Q: Your aggressive play calling and intense coaching style has been well publicized this season. Where did this attitude and mentality towards the way you coach football come from?
CC: I can tell you some of the guys who instilled that in me. As a player, playing for Mike Smith, who is the current head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, he was my ‘D’ coordinator in college. Aggressive style of coaching. Perry Fewel, who is now the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, was my DB coach down in Jacksonville. Aggressive style coach. And Mike Tomlin when I was in Tampa. He was a teacher and had a very aggressive style. Mike Smith and also Chris Jones were aggressive play callers. That was their mindset. I just took it on. That’s just me as a coach.
Q: The Tiger-Cats motto this year is ‘Commit to Win’. Does the defence have a separate motto? A phrase or word that the defence rallies around?
CC: Right now, our whole thing, every week you’ll hear these guys talking about ‘eat’. E-A-T. It’s Commit to Win, but the only way we can win is by eating. It’s an acronym, meaning effort, eyes, alignment and technique. We do those things and that’s what we’re living off of and that’s why we’re having a bit of success right now.
Q: What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned through your first four games as a coordinator?
CC: I’m learning some good lessons. There’s some things that I’m learning, like time management and how to call a game and all of that. But the biggest lesson that I’ve learned is about the level of aggressiveness. You can’t get over aggressive. And not letting things on the field dictate when I call certain plays.
Q: You have some vocal guys on your defence, players like Stevie Baggs and Renauld Williams. Having leaders like Stevie and Rey are valuable for any team to have. How do they affect or alter the make up of this defence?
CC: The defence is theirs. We come up with the schemes and what fits their talents. They’re vocal on both sides, meaning they help the defence and also they’re vocal to let me know ‘I want to run this’ and ‘I think we should run that’. They set the tone and they carry the vision out. They’re good at what they do. Those guys are just doing a real good job of taking the defence to where it needs to be.
Q: Second year defensive back Ryan Hinds played a solid game at field corner last week in B.C. After breaking down his performance, what in particular stood out about the way he played?
CC: There are some things that Ryan needs to correct. But what Ryan is doing well is he’s starting to really understand the game. Understand the position more. I saw him make some good tackles and where things used to be slower with him, he’s picked things up and is working quicker now.
Q: Name the player who you have seen grow and develop the most since training camp?
CC: Eddie Steele. Without a doubt. I’ve talked about it before, but Eddie has taken strides to become a pro. He’s a young guy who I see making strides. Also, Albert Smith. Those two young guys, they’re blossoming. I hear a lot of talk about our ends, but I think those two young guys in the middle are starting to stand out.
Q: The Alouettes are in town this week. There have been some questions as to whether or not Anthony Calvillo will be starting due to the blurred vision he experienced last game. Does Calvillo’s status change the game plan or the way you prepare as a coach?
CC: We’re preparing for Montreal the team and they have two good quarterbacks. They have a veteran quarterback, who is accurate with all of his throws and they have a young quarterback [Adrian McPherson] who has legs. That’s very challenging because that makes him a running back and a quarterback all at one time. You have to have a game plan saying ‘if this guy comes in, they may do this’. They’ll have the same game plan, but call different things to suit their guys. We have little things ready for each guy.
Q: From a technical point of view, as a defensive back, how do you deal with the big, physical Montreal slot backs? Jamel Richardson is 6’3″ and S.J. Green is 6’2″ and they’re both over 200 lbs. How are you going to slow those guys down?
CC: It’s hard. If you’re going to play off-man, then you’ve got to key them because they have the speed. If you’re going to play bump and run, then you’ve got to use your feet and your hands. It’s a tough deal defending that group of receivers. I think it’s going to come down to heart. It’s not about how much technique, it’s about how much heart he has or I have to win on that specific play.
Q: It’s still early in the season, but what is your ‘game changing’ play of the year so far made by the Ticats defence?
CC: Right now the best play to this point, the one that sticks out in my mind, is Markeith the other night knocking that ball out on third and ten. That was huge. If that’s a completion, they keep going, they keep driving. They were coming back and on a roll there, so that third and ten play with Markeith knocking the ball out in B.C. has to be it.
Q: Yesterday, after practice, you were participating in some footwork drills with the defensive backs, pushing those guys to get better. With the B.C. Lions offensive line coach Kelly Bates strapping on the pads this week due to injuries on his line, the question has to be asked… If the need arises, could Coach Chamblin fill in for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats secondary?
CC: I have a lot of young guys that I have coached along the way that I would bring back before I come in (laughs). You do not have to worry. I enjoy coaching way too much. I’ve done my time. You will never see me back on this field, besides coaching them and without pads.
