TORONTO -- Chad Owens thought his pro football career was over when he ripped up his knee playing for the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League. . Then the league folded. "And there was no really guarantees coming back from the injury that Id have a job, at least (in) football," the compact Argos receiver-returner said Wednesday. "But I believed, man. I believed that God wasnt finished with me and there was something better to come. "So I worked hard, had an opportunity to come up here that next season, 2009." Three years later, Owens is a finalist for the CFLs outstanding player award. The 30-year-old multi-threat speedster from Hawaii is up against Calgary running back Jon Cornish. The Argos celebrated news of Owens nomination with cheers and fist pumps after coach Scott Milanovich told them in a team huddle at the end of practice inside the Rogers Centre. Toronto (9-9) hosts Edmonton (7-11) on Sunday in the Eastern Conference semifinal. The Eskimos cross over from the West by virtue of having a better record than the 6-12 Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers. Owens set a pro football record this season by collecting 3,863 all-purpose yards. He led the league in receiving yards (1,328) and combined return yards (2,510) Listed at five foot eight and 180 pounds, Owens looks like somebodys little brother as he lines up in the Argos huddle. But his size doesnt seem to matter when he hits full speed. The Flyin Hawaiian is hard to catch or keep up with. Milanovich credits improvement in technique for Owens breakthrough in receiving this year. Prior to this season Owens had never cracked the 1,000-yard mark as a receiver. Milanovich, a former quarterback himself, says Owens had improved the way he runs routes for quarterback Ricky Ray. "Part of the thing with receivers is they think theyre open but if theyre not open when the quarterbacks ready to deliver the ball, theyre really not open," Milanovich said. "And so that was one of the things that Chad had to really grasp -- its not good enough to get open but youve got to get open when Rickys ready to deliver." Owens credits Ray for delivering the ball on time. "And he throws just such a catchable ball," he said. "I dont want to say a soft ball -- it gets to you on time but it doesnt have that sting. Its just so easy to catch." It has not all been smooth sailing on the field for the father of three. Owens has fumbled 10 times this season, losing eight of them. Ball security has been a constant watchword in recent games. The former University of Hawaii standout was acquired by Toronto in a June 2010 trade with the Montreal Alouettes in exchange for a pick in the 2011 CFL Canadian draft. Originally drafted in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft by Jacksonville, he had shorts stints with the Jaguars and Buccaneers before signing with Colorado. He says his circuitous road to football success proves you should never sell yourself short, regardless of your circumstances. "If you believe in yourself and you believe in what you can do and you believe that theres something better for you ahead, man youve got to keep working, youve got to stay true to yourself, stay true to what you believe in, man, and just keep working. And youll never be denied. "Thats been me, my whole life. Ive always believed and always believed that if I worked harder than you, then I will beat you. Not to sound big-headed or anything but thats just the way I had to do it. I was under-sized so I had to out-work them and I had to believe." He points to his injury at Colorado -- "It was like playing in the phone booth," he said of the indoor game -- when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament. When it happened in 2008, he said his immediate reaction was to look up and say Why me? "But that same night it hit me also and I realized something. I needed that," said Owens, wearing a wristband citing the biblical reference John 3:30. "I needed to get slowed, as we learned in church. God slowed me, man, and it wasnt my time. So I had to get back, I had to realize what I really had and how fortunate I was. "It definitely made me realize that ... Im thankful man that I got blessed with the opportunity to come up to the CFL." [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-matthew-stafford-jersey-a... Stafford Jersey . He hit nearly every shot just the way he wanted, worked the gallery into a frenzy with one last charge over the final hour and left everyone buzzing -- especially Jack Nicklaus -- with a shot they will talk about for years. . Louis Cardinals at Nationals Park. Washington stayed alive in dramatic fashion on Thursday, as Jayson Werth belted a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Nationals to a dramatic 2-1 victory. "Its what you play all season for and what you work out all winter for and what you get to spring training early for," said Werth of the winner-take-all showdown. [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-calvin-johnson-jersey-ci-... . Its been a cast of rotating heroes that have been the most impressive with the Los Angeles Kings. [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-bill-bentley-jersey-ek-81... Bentley Jersey .C. -- After about 25 years of hard work and sacrifice, Mike Benevides finally got to run a CFL teams training camp as a head coach Sunday. . Armstrong was overtaken on the depth chart by veteran newcomer Jabar Gaffney, who played for the first time Sunday in a win over the New York Jets and had a 30-yard reception.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have released veteran and oft-injured defensive end Aaron Kampman. Kampman missed 28 games the last three seasons while playing for Jacksonville and Green Bay, including 13 last season. He sat out all of organized team activities last month while recovering from a second surgery on his right knee. With a salary near $5 million in 2012 and the adddition of second-round draft pick Andre Branch, it became unlikely that Kampman would make the roster. [url=http://www.lionsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-jason-jones-jersey-le-71.... Jones Jersey. . Releasing him now gives Kampman a better chance to prove himself with another team. Kampman was one of the leagues elite pass rushers in his prime with the Packers. But he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in 2009 and hasnt been the same since. ' ' '