Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
The spotlight couldn’t shine any brighter on Henry Burris at the moment, and deservedly so. The combination of his lethal passing form and imminent contest against the team with which he earned his stripes provides a wealth of talking points.
But as the Tiger-Cats look to extend their three-game winning streak against the Stampeders on Thursday, Burris is far from the only former Stamp who is poised to play a starring role against his former squad.
In fact, you’ll find another long-serving member of the Stampeders lining up mere feet from Burris when the Tiger-Cats’ offence takes to the field. Veteran guard Tim O’Neill – who has brought significant experience to the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line this season – spent four years protecting Burris while wearing Stampeder red.
O’Neill has deep roots in the Albertan metropolis, having played his college football for the University of Calgary. But as he speaks of moving on to the greener pastures of Southern Ontario, the lineman gives a demonstration of his sense of humour.
In a total deadpan, he declares that he never liked anything about Calgary. “The Stampede isn’t even fun,” O’Neill jokes before finally cracking a smile.
Levity aside, the ex-Stampeder is clearly enjoying his new surroundings and the Tiger-Cat offensive line that has welcomed him into its ranks. Recent displays suggest that he and his fellow frontmen are having no trouble working together, and O’Neill confirms that he is meshing well with a fresh set of teammates.
“It’s a good group of guys. It felt good right away that we worked well together,” says the veteran guard. “Every day we come here and we chat about football. So I think we’re working well together and you’re starting to see the same thing. I think we can get really good as a group.”
The efforts of that unit have done much to pave the way for their offence’s league-leading production totals. That rings particularly true in the case of pass protection, where the Tiger-Cats’ offensive line has shined time and time again.
When given the time to make his reads, Burris has routinely taken full advantage and dissected opposing defences. With his skill set, O’Neill believes that his quarterback is bound to succeed if he is afforded the proper conditions in which to operate.
“You see the plays where he is feeling comfortable and it makes it a lot easier on him,” says the lineman. “If we can keep him clean and looking downfield, he does a good job for us.”
While the quarterback himself is the one to receive the traditional accolades when his aerial attack performs as the Tiger-Cats’ has to this point, O’Neill says that the contributions of the line are not lost on Burris.
“He’s a great guy to play for,” says the lineman of his quarterback. “He always makes you feel good, and he’s always got your back. He takes care of us.”
While O’Neill and his offensive line strive to keep grass stains from Burris’ jersey on Thursday, another former Stampeder will be confronting Calgary’s toughest attacking weapons.
Cornerback Geoff Tisdale spent last season in Alberta after building his CFL resume in Hamilton. The Ticat ball hawk has only positive things to say about his experience in Calgary, where he was given the opportunity to play the physical brand of defence that he relishes.
“I had fun in Calgary and there are no hard feelings at all,” says Tisdale of the trade that brought him back to the Tiger-Cats in June. “They gave me a great opportunity to do what I like to do, and that’s to play man defence. I appreciate everything that they gave me there but I’m happy to be back in Hamilton.”
Wearing Black and Gold once again, Tisdale has been tasked with the duty of patrolling the boundary corner, traditionally the most demanding coverage assignment in football.
The four-year CFL veteran explains that he would have it no other way, relishing the challenge of matching many of the league’s best receivers step for step.
“That’s what I want to be,” says Tisdale. “I believe that I train and prepare for that, so I want to be put in the position to have that responsibility.”
Tisdale will bear that burden once again on Thursday, as he and his backfield teammates size up a threat that is well known to the ex-Stampeder. The danger in question is Nik Lewis, the long-time fixture among Calgary’s wide outs who currently leads his team with 444 receiving yards through five games.
Tisdale’s approach to Lewis is simple: play technically solid football and challenge the Stampeder star to be perfect.
“We’ve just got to play smart, sound football,” says the Tiger-Cat cornerback. “Nik is a human being just like the rest of us. He’s a good receiver – probably the best in the league right now – but we’ve also got some of the best DBs in the league right now.”
Having shed the Stampeder designation in the offseason, Tisdale and O’Neill are equally prepared to aid the Tiger-Cats in claiming victory over their former teammates on Thursday.
