Justin Dunk
CFL.ca
A familiar number 22 is roaming around in the secondary for the Ticats.
Rookie defensive back Courtney Stephen is wearing the same jersey number his coordinator and position coach used to wear during his days in the Hammer.
“My whole time in Hamilton I wore 22,” Orlondo Steinauer confirmed. “It’s just coincidence, I had no idea what number Courtney chose or anything until he came on the field the first day and had the deuce-deuce on.”
“Coach (Steinauer) used to wear 22 and I hear he did pretty well here back in the day, so I wear it proudly,” Stephen said.
Steinauer wore 22 in all four of his seasons with the Ticats, from 1997-2000. He was named a CFL All-Star in 1998 and hoisted the Grey Cup in 1999 while donning the Black and Gold. This is a level of play and success Stephen is hoping to reach as his young career progresses.
More than just a number
“To me Coach (Steinauer) has been the biggest ‘X’ factor in my development. Bringing his 13 years of playing experience to the table with his type of personality, he’s a guy you can relate to and is a real hands on teacher,” Stephen said. “He’s going to tell you all the things that made him so great and he’s giving me those things in my rookie year.”
“He’s helping me understand football and offences a lot more which has helped me come a long way since I’ve been here.”
Coming out of training camp Stephen had earned a starting position, according to Steinauer, but a nagging injury kept him from making his CFL debut until Week 3 against the Bombers. The non-import defender played only special teams in Hamilton’s 25-20 win over Winnipeg on July 13. Eight days later Stephen was listed as the starter at field or wide side corner when the Ticats travelled to Saskatchewan.
It wasn’t long before Stephen had to rely on his versatility, a trait Steinauer loves in his defensive players. On the first defensive snap of the game, starting safety Erik Harris went down with an injury and number 22 shifted back to fill the safety spot. Stephen registered six tackles in his impressive defensive debut and earned another start at safety in the back half of the home-and-home set against the Riders.
Making just his second career start in Week 5, Stephen made three defensive tackles and had already shown signs of improvement.
“In the second game I was much more confident but I still have a long way to go,” Stephen said. “I’m only two starts into my career and there are guys out there who have played more playoff games and championship games than I’ve played games total.”
“He works at his craft and absorbs criticism and critiques, all those sort of things that make it enjoyable to coach a player,” Steinauer said. “He will make his plays in games, he just needs game-time experience and he is gaining that right now.”
Getting used to the speed of the CFL hasn’t been an issue for Stephen. He said playing against Montreal in the pre-season was a good enough experience for him to adapt to the pace. Also, lining up predominantly at safety through his university career helped Stephen quickly feel comfortable in the pros. However, he is far from being complacent as just a starter.
“I want to be a key contributor,” the first year defensive back said. “Eventually, one day, I want to be somebody who is remembered around here.”
