Ticats mini camp for DB’s

On the final day of the Tiger-Cats mini camp, we spoke to some of the players who will make up the team’s last line of defense.

In the words of Kent Austin, the plague of injuries that the Tiger-Cats sustained last season was unheard of, and the revolving-door that ushered players in and out of the lineup didn’t seem to stop. This year when the roster selections are made, it won’t simply be the “strongest” players who will survive. It will more likely be the ones who can multi-task.

Courtney Stephen: “If I’m playing field corner, like I did the last couple days, if I gotta go back to safety, if I gotta play sam, they tend to be interchangeable. Our coach does a great job of teaching us concepts instead of locking us in to one role.”}

Judging by the reps he took this week, the role of safety is likely to land in the hands of free-agent acquisition Craig Butler — who won a Grey Cup with Saskatchewan last year. For him, this mini camp was much more than an opportunity to put the playbook into practice: “That’s the main thing about getting here with the guys — getting the chemistry right and especially as a secondary you all have to be on the same page.”

McMaster alum Michael Daly knows what it’s like to be the new guy — and he’s glad those days are behind him. After playing out his final year of eligibility at Mac, he wants to take his game to the next level: “In CIS you get away with things you can’t get away with here and I learned that the hard way at camp last year, so now i’m trying to do my 12th out there, stay disciplined and let my teammates make some plays.”

With OTA’s now behind them, the next step is training camp, which begins in just four weeks.