First and 10: Justin Hickman

Q: The Ticats laid a beating on the Alouettes on Labour Day. Hamilton’s defence didn’t even allow an offensive touchdown in the game. How is the team staying grounded and focused for the re-match this Sunday?

JH: We’re falling back on our foundation; Hard work and dedication. Those are the things that got us to this point in the season and we’re just building on those things. They’ll take us the way we want to go.

Q: You have four sacks in two games against Montreal this season. What’s working for you against the Alouettes? Why have you found success against one of the best offensive lines in the league?

JH: It starts with the coverage. Our secondary does their job covering up their receivers, which gives us more time to get to the quarterback. As far as me personally? It’s the way I use my hands. In the trenches, if I can keep their hands off of me then they can’t block me. It’s working for me.

Q: You’re sitting second in the league in sacks right now with seven, two behind Odell Willis of the Blue Bombers. You’ve got four sacks in your last two games. Does winning the sack race motivate you from a personal perspective? Are you even thinking about it?

JH: I wouldn’t call it motivation, but it’s one of those things that would be nice to tell people. It’s not a motivating factor for me though.

Q: After your first sack in the Labour Day game, you paid tribute to retired Ticat linebacker Otis Floyd by doing his patented machine gun celebration. What was it like having him there on Monday? And how much of an impact did he have in the locker room?

JH: Man, I miss O. Otis is one of those characters that when you see him he brings back memories and when I saw him in the locker room that day it brought me back to the last two years. Just his presence exudes a contagious type of energy and we just ran with it on Labour Day.

Q: There are a lot of defensive linemen in the history of professional football with some unique pass rushing styles. Growing up, who did you style your game after? And explain what the Justin Hickman style of pass rushing is.

JH: Growing up, I didn’t have a particular guy I watched. I watched whoever the best guy was at the time. I liked LT when I was younger, Reggie White, Kevin Greene, those type of guys. The all-time elite type pass rushers. Now, I’d say my game is just a complete game. I think I do a good job of using speed, agility and power and incorporating it all together into one.

Q: Ticats kicker Justin Medlock and you were college team mates at UCLA. Are you surprised at how effective he’s been in Hamilton this season? Or is this the type of player he’s always been?

JH: I’m not surprised. Justin is pretty well respected and people understand what he’s capable of around this league. As for me, going to college with him, I knew what type of leg he had and what type of head he had on his shoulders. The way he’s playing this year doesn’t surprise me at all.

Q: The Ticats haven’t had the best of luck winning in Montreal in recent years. You’ve played a handful of games at Percival Molson Stadium in your three-year career, why is it so tough to win there? And what is it going to take on Sunday?

JH: We’re going to have to come out there with a chip on our shoulder. We’re going to have to act like we lost on Labour Day because they’ll come out upset. We know that already. It’s been a short week so everyone will have to be extra focused. That place, it’s a tough place to win. Montreal, for the past few years, have been a dominating presence in this league. They’re back-to-back champions. It’s not just them you’re facing, it’s their presence, their aura and the prestige of their city. 

Q: You and a group of your teammates spent the bye week in Moncton running minor football camps. Now that you’ve spent some time out on the East Coast, what are you looking forward to the most when the Tiger-Cats head to New Brunswick for the Touchdown Atlantic game on September 25.

JH: The seafood. Lobster. That’s what I’m looking forward to the most besides going out there and working hard and getting the win. But off the football field, it’s that seafood.

Q: We’re exactly at the halfway point in the season. What’s one part of your game that you’re working on to improve in the second half.

JH: My leadership skills. I’m one of those guys that is more introverted. I stick to myself and I worry about my own game. But I think, as far as studying and more off-field type stuff with my teammates and getting with the d-line, I can work on that.

Q: You’re one of the best pass rushers in the CFL this season. Getting to the quarterback seven times, you’ve already equaled your sack totals from 2010 and 2009. What is different about this year? Is it defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin’s scheme? Maturity? Opportunity? Explain.

JH: It’s a combination of everything. This is my third year. I now fully understand the Canadian game. Coming from the States, especially pass rushing, it makes you adjust your technique and the way you play. It took some getting used to. And Chamb’s attitude and his scheme has been a big part. Not saying that Coach Marshall’s scheme the last two years was bad, but Coach Chamblin is always talking about the Law of Averages. In his defence, I get a lot more opportunities to straight rush, to one-on-one pass rush, as opposed to Marshall’s scheme where there was more opportunities to stunt. The more opportunities I’ve had to pass rush, the more opportunities I’ve had to win.