Kyle Myers
Ticats.ca
Oftentimes in sports, a team’s leader is a marquee figure: his face plastered on programs and his jersey on the backs of thousands of fans at each home game. But Marc Beswick is different; Marc Beswick is special.
A man described by Kent Austin as a “natural leader,” Beswick has found his niche on the Ticats’ special teams units – all of them to be precise. The sixth-year pro currently leads the CFL in special teams tackles with 14 through nine games, and is an integral member of a unit which hasn’t allowed a return touchdown of any kind yet this season. For the player known affectionately by teammates as ‘Bez,’ special teams has been a focus his entire career, dating all the way back to his junior football days.
“It pretty much started when I was in California,” said Beswick of his involvement on specials. “That’s basically how I made the travel team in my first year.”
What began as a mere necessity for Beswick as a youngster is now his primary means of earning a paycheck, and he admits that it was his hunger to be on the field which kept him involved in special teams throughout his career.
“In my last year of college at Saint Mary’s I played on all four special teams and defence,” he continued. “It’s something that I enjoy a lot, but it’s also something I had to do to get on the field as much as I could.”
Beswick notched his 100th CFL special teams tackle in last Friday’s game against the BC Lions, but it’s obvious that his impact on the field is more than any statistic clould possibly communicate.
“He could be another coach really, he’s that knowledgeable,” said Austin. “He is the first guy to help somebody with their understanding, he’s aware when somebody is struggling. Marc has a good combination of being prepared himself and being aware of those around him.”
Voted a co-captain by his teammates at the beginning of the season, Beswick has thrived in a mentor’s role, leading with his play on the field as well as helping younger players understand the team’s philosophy.
“We’re a fairly young team, so the more I can help these guys out the better off the team is, that’s the ultimate goal,” Beswick said after practice Wednesday. “I take it as a personal responsibility to make sure we’re all on the same page, we’re all seeing the same things, we all know the calls and the adjustments we need to make.”
On pace to lead the Ticats in special teams tackels for the second consecutive season, Beswick is the last to take credit for his accomplishments.
“If I’m able to make a play, I try my best to do so,” he said. “But it could be anybody making that play. I think for me the game slows down a little bit and I can see the game the way other players can’t, but I’ve also missed a lot of plays, and those are the only ones I think about.”
Last week against the Lions, Beswick and the Ticats special teams unit snapped return man Tim Brown’s streak of consecutive games with a return touchdown, and also held him to his lowest return yardage total since week five.
“The biggest thing is just being aggressive,” Beswick explained. “You’ve got to be aggressive, and you’ve got to make tackles. We didn’t miss a lot of tackles last week, and that’s huge. When guys had a chance to make plays they made them.”
Though special teams is an area of football which affords little in the way of personal recognition, at least outside of the locker room, it’s clear that glory and notoriety are the last things on the mind of Hamilton’s special teams captain.
“As long as we’re not giving up big plays, that’s all I care about.”
