Each week, Toronto Argonaut linebacker Mike O’Shea answers your questions. To submit a question to Mike please send an e-mail to askoshea@cfl.ca.
Hi Mike,
Do the individual defensive units have to call their own plays? Do the secondary and the line have their own adjustments to make within the play? I’ve heard that offensive line blocking schemes are called at the line, but does the same thing happen on defence?
Thanks,
John A. (Seattle, WA)
A: Both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball make adjustments on every play. The base call would come from the sideline and then would be manipulated slightly at the line to fit the opposition’s formation, thus creating a higher rate of success.
With defensive line play, stunts and twists can be called fairly independently from the rest of the defence. Similarly, switching man coverage responsibilities or exchanging coverage areas (zones) can be done by the defensive backfield. Having said that, everything has to fit together in the framework of the called play.
I do believe that as players gain more understanding of the defensive system and their teammates’ responsibilities, the better the defence will play. This understanding lets players determine how and why to tweak calls and, more importantly, when or when not to adjust them.
As an aside, we always have a safe call that allows us to get by in an event that an offence shows a formation that catches us by surprise. As another aside, because of the calls that are made between players, I always tell the younger guys to play with their ears open as communication is key on our side of the ball and you can usually get a tip by listening to the offensive audibles as well.
Hi Mike,
Do you guys usually eat out as a team on the road or do people usually stick to themselves and eat in their rooms? Also, do people get their own rooms or do you have a roommate, if so who is your roommate?
Sam D. (Whitby, ON)
A: Defensively, we eat together on the road a couple of times a season. Most guys have their own routine and their own idea of what makes a pregame meal, so getting everyone together every road trip would be difficult.
On the road, we share a room and for the last bunch of years my “roomdawg” has been Jeff Johnson. I have wanted to change several times due to his hygiene habits, but I don’t want to upset his pregame routine of dust baths and mud wallowing.
Hey Mike,
Having played on both sides of the Labour Day Classic between the Argos and Ticats, how do you feel about the history of the game? What are some of your favourite memories?
Ted M. (Hamilton, ON)
A: Privileged and honoured would be good words to describe how I feel to have played on both sides of this 130+ year rivalry. The memories fade but what helps me remember are some souvenirs like the toilet seat with my name on it that was hanging from the stands above the visitors’ locker and some signs like “WHEN I DIE BURY ME FACE DOWN SO O’SHEA CAN KISS MY …”. Good times.
Mike O’Shea enters his 16th CFL season in 2008. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion and the captain of the Toronto Argonauts’ defence. He is the CFL’s all-time leader in defensive tackles by a Canadian and is second all-time on the overall list. In 1999 he was named the league’s outstanding Canadian player.
