Ticats Notebook – June 25

Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca

The acquisition of Tisdale: good reports across the board

The Ticats enjoyed their first regularly slated practice at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Monday, and welcomed a familiar face to the fold in the process.
   
Defensive back Geoff Tisdale – who spent three seasons with the Black and Gold before joining the Calgary Stampeders as a free agent in 2011 – returned to the team via trade on Saturday to add some veteran savvy to the Hamilton backfield.
   
The Ticats Head Coach and Director of Football Operations George Cortez addressed the addition of the seasoned ball hawk in the wake of his team’s Monday morning workout, and indicated that Tisdale had received praise from several former teammates before his acquisition.
   
“We had a chance to get a quality player,” said Cortez of the decision to move draft picks westward for the defensive back.

“We think he’ll help us be a better football team. The fact that everybody knew him and spoke highly of him helped. I talked with some guys who he had played with – not just here – and they all spoke highly of him. It made it an easy thing to do.”
   
With regards to Tisdale’s acclimation to his new surroundings, Cortez said that he hoped for a smooth transition, but realized that such a process would take some time.
   
“Right now we’re working with him along the boundary,” said the coach. “We’re hoping to have him up to speed this week. Obviously he just got here yesterday, so there’s work to do.”

Gladly approaching meaningful football

Monday marked the first workout of the regular season, and Cortez expressed the Ticats’ shared excitement to have exited the trials of training camp and entered the campaign proper.
   
With meaningful games comes more serious practice, a practice which saw the Black and Gold in full pads to begin the week.
   
“We’re very happy to be out of training camp,” said Cortez. “The fun for everybody is the games and everybody gets excited for that. I thought we moved around well today and I’m sure that the fact that it felt like the first day of fall out there was part of it. We were in shells and there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and that’s the game.”