By: Justin Boone
A Secret Weapon
In a CFL world full of big players and bigger personalities, where high priced free agents get all the articles written about them, it’s not surprising Chris Thompson goes generally undetected.
With a name so ordinary it was easy to glance over, Thompson has quietly become the sharpest tooth on the Ticats defensive attack.
It began with an impressive training camp, where he showed he had the ability to locate the ball in the air and make a play on it. If you were awarding an MVP of the pre-season, Thompson and LB Markeith Knowlton, numbers 25 and 26 respectively, would have shared the honour.
“At the beginning of the season I set goals for myself, and right now I’m having a great season thanks to Coach Creehan’s defensive system,” said a very humble Thompson.
It’s that humility that has allowed him to go relatively unnoticed in 2008, despite leading the East in interceptions with seven, putting him one behind the league leader Barron Miles in B.C.
“I’m not really worried about who gets the accolades. It’s a team effort,” explained the second-year halfback. “If I can win the interception title this year, that would be great, but I’d like to see the playoffs.”
Thompson arrived in Hamilton as the lesser-known piece returning in the Brock Ralph trade. The other player the Cats received was LB Mike Botterill, who fans knew from his days in a McMaster uniform, and was expected to be a solid backup and special teamer, but not an impact defender. The consensus among the Black and Gold faithful on the Ticats.ca forums was that the team had traded their speedy Canadian receiver in Ralph, for depth on defence. Thompson knew better.
“Chris is a ballhawk,” said head coach Marcel Bellefuille without hesistation. “He makes a lot of plays in the secondary, not just intercepting passes, but he does it in the end zone and turns the tide. He’s one of our difference makers and a critical part of our defence.”
“Hamilton really wanted me here,” Thompson admitted, “So I got ready for it and focused on making my new team better.”
Like many CFLers, he had spent time in the NFL and overseas in NFL Europe, but had yet to make a name for himself. Last week against Montreal, in his fourteenth game in TigerTown, Thompson had another pick, in the team’s 44-38 win over the first place Alouettes.
“The whole defence played great. Montreal caught a lot of balls, but we stayed composed, stuck to our gameplan and most importantly won the game. We still have four games left, so we’re going to see how this ends up.”
The Ins and Outs
(Storylines from around the CFL)
In The Name Of Love – One more note on Chris Thompson. He found himself once again overshadowed during the Montreal game when his wife, Sherrica, participated in the Rob Golfi Remax Run along with four other players’ wives, with the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Foundation. Mrs. Thompson tackled Golfi in the first five yards, much to the surprise of the crowd who cheered her effort. The move allowed the four other wives to beat the swift-footed real estate agent and raise $400 for the worthy cause. Well done Sherrica.
Out Of Left Field – If someone told you in training camp that in Week 15, Quinton Porter and Prechae Rodriguez would be leading the team to an upset victory over Montreal, you would have walked them over to the hospital on the McMaster campus and had them admitted. That’s exactly what happened though as the two battled it out for Player of the Week honours, both posting huge stats. Porter won the award this week, but the next test will be repeating the performance on the Alouettes turf in Week 16.
Feather In His Cap – It’s an All-Ticats version of the Ins and Outs thus far, so why stop now. Markeith Knowlton is worthy of mention along the lines of Chris Thompson as a player who isn’t getting the credit he deserves for his play. On top of leading the team in tackles with 68, he also leads the league in interceptions among linebackers with three. He is athletic enough to drop back into coverage, which gives the defence an added dimension.
Fish Out Of Water – The second annual Football 101 is returning on October 20, giving ladies a chance to learn the basics of CFL football from members of the Ticats coaching staff and team. I was still kicking around the office last year when the event took place and the ladies were having a great time joking around and having a few glasses of wine, while learning some of the finer points of the Canadian game, possibly even a few things their husbands or boyfriends didn’t even know.
Easier Said Than Done
(Quote of the Week)
“I would say he’s the (Most Outstanding Player) and (Most Outstanding) Defensive Player. I don’t see any quarterback or running back that is more dominant than he is at his position. He’s had an outstanding year and he keeps getting better.”
Bob O’Billovich talking about B.C. Lions defensive end Cameron Wake, who now has 19 sacks (almost double anyone else in the league) and 57 tackles as a D-lineman. Obie knows Cameron well, since he’s the one who brought him to the Lions in 2007. Now he’s working hard to strike lightning again on Hamilton’s defensive front.
Follow The Leader
(Leaders from CFL and the Ticats)
CFL Rushing – CGY Joffrey Reynolds – 181 carries, 1,071 yards, 9 TDs
Ticats Rushing – HAM Jesse Lumsden – 84 carries, 586 yards, 5 TDs
CFL Passing – MTL Anthony Calvillo – 388/560, 4,726 yards, 35 TDs
Ticats Passing – HAM Casey Printers – 118/207, 1,562 yards, 4 TDs
CFL Receiving – B.C. Geroy Simon – 64 receptions, 1,154 yards, 7 TDs
Ticats Receiving – HAM Prechae Rodriguez – 50 receptions, 829 yards, 6 TDs
CFL Tackling – WPG Zeke Moreno – 75 Tackles
Ticats Tackling – HAM Markeith Knowlton – 68 Tackles
CFL Interceptions – B.C. Barron Miles – 8 INTs
Ticats Interceptions – HAM Chris Thompson – 7 INTs
CFL Sacks – B.C. Lions Cameron Wake – 19 Sacks
Ticats Sacks – HAM Darrell Adams – 5 Sacks
Let me know your thoughts on the week by sending your e-mails, comments, or questions to jboone@ticats.ca
