Justin Dunk
Ticats.ca
Since the beginning of the 2011 regular season, a soft-spoken specials teams ace has turned into a vocal leader, to the point where he is organizing and leading meetings.
On day one and two of the three days Hamilton typically uses for on-field preparation in advance of their upcoming opponent, Marc Beswick holds his own player-run specials teams meeting from 8-8:55am.
Team meetings during a regular Ticats work day commence at 9:00am at Ivor Wynne. By that time, Beswick has already shared his wisdom on the upcoming opponent with his fellow members of the unit that is so crucial to a CFL team’s success.
“It’s all Bes,” specials teams coordinator Brad Miller said after the first practice in advance of Monday’s Labour Day Classique.
“He gets them in and they all sit down and watch film together. He leads the meeting just like a coach would. He goes unit by unit and they watch all the tape of the opponent.”
“I go in there and we talk about stuff that we see, then we go out and execute,” he said of his teaching sessions. “It’s a comfort level, we’re all on the same page, and it just makes everyone’s job easier.”
Number three has stepped up to help fill a void where leadership was needed. After the retirement of Ray Mariuz before the season, and with strong special teamers Dylan Barker and Yannick Carter out of service due to injury, Beswick started to lead.
“He’s done a tremendous job of assuming a leadership role on the special teams unit, when we’ve lost some bodies,” Miller said.
“The last couple years I haven’t really been a vocal guy, but this year I have taken more of a leadership role… talking more and making sure we’re all on the same page, making sure everybody is doing their job, making sure everybody is lined up where they should be,” Beswick added.
“It’s a new role, but I’ve embraced it and I think that is what the team needed.”
The St. Mary’s product currently leads the CFL with 14 special teams tackles, even further proving his leadership of the Ticats special forces.
“Within the context of special teams we haven’t put Marc in any more specific role to make tackles than anybody else,” Miller said. “The ball has come his way and when he has had an opportunity to make a play, he’s made it.”
Beswick has shown steady improvement in Black and Gold after being released by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after the 2008 season, and picked up by Hamilton in time for the 2009 campaign. He recorded 20 tackles during his first season as a Ticat and 21 in his second, and with the 14 he has racked up already this season he is on pace, once again, to better that total in 2011.
“We just play within a system and at any time anybody can make the play. I go as hard as I can and whenever the play comes to me I make it,” Beswick said. “I spend a lot of time watching film, seeing things that I can take advantage of.”
Beswick is playing his third season in Steeltown, and after inking a contract extension through the 2013 season on August 24, he’ll be around for a while.
“They gave me an opportunity to play and I came out here and showcased what I could do. I focused on being consistent and kept getting better and that’s kind of a reward for working hard,” Beswick said of signing his extension.
“Beswick does his job, he knows his job and everybody else’s job. He’s a tremendous student of the game,” Miller added.
As the apprentice continues to evolve from student to teacher, the Ticats special teams play will certainly continue on an upward trend.
