Corey Grant
CFL.ca
Are we born with it? Do we learn it over time? Does everyone have it in them? If I don’t have it can I get it, and how do I get it? These are a few of the questions that surround the topic of leadership and at this point in the season the word “leadership” starts to play a key role on a football team. Each team has to discover the answer to these questions because the future success of the team is counting on it.
We are in the part of the CFL season where we’re closer to the end then the beginning but the finish line is still a long, long, long, way off. There are still more ups and downs to come, along with, great plays to be made and games to be played.
For many of the rookies they’ve already been through an entire college season, with playoffs and a bowl game to boot. You have to understand that with rookie camp, training camp, two preseason games, and 11 regular season games under their belt, rookie’s minds and bodies are starting to shut down and we still have seven more games to play, plus playoffs… now that’s a lot of football.
At this point in the season everyone is feeling the aches and pains which are beginning to add up and the question is are you hurt or injured and can you play through the pain. Practices are starting to become a long and tedious part of the day. Working out is a necessary part of the “job” but the thought of resting the body appears to be way more enticing. It doesn’t matter if you’re a 10-year veteran or a rookie because the body wasn’t built for this kind of punishment. But like they say, “the show must go on”, and we signed up for it!
One of the ways to fight through the “dark days” of the CFL season is to have great leadership in the locker room. Leadership can come in many different forms and sources on the team but it needs to be directed at guiding the team to fight through this part of the season, and believe me, it’s a fight.
Each week the coaches do their best to prepare the team for the upcoming game. They prepare game plans, speeches, and use every piece of coaching knowledge that they have gained over the years to motivate their players, however, it’s not just their job to get the team ready to play. It’s also up to the players/leaders in the locker room to get their teammates prepared as well.
The “Leaders” on the team must step in and provide leadership for their teammates and keep the team focused on the ultimate goal… The Grey Cup! Now some guys like to do the long speech to motivate, some like to yell, and others let their actions on the field do the talking. I have my own opinion on which method works the best, but each situation requires a different style to produce the needed results.
Nevertheless I’ve seen some guys lead and their teammates and they would run into a brick wall for them whereas others couldn’t get a thirsty teammate to drink a glass if they gave it to them. I believe everyone has the ability to lead their teammates, it’s whether they choose to or not, and what type of leadership style they wish to use, is the real question.
Some players develop their leadership qualities over time by watching others succeed and fail, while other individuals seem to have leadership qualities that come as naturally as breathing, almost like it was instilled in their DNA.
A good leader is someone who says we could’ve played better. A great leader is someone who says I could’ve played better, even if he has the best game of his life. – Unknown
Whichever method or however the leader(s) on the team decide to lead, this is the time in the season for them to stand up and make themselves and their teammates accountable and not let the “dark days” of the season become a distraction or set back in the team’s ULTIMATE GOAL.
As I write this one of the great leaders in the CFL has passed away, Coach Lancaster, and I know that his DNA was made up of the best “leadership qualities.” I would like to take this time to send my deepest condolences and prayers to the Lancaster Family. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play for Coach Lancaster during the first three years of my career and win a Grey Cup with him in Hamilton.
I couldn’t have asked for a better situation, then, having him as my coach for the early part of my career and I would like to say Thank You for teaching me so much, not only as a player but also as a young man. I would like to believe he’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to play this game for 10 years, not to mention that I had my best season under his tutelage.
Thank you, Coach Lancaster!
Corey Grant is a 10 year CFL veteran who has played with the Ti-Cats, Alouettes and, for the last 7 seasons, the Roughriders. A Stoney Creek, Ont. native, Corey has won Grey Cups in 1999 and 2007. He was named the East Division Outstanding Rookie in 1999.
