Isaac Owusu
Ticats.ca
The Tiger-Cats made a statement with their week 12 win, on a team and individual level.
The team didn’t just defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28-3, but a a pair of players were recognized league-wide for their contributions.
Linebacker Taylor Reed and receiver/return specialistTerrell Sinkfield garnered the CFL’s Defensive Player and Special Teams Player of the Week respectively
The honours represent years of hard work and perseverance by both players to get to their spots.
“I feel like I’ve just been getting better every week,” Reed said.
“The more experience I get, the more I can contribute. I can say we had a good strategy going into the game, it was a great strategy that allowed me to make plays,” he added.
Reed led the Ticats in defensive tackles with six and also added a take down on special teams and a booming sack on new Roughriders quarterback Tino Sunseri.
Reed insists that playing in the Ticats defence is ideal for his skills.
“I like blitzing, and Coach O (Orlondo Steinauer) knows that I like blitzing. He’s given me opportunities to make plays and I made a few sacks and he keeps calling my number, so I can’t thank him enough.”
In addition to Steinauer, Reed also credits a comrade in the linebacker core for his success.
“We’ve got great guys like Simoni (Lawrence). He’s a great speedy guy, and he helps a lot in coverage. The fact that he’s a big guy that can also cover, we can put him in the post sometimes where he’s playing safety, he does a lot of stuff that I can’t do,” Reed said.
Sinkfield’s first game in Hamilton was a memorable one. His 167 yards in returns were electric, but it was the 57 yards he amassed on his punt return for a score that sent a message.
His day capped off a career filled with movement and uncertainty.
“It was a learning process in the NFL, then coming here and starting with Toronto, then now coming to Hamilton,” he said.
Following his tenure at Northern Iowa, Sinkfield found himself signing with four NFL franchises in 2013. He was a part of the Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants, before joining the Toronto Argonauts and then joining the Tiger Cats in early September.
“I just have make the most of those times, they’re all learning experiences for me. Being here I feel really great because I feel wanted here and enjoy being here,” he said.
His touchdown made him the third Hamilton return man to score a punt return joining Brandon Banks and Quincy McDuffie.
With all the talent in the return game, Sinkfield knows he still has to work to stand out.
“I’m just taking it one day at a time, trying to get in my playbook firstly on the offensive end and then on special teams.
All the returners are great and we get great blocks. Anybody back there can do a great job with this team.”
