Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
Sam Giguere’s reputation continues to grow in TigerTown, and yet Friday will mark his first competitive outing in Black and Gold.
For four years, Ticat fans were left to contemplate the potential possessed by the standout collegiate receiver, who took his talents to the NFL after being drafted by Hamilton in the opening round of the 2008 CFL Draft.
Upon his arrival in Hamilton at the onset of training camp, Giguere’s unique combination of physical and technical gifts became instantly evident. A competitive enigma, the Francophone wide out gained further mystique when we learned of his off-season regimen, a routine that has undoubtedly driven up the price of woodlots across the country.
But with the hype surrounding his inclusion among the Black and Gold reaching a fever pitch, Giguere remains focused on completing the transition to Canadian football that both he and his coaches know to be no easy feat. While it is certainly ongoing, the Ticat receiver indicates that the process of reacquainting himself with the nuances of the CFL game is progressing well with the help of his veteran teammates.
“It’s going great,” says Giguere of his continued learning. “I think we had a good training camp and two good preseason games. Obviously there’s still work to be done, but it’s been going well. With the veterans that we have in the receiving corps like Andy (Fantuz) and (Dave) Stala, they’ve been helping me out a lot and giving me advice. So I’m feeling more and more comfortable.”
A key aspect of any pass catcher’s success lies in his relationship and on-field understanding with his quarterback, and Giguere believes that he could hardly ask for a better leader under center than the Ticats’ seasoned pivot Henry Burris. Well versed in the offensive expectations of Coach Cortez and eager to impart that knowledge to those around him, Burris is the perfect mentor and partner for a young receiver looking to learn.
“He’s been awesome,” says Giguere of his quarterback. “He’s a great quarterback, and he has tremendous leadership ability on the offence and really across the whole team as well. He’s really comfortable with this playbook and he knows it inside and out already because he’s worked with it in the past. He’s been great, and when something’s not exactly as he would want it to be, he takes me aside and we’ll practice it. We’ll repeat it until we get it right. And I like that, because I like to be perfect and try to execute plays as well as we can.”
Another constant source of aid in that quest toward perfection is Coach Cortez, who takes an active role in his receivers’ education and offers constant individual feedback from drill to drill. Giguere expresses his gratitude for such attention to detail, essential as it is to ironing out the kinks in the Ticats’ offensive game plan.
“I’m learning a lot, especially now that the season is underway and we’re putting in plays to try and take advantage of what Saskatchewan does,” says Giguere. “So I think that it’s important that we gt the right picture, and that’s why Coach comes in and tries to make us see what’s going to happen out there on the field and to give us a sense of what we have to do and how to execute plays. He’s been great, and I like having feedback after every play, so it’s good like that.
“I think we’re all working toward the same goal and that’s winning the next game. Whatever we can do to achieve that is great.”
That next game comes with more than its fair share of fanfare, standing as it does as the Ticats’ season and home opener, and the last such game to ever be played at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Giguere understands the added excitement that the occasion of Friday will certainly bring, but argues that it must be balanced with the professionalism expected of any contest.
“It definitely matters at least a little bit,” says the receiver of the looming tilt. “It’s the next game but everybody’s a little more fired up because it’s also the first game. It’s important to start the season with a win and get the ball rolling. But at the same time, we have to treat it like just one more game. Right now we’re trying to focus on getting the game plan right and executing the plays as well as we can.”
Regardless of the hype surrounding both he and his team as they head into the historic opener, the sights of Giguere and his teammates are centered squarely on the technical and tactical requirements of victory on Friday.
