. "I dont know if I should say this but I just want to do it and be done with it," he said with a chuckle Tuesday via telephone. "Ive been training since December for this . . . for me, its been so long. "I felt a little stressed last weekend but I went on the field (Monday) where Im going to hold my pro day and ran some very good times in my shuttle and three-cone so I think Im ready." The 23-year-old med student said he feels terrific right now but understands nerves and the pressure to perform could weigh heavily upon him at his pro day. If that happens, Duvernay-Tardif will take a rather philosophical approach to deal with the situation. "Nerves and pressure can help so much with your adrenalin," he said. "You just have to control that." Duvernay-Tardif was able to control being well rested and fresh for his workout. To ensure that, he took half of last week and all of this one off from his duties working the night shift at a Montreal hospital, expecting to return either Sunday or Monday. The articulate native of St. Hilaire, Que., finished the season as the top-ranked prospect for this years CFL draft, slated for May 13. But Duvernay-Tardif has also drawn plenty of NFL interest and is projected as a third- or fourth-round selection in this years draft, which will be held May 8-10. Not bad, considering Duvernay-Tardif began his college career as a 253-pound defensive lineman and only switched to offence in 2011. McGill also accommodated his heavy academic workload by reducing his practice commitments during football season. But that didnt stop Duvernay-Tardif from twice earning All-Canadian honours and capturing the 13 Metras trophy as Canadian university footballs top lineman. He was invited to participate in last weekends CFL combine in Toronto but opted instead to focus on his pro day. Its unclear how many scouts will attend Duvernay-Tardifs workout. Both the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills have said publicly theyll be there but some CFL teams are expected to take a miss because Duvernay-Tardif is likely to be go in the NFL draft and start his pro career there. Regardless, Duvernay-Tardifs people are erring on the side of caution. "We agreed to prepare food for 50 people, I dont know what that means," Duvernay-Tardif said. "Ive been told if we had 15 (NFL scouts) wed be super happy and if we had 20, that would be incredible." Duvernay-Tardif said hell begin the workout with his jumps — standing broad and vertical — then run the 40-yard dash. Afterwards, hell do timed agility events and the bench press before performing position drills requested by the scouts. "I want to show them Im athletic," Duvernay-Tardif said. "Im not going there to show my technique, Im going there so they can see I can move, Im smooth and flexible but also explosive and I think my broad and vertical jump will show that." Duvernay-Tardif wont be done auditioning for NFL teams after his workout. He said he has visits already lined up with Arizona, the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks and Cleveland Browns. Duvernay-Tardif has benchmarks he wants to hit Thursday. Hed like to reach at least nine feet in the broad jump and 31.5 inches in the vertical while posting a 40-yard dash time around 5.1 seconds and showing excellent quickness and mobility in the agility drills. Positioning the bench press late in the workout is surprising because many athletes prefer to do strength movements early when theyre freshest. But Duvernay-Tardif isnt concerned about fatigue being a factor when he goes under the bar. "After I bench, I feel Im tight in my chest and my arm motion so when I run its not as good," he said. "Id like to do a really really good number (in bench) but I know already Im probably going to go over 37 so Im not sure if it really matters if its 37 or 40. "I just want to jump well and do a good shuttle. The bench isnt really a concern for me." But Duvernay-Tardif admits to having a little fear of the unknown regarding what drills scouts will ask him to perform. "Its been a while since Ive done anything football-related," he said. "I want to work out for them but at the same time I dont know what theyre going to ask and you never really know what theyre going to look for." How Duvernay-Tardif performs and handles himself Thursday will be crucial. For many pro football personnel, it will be their first chance to see and speak with him and formulate that all-important first impression. But Duvernay-Tardif is approaching the workout like any other. "Im going to eat what I normally eat, maybe some cottage cheese, toast and fruit," he said. "Then Ill head to the gym and do a good warmup because I feel thats key when you run, you want to sweat a little bit before you do. "I think everything now is on my side, I just have to go and deliver." The scouting report on Duvernay-Tardif says he has the size, strength, athleticism, temperament and intelligence to play at the next level. However, there are concerns about his inexperience as an offensive lineman and having played a yard off the ball at McGill, prompting some scouts to question if Duvernay-Tardif can get into blocks quickly enough in the NFL. Then again, Duvernay-Tardif has experience playing the American game. He participated in the East-West Shrine game in St. Petersburg, Fla., last January. "I am looking forward to this but at the same time Im keeping myself occupied," Duvernay-Tardif said. "That way you stay fresh and then you run." Nate McMillan Jersey . