Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
The defensive secondary is one of the most important positions in Canadian football. In a game where teams routinely have four or five wide receivers on the field, the performance of the defensive backs can easily make or break a team’s defence.
This season, the Tiger-Cats hired Orlondo Steinauer, an former All-Star corner who played with the Tiger-Cats, and most recently, a Grey Cup winning defensive backs coach with the Toronto Argonauts. Steinauer is an expert in the secondary, and he’s hoping to usher in an era of defensive dominance in Hamilton as the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Joining Steinauer in the move from Toronto is Evan McCollough, a cornerback who has played with the Argonauts for the past three seasons. McCullough captured the CFL’s ultimate prize last season, and he’s ready to bring his winning pedigree to Hamilton.
“Coming off a Grey Cup Championship into a whole new environment is exciting,” said McCollough. “It’s time for me to turn it up to another level, and get this Ticats team to a place where we can compete for another Grey Cup.”
McCollough has over 150 tackles and three interceptions in his past three seasons, and he’s now at a level where even more than producing on the field, he’ll be expected to be a leader as well.
“Knowing what Coach Steinauer is bringing to the table and knowing how he coaches is going to make me play a role as a kind of teacher for the others,” McCollough said of his role in Hamilton. “But he’s also bringing some new stuff to the defence that even I don’t know yet, so it’ll still be a learning experience for me as well.”
Coach Steinauer echoed McCollough’s sentiment, and discussed the important role he could play in the Ticats defence in 2013.
“He’s a proven winner, and he understands what I’m trying to do out there,” said Steinauer. “He’s going to act as a nice extension of my hand out there, he’s going to help channel my energy for the other guys.”
That being said, Steinauer was quick to repeat Head Coach Kent Austin’s mantra.
“Nobody’s spot is guaranteed,” said Steinauer. “I want these men to compete like they want to be here.”
And Hamilton is exactly where McCollough wants to be.
“We’ve got a really good group of guys out here,” he said. “Last year in Toronto we had guys who had to put aside their own personal goals and play as a team, and we won the Grey Cup. I see that happening here already in Hamilton, and it’s only training camp.”
From the GM and Head Coach to the individual personnel on the Ticats, the team’s goal is clear: another Grey Cup Championship in Hamilton. The coaching staff on defence are brand new, and the system is being taught by someone who is a proven winner.
Orlondo Steinauer played a large role in the Tiger-Cats last Grey Cup championship. The Tiger-Cats are hoping that he and his protégé Evan McCullough can continue their success and bring another in 2013.
BLACK AND GOLD DAY IN GUELPH THIS SATURDAY!
Black and Gold Day, the Ticats much-anticipated annual fan event, will take place this Saturday, June 8 at the University of Guelph’s Alumni Stadium from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fans will have their first opportunity to check out the Ticats 2013 home field while watching the team continue their preparations for the upcoming season. Black and Gold Day will feature fun for the whole family with live music, interactive inflatables, cheerleaders and mascots on site. Admission is free!
After the team is finished practicing, fans will be invited onto the field to collect autographs and take pictures with their favourite players.
Fans are encouraged to park in lot P19, located on College Avenue across from Alumni Stadium.
