Gary Kingston
Vancouver Sun

Even as he took some first team reps at practice on Tuesday, veteran B.C. Lions running back Jamal Robertson refused to concede what is usually inevitable.

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm not back in the lineup," he insisted after reporters suggested to him that it looked like he would return to the active roster for Saturday's key divisional matchup in Saskatchewan.

"It's one of those things where I didn't play the last three or four games. Just trying to knock some rust off and keep me mentally in tune."

Robertson says head coach Wally Buono does not want him to get "lost in the shuffle," or lose focus, particularly as it relates to execution of the tailback's duties.

And even though the way players are deployed on the first full practice day of a week is a near-certain indication of how a club will line up on game day - under-utilized and drop-prone import receiver Nick Moore didn't take a single first-team offensive snap on Tuesday - Buono insisted a decision on Robertson's status won't be made until after today's practice. The 34-year-old import was dropped from the starting lineup a few weeks ago, not for performance reasons - he was coming off a game in which he carried 10 times for 56 yards - but because Buono needed to alter the import/non-import ratio.

The bulk of the ball-carrying duties have fallen to fastimproving non-import Andrew Harris and primary kickreturner Tim Brown, who combined for 77 yards on 14 carries in Saturday's win over Calgary.

But quarterback Travis Lulay (five rushes), slotback Shawn Gore (two), fullback Rolly Lambala (one), backup running back Jamall Lee (one) and backup quarterback Jarious Jackson (one) also had carries in that game.

With Moore reduced to playing catch with fourth-string quarterback Mike Leonard, two Canadians - rookie Marco Iannuzzi and veteran Paris Jackson - took reps Tuesday at the fifth receiver spot.

"We're looking at the three or four combinations and tomorrow might be slightly different," said Buono. "We don't have to make a decision until we've figured it all out."

Robertson, a powerfully built, pound-it-out running back who had gained nearly 2,000 yards in 2009-2010, has been the consummate professional and ultimate team guy since being made inactive.

He hasn't sulked, or carped about not being used. And he's willingly taken on the role of teacher, imparting as much wisdom as he can to the youngsters who have assumed his job.

That doesn't mean, however, that it's been easy for No. 25, particularly as a guy who had T-shirts made for his family last season that featured his face on the front and proclaimed, on the back, "33 is the new 25."

"It's very tough ... it's hard, you're only human," says Robertson of watching games in street clothes.

He relies on prayer and his supportive wife, Patara, to get through the difficult times.

And he tries to stay as focused as he can on the game plan and the intricacies of his position because "the younger players are counting on me.

"They may have questions where they don't have time to run to the coach on the sidelines. They'll come to me: 'Jamal, what have we got?' I'm going to do my best to make sure they're on track.

"They'll feed [off] my emotions, my facial expressions and what not. I've got to make sure I'm putting a smile on, still trying to do my best, even when it's tugging on my spirit."

Robertson, who continues to lift four times a week and run on his own to stay physically ready, says guys like Lee help keep him mentally focused.

"If he sees me slipping off, he'll say, 'C'mon, 'Mal you're our leader, now.' That reminds me, OK, I don't have time to get off track."

Robertson hopes he'll be in the lineup that faces the Roughriders in Regina, but he won't consider it a sure thing until his game jersey is packed into a travel bag.