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history. Walt Hazzard Jersey . The Thunder earned the Game 1 win with a 100-86 victory Saturday night. Oklahoma City dominated the first half and led by 22 at the break, but saw its lead shrink to just two points in the fourth quarter. https://www.supersonicsjerseys.com/660s-lenny-wilkens-jersey-supersonics.html . With timely hitting and good pitching, the Marlins are one win away from sweeping the slumping Houston Astros.TORONTO -- Russ Howard was asleep in his Riga hotel room when the phone rang with word that he would be inducted into Canadas Sports Hall of Fame. The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. "I get the chance to golf with (hockey legend) Bobby Orr once in a year in a charity event and hes my hero," Howard said Wednesday at a morning news conference. "To think that a little guy from Midland, Ontario is in with Bobby Orr is pretty cool." Howard is a two-time world champion who now does curling broadcasting work. He was in the Latvian capital last March to cover the world womens championship. "Nobody knew I was in Latvia so thats why I got the call at four in the morning," he said. "I thought I was dreaming obviously -- and I still am." Joining Howard in this years class are former NHL star Joe Sakic, cyclist Alison Sydor, five-time Paralympian Andre Viger and the 1992 Olympic champion womens coxless four rowing team of Kirsten Barnes, Brenda Taylor, Jessica Monroe-Gonin, Kay Worthington and Jennifer Walinga. Former Canadian Amateur Hockey Association president Murray Costello and sport development architect Dr. Jean-Guy Ouellet enter as builders. Inductees will be presented with their member jackets at an evening ceremony. Howard won national and world titles in 1987 and 1993. He said the first Brier victory with his brother Glenn was one of the most special victories from his long career, especially since they came up just short in the 1986 final. His most memorable win came at the Turin Games in 2006 when he earned Olympic gold with skip Brad Gushue of Newfoundland and Labrador. "There was so much different pressure at that, with 70 million people watching our final game," Howard said. "Youre representing your country. At my age it was my last and only chance to win an Olympic medal for my country. So that pressure was a lot different than at the Canadian championships." Sakic, who had 1,641 career regular-season points over 20 seasons in the NHL, won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 1996 and 2001. He currently serves as the teams executive vice-president of hockey operations. "Its a tremendous honour," Sakic said. "When I got the call it was very, very exciting. "Obviously you start to reflect and you think back, and I just remember as a kid youre watching your Canadian Olympians and obviously cheering them on and you want to see them do well. And then to get a taste of it yourself, have a whole new appreciation for what all the athletes in different sports had to do to prepare and get ready for these things. Al Tucker Jersey. " Sakic won titles at the Winter Olympics, world hockey championship, World Cup of Hockey and the world junior championship. He first broke into the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques in 1988. "To play for your country, I got a chance to play with Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, and I wouldnt have had that happen on my regular team," he said. "Any time you put the Canadian jersey on, you just felt something more and something special. The game just seemed to mean a little bit more. We never took that for granted." Sydor won Olympic silver at the 1996 Atlanta Games and picked up her third straight world title that year. The three-time Pan Am Games medallist had 17 career World Cup mountain bike victories. Viger, who died in 2006, was one of the best wheelchair racers of all-time. He won 10 medals over five appearances at the Paralympic Games and held world records at several distances. The coxless four team that won Olympic gold in Barcelona is considered one of Canadas best-ever rowing crews. Walinga was forced to withdraw with a back injury shortly before the competition but Worthington stepped in and helped the crew win a gold medal. "I think we feel that our honour has a great deal to do with what we went through," Walinga said. "I think we represent the power of sport and the power of team, or what human beings are capable of achieving and what human beings are capable of overcoming when they function as a unified, collaborative team." Costello has helped Canada become a hockey powerhouse. He has served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (now Hockey Canada) and vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation. He has spearheaded numerous development and skills programs that continue to be used today. "Its always nice to be recognized," Costello said. "Its particularly nice when youre recognized across all sports in this great country." Ouellet, who held the position of Director of Mission Quebec, designed and implemented programs to prepare athletes from the province to represent Canada at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The programs were the basis for the high performance sports model in Quebec and are used today as a model for other provinces and countries around the world. A gallery featuring each of this years inductees will be showcased at the Hall of Fame facility at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. The Class of 2013 brings the total number of honoured members to 540. ' ' '