Baggs Ready To Lead

Ticats.ca
Justin Dunk

To say that Ticats training camp has been very vocal in 2011 would be a huge understatement.  

Players on both sides of the ball have been communicating before the snap of the football and sharing a few friendly verbal exchanges after the play is over.

Stevie Baggs, who is going through his first full camp as a member of the Black and Gold, is never one to be soft spoken and 55 has been the match who ignites the boisterous fire since the veterans hit the practice field on Sunday.

“That’s the role that I’ve had since I’ve been playing football at age seven. I’m a firm believer that if you talk stuff, you better back it up… that’s what I pride myself on,” Baggs said after back-to-back practices at McMaster University.

“We want all our players to be leaders, but certainly [Baggs] will be one of the vocal ones,” agreed Ticats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille.

Baggs certainly showed the ability to back up his talking after joining the Ticats late last season, starting seven games to end the year and registering five sacks to go along with three fumble recoveries, two touchdowns and even an interception. Despite his success on the field a season ago, Baggs knows how important his first training camp with the Ticats is in order to lay the proper groundwork for the regular season.

“It’s harder when you come in at the end of the season to establish that type of bond with the guys. It’s good to get around the guys at the beginning of the year,” Baggs said. “Guys really respect you more — you respect a guy for his play, but when you come in and build camaraderie from day one, you have that leadership foundation established, so guys are willing follow.”

A concept that was reiterated by his coach.

“He’ll be a leader on this team and to be a leader on the team you’ve got to go through those training camps and get down and grind and go through the dirty part of it with the rest of your teammates,” Bellefeuille said. “He’s gaining respect everyday for the energy level he brings to practice.”

Baggs is using his first full training camp with the Ticats to make sure his body is in football shape come July 1, as well as working to ensure his defensive assignments become purely instinctive.

“I need to work on my runs fits, hands, pass rush, just making sure that I’m doing everything that coach wants us to do, so that when it comes down to the season, being in the gap is second nature, running to the ball is second nature,” Baggs said. “A champion is made in the pre-season and the off-season, by the time the season starts you have a feel of who’s going to be an individual champion which turns into a collective champion.”

Baggs has been utilized on the defensive line with his hand on the ground and out of a two-point stance throughout his career and he will continue to give pass protectors different looks this season.

“The advantage you have by standing up is that you’re able to see everything,” Baggs said.

Baggs explained that he uses whatever stance he feels is best on a particular play. If he feels the offence is going to run the football he puts his hand on the ground to create leverage against the offensive lineman across from him. If he senses a pass play is on the way, Baggs stands up in order to burst off the line quicker and disrupt the quarterback.

Utilizing the different stances helps Baggs to make the game changing plays he lives for, and he is excited about the new aggressive, in-your-face style of defence Corey Chamblin is installing.

“We’re looking to get takeaways, the man with the ball wins. Sacks are great, but we want to make sure we get takeaways,” Baggs said. “If we can get the ball back to Kevin Glenn, Avon Cobourne, Maurice Mann, [Marcus] Thigpen, [Arland] Bruce, all those guys over there, it’s a deadly combination, so we want to give those guys as many opportunities to make plays as possible.”

Fans will get up close and personal with Baggs throughout camp, as the second-year Tiger-Cat is documenting his experiences at McMaster for Ticats TV.  The first video should be available soon. 

BLACK AND GOLD DAY THIS SATURDAY!

MULTIMEDIA

June 6 Photo Gallery	Ticats TV: Day 2 Report

TRAINING CAMP NOTES

• A scout from the NFL’s Miami Dolphins observed Monday’s practices
• Jason Shivers, playing safety with the defence backed up at their own 15 yard line, made a great read to pick off a Kevin Glenn pass.  Defensive end Morrice Richardson and safety Ray Wladichuk also came up with picks off of tipped passes. 
• PLAY OF THE DAY:  Rookie receiver Aaron Kelly made a ridiculous one-handed, diving catch between two defenders during the team session.  A pass from Kevin Glenn seemed destined to become incomplete until Kelly fully extended himself and hauled in the pass just inches from the turf.  Easily the play of the Ticats short 2011 season.