WINNIPEG - Troy Westwood has been given a second chance.

The 42-year-old kicker was added to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' practice roster Monday and may suit up as the team's punter when the Montreal Alouettes visit on Saturday.

Westwood was abruptly cut by former Bombers coach Doug Berry during last year's pre-season - a move that appeared to bring an end to a 17-year CFL career in which he set more than 30 team records.

The former placekicker and punter said he was stunned to receive a text message Sunday night from new head coach Mike Kelly, asking if he was interested in rejoining the club.

His two-word reply began with "Holy."

"Someone asked me earlier in the day (Sunday) if there's any chance of me maybe coming back to punt," Westwood said. "And I said, 'There's absolutely no hope whatsoever of that.' And so I just about fell over when I checked my phone at the movie theatre (and saw Kelly's message).

"I was very surprised and more or less just trying to contain and control my emotions since that point in time. I feel like vomiting for the vast majority of the day so far."

Westwood has been playing soccer and doing some kicking "just in case" a team called him.

Kelly had sent the SOS to Westwood just hours after Winnipeg's 24-21 loss to the B.C. Lions. Kicker Alexis Serna had missed two of six field goals and shanked a couple punts, finishing with a 36-yard average.

Serna had been forced into punting duties after Mike Renaud tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his kicking leg during a win against Hamilton the week before.

"This is not a condemnation at all on anything that Alexis Serna did," Kelly said. "I thought he did a fine job for us.

"But we also understand that we probably played a Canadian down and this gives us an opportunity to bring Troy in on the practice roster, take a look and see how he can do."

If he thinks Westwood can help, he'll activate him and let Serna concentrate on what he's been doing best. Serna has connected on 34 of 41 field-goal attempts this season (82.8 per cent).

Kelly wasn't interested in Westwood going into the season because he wanted a younger kicker for the future, which he still believes is Renaud.

But he and Westwood go back to Kelly's days as Winnipeg's offensive co-ordinator (1992-96) and he's glad he can give him a chance to end his career on a high note.

"We're fortunate that we have somebody like Troy Westwood who, unceremoniously, was disbarred from this organization last year and that isn't how we want to treat Winnipeg Blue Bombers," Kelly said. "Troy is a Hall of Fame-type player here and I just know all the good things he did … He should have left this club with a little more dignity than what he left it with last year."

The Dauphin, Man., native has played 278 games wearing blue and gold, including four Grey Cups. He's the team's all-time leading scorer (2,741 points) and holds the CFL record for best field-goal percentage in the playoffs (85.7 per cent).

He doesn't view this "precious" opportunity as a chance for redemption.

"It feels like it was a long time ago to me and I've moved on from that," Westwood said of his release. "All that matters truly is tomorrow and performing well in practice. This is going to be a day-to-day thing and I have to make sure right out of the gate that I perform at a high level. I have no energy or time to concern myself with anything that happened in the past."

Westwood had an up-and-down season in 2007, missing six games while he was benched or injured.

His inconsistency landed him in Berry's doghouse, but he rebounded and was solid in the playoffs handling the field-goal kicking and punting in place of the injured Rob Pikula and Pat Fleming.

In Winnipeg's 23-19 Grey Cup loss to Saskatchewan, Westwood punted 11 times for nearly a 50-yard average and connected on both of his field-goal attempts.

Westwood said he doesn't mind returning as a punter, but would kick field goals if called upon, although he thinks Serna is doing great.

Westwood has been working two jobs. He does a local morning radio show and works in a family-reunification program. He's also continued his music career.

But nothing has given him the same feeling as playing football.

"There's nothing you can do outside of professional sport to replicate the energy and excitement of game day," Westwood said.

"And pressure situations where, for that moment in time, it feels like it's the most important thing in the world when you're playing for a team and you have to come up with a big play to help turn a game around or cement the deal. That sort of thing.

"I think once you get a taste of it, it's forever inside of you and I still believe that I can still perform at a very high level and look forward to potentially having an opportunity to prove that."

Notes: LB Joe Lobendahn suffered a hamstring injury in the B.C. game and is gone for a couple games, according to Kelly. He'll be replaced by Barrin Simpson.