Music: {allcanada} BOMBERS' PIERCE WON'T CHANGE PLAYING STYLE IN GREY CUP

VANCOUVER -- Whenever Buck Pierce steps on the field, there's a chance he will crash through the defence for a first down, but come out of the game with an injury.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback is not the CFL's slickest passer and his numbers rank far below star quarterbacks like the B.C. Lions' Travis Lulay and the Montreal Alouettes' Anthony Calvillo.

But the six-foot-one, 210-pounder is a battler who will do anything to win.

Although backup Alex Brink is ready if needed, the Bombers hope the oft-injured Pierce will make it through Sunday's Grey Cup game in one piece.

One thing is certain, the quarterback will not alter his head-long playing style just to keep himself upright.

"I want to extend my career as long as I can, but I also can't be a passive guy and a person I'm not, no matter if it's a pre-season game or the championship game," Pierce said Friday after the Bombers held their last full practice before the Grey Cup.

"Have I got smarter over my seven years in this league? Yes I have. Last year after my major elbow injury, we sat out with the organization and they said 'For us to be healthy, you have to be our guy in the huddle.' And that's what I've become."

After playing only five games last season due to that elbow injury, his first campaign with Winnipeg after the Lions decided he was too injury-prone for their long-term plans, Pierce managed to play in 16 of 18 regular season games and got through all of the Bombers' 19-3 victory over Hamilton in the East Division final.

He was banged up and helped off more than once during the season, but kept coming back.

The 30-year-old is determined to fight his way through the championship game as well.

Pierce plays for "moments like this, opportunities I know won't always be there for me.

"You get one shot to leave it all out there, leave your mark on this game. The competitiveness in me won't allow me to stop. What I think has been my burden in the past (injuries) is also my blessing and what makes me tick as a quarterback."

Pierce ranked seventh among CFL quarterbacks this season, with 261 completions for a modest 3,348 yards, nearly 2,000 fewer than league leader Calvillo. His 14 touchdown passes was less than half Calvillo's or Lulay's 32. His 18 interceptions was worst in the league.

But he got his team into first place in the East and, backed by perhaps the league's toughest defence, he'll now try to bring a Grey Cup to Winnipeg for the first time in 21 years.

A key stat is that he also rushed 51 times for 324 yards, often flinging himself forward to get extra yardage.

He sat out a 32-16 loss to Montreal on Sept. 30 and a regular season-ending 30-24 defeat to Calgary, when 26-year-old Brink stepped in and put up decent numbers.

The bearded Brink is ready if Pierce goes down again.

"My role as the short yardage and goal-line quarterback ensures I'm going to see the field for a play or two," said Brink, who is in his second CFL season. "Hopefully nothing happens to Buck and I won't have to go in and actually play on normal downs, but the preparation still has to be the same."

And he insisted the Bombers don't cringe at the bench every time Pierce takes off with the ball.

"The neat thing this year is that he's been able to show people that he can play through some of those hits and injuries, that he can play that style of game and make it through," Brink said.

"Everyone says it's a question mark going in, but that history of injuries is mostly freak accidents. That elbow last year was a freak accident. That doesn't just happen because you're playing hard and playing out of control. That's been misconstrued. Buck's a guy we know is giving it all out there, but he's being smart at the same time."

Coach Paul LaPolice said Brink is one of several Bombers who have stepped in this season when a starter was hurt and done a good job. He cites running back Chris Garrett, who has been brilliant in relief of the injured Fred Reid, as a prime example.

The Bombers were in a playful mood at practice in the domed B.C. Place Stadium on Frida. When workers finished painting the Grey Cup logo at centre field, they gathered on the spot and jumped up and down on the paint.

After practice, LaPolice faced a barrage of questions about profanity-laced tweets sent out this week by star rush end Odell Willis.

It was the first hint of anything remotely controversial this week.

Willis wrote on Thursday "I wanna go home just for 2day," explaining in a later tweet that he wished he was home for his aunt's U.S. Thanksgiving Day dinner.

He also sent what looked to be a dig at an unnamed person he accused of being a "snitch."

LaPolice said he hadn't seen the messages but would look into them. He recalled no incident that would involve snitch.

"I think it's part of Odell's bravado," he said. "You watched him today and he was flying around, jumping around with his teammates.

"A good rule for most players is just to understand that whatever you say, be careful because you have a lot of people watching what you say. Especially for us. We have such a big following in our community. We're always talking to our players about trying to do something good.

"They just have to understand that it's a medium that's out there instantaneously and when you're frustrated about something, once it goes out, it's out there. So be careful."