Oft-injured Edmonton Eskimos' running back Jesse Lumsden is taking a career detour on the fast track to the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Lumsden is joining veteran bobsleigh pilot Pierre Lueders' two-man team on the World Cup circuit in Europe. He'll debut at the Winterberg world cup in Germany Dec. 12 - one of four opportunities to slide in the top flight circuit before the Jan. 17 Olympic roster deadline.
"I've been a new face on four football teams and now one bobsled team and it's pretty much the same story every time," Lumsden said Tuesday. "You're going to have some tension and you're going to have some acceptance. It's all about earning trust."
Lumsden raced with Lueders last spring at the Whistler Sliding Centre when the pair won the national championship. Edmonton-born Lumsden, 27, spent four seasons as a Hamilton Tiger-Cat but suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the Esks' 2009 season opener.
"I'm going to go out there and each race perform to the best of my abilities and hopefully get the opportunity to represent Canada at the Vancouver Games," he said. "If not, then I have a football season to get ready for."
