Ticat safety gets new responsibilities

Checking in on the Tiger-Cats who will be heading out to Winnipeg tomorrow. On Saturday they’ll be facing the Blue Bombers. The Ticats have gained a great deal of confidence over the last month, both as a team and on an individual basis. Courtney Stephen is an example of that.

Courtney Stephen is well on his way to topping the 35 tackles he made last season. He’s already made 27, and he’s had back-to-back interceptions in the Cats’ last two games.
This season, he’s also been given new responsibilities, moving from safety to cornerback — and he admits it’s been a challenge: “Me, personally, especially playing a new position, I wanted to focus on becoming well-rounded, so I’ve been working on certain things that I feel my game could use a little more oomph.”

Head Coach Kent Austin: “Courtney’s getting some invaluable experience right now. Talents enough to move from field safety to field corner, gives us flexibility. We like flexibility all around.”

Stephen says this season has been a learning experience for him, and the whole team — which is also the youngest in the CFL: “Losing a couple games like we did definitely went a long way helping us grow up and figure out what it takes to actually win. So now that we’ve got that under our belt, I feel like it’s going to help us going forward from here.”

The 24-year old Brampton native began his collegiate career at Sir Wilfred Laurier University, and during his two seasons there, he was a two-time OUA all star, and second team All-Canadian in 2009. He then transferred to Northern Illinois University where he spent the next three years, and was selected 8th overall by the Ticats in the 2012 CFL draft.

Courtney Stephen: “I definitely take pride in my passport. That means a lot around here, being Canadian, I’m glad to be somebody who can go out there and affect the ratio, and really be a playmaker for my team.”