NewYorkJets.com
CFL.ca Staff
With files from BlueBombers.com
Jamaal Westerman isn’t upset his NFL career is over – no, he’s exactly where he wants to be.
The 30-year-old is about to get back to playing three-down football again and lining up a yard off the ball – something he hasn’t done since high school. Yet rather than feeling down over the end of his six-year career south of the border, Westerman is cherishing the beginning of a new career.
“I don’t think there’s any disappointment in this,” Westerman told BlueBombers.com. “I think there’s all excitement for me to continue to play football, a game that I’ve always loved playing that I’ve played for as long as I can imagine.”
“I got the opportunity to play in the NFL for a long time, but I always thought that one day I would play in the CFL. My brothers played in the CFL and I had a lot of friends that I went to high school with and even some friends in college that play in the CFL. I’m definitely excited to play in a city like Winnipeg with the fans and everything that goes with it.”
Westerman is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y. and a CFL national by status. He played high school football in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. before moving to Brampton, Ont., starting in every season he played.
This season he’ll return to his roots – sort of. Winnipeg is far from southern Ontario, but it’s now home for Westerman, who chose the Bombers over eight other interested CFL teams.
“I don’t think any team lost, I just think Winnipeg was the right team for me at this stage in my life,” said Westerman. “All nine teams contacted my agent and I appreciate that. I don’t think there would have been a wrong decision, this was just glaring that it was so right for me.”
Jamaal is the third Westerman sibling to land in the CFL after brothers Jabal and Jawaan played for BC and Winnipeg respectively. Jawaan, signed by the Bombers as an undrafted free agent in 2012, provided Jamaal some insight on the city – but outside of that Jamaal said he made a football decision.
“I met with the coaching staff and I believed in their philosophy,” said Westerman. “I met with the head coach and the GM, the president – everybody on down and it all fit with the things I wanted moving forward in my career.”
“The one thing I’ve always thought about and that I’ve tried to make part of my business, all the decisions I make are football decisions,” he added. “Where I fit within the team and how they’re going to use me, I was going to be successful at it.”
The next pressing question involves the role and impact Westerman will have with the Bombers, especially out of the gate. The team released defensive lineman Jason Vega in a surprise move last month, and Westerman’s build at six-foot-three, 260 pounds suits him as a CFL defensive end.
He picked up six career sacks as an NFL linebacker and a career-high 3.5 in 2011 as a member of the New York Jets, but a move to the CFL lining up a full yard off the ball – something he hasn’t done since playing for Notre Dame Secondary School in Brampton – is a little different than playing linebacker in the NFL.
“Give me a couple of weeks and I’ll let you know,” said Westerman when asked about the transition. “In high school we did play a yard off the ball so I played that for four years with three downs and everything. I hope it doesn’t take me long.”
“I guess we’ll see after a couple of pre-season games how long it will take,” he continued. “It’s not a concern, but of course it is an adjustment I’ll have to make.”
Westerman said he met with the Bombers’ defensive coaches, including Defensive Line Coach Todd Howard about the adjustment.
“They spoke to me about it and said it’s not an issue for guys, but it does take time to get used to because there’s a different aiming point with setting up your pass rush move and different things like that.”
Yet in the end, Westerman will be tasked with what he believes he does best: Sacking the quarterback. The Bombers finished 2014 with the second-worst CFL defence overall, allowing 338.6 yards per game – the pass rush no better, also second-worst with 43 quarterback takedowns.
Can Westerman help Winnipeg’s front seven generate more pressure?
“What I’ve been told by the coach and the defensive coaching staff is they’re going to put me in the best situation to be successful,” said Westerman. “I don’t want to give away too much, but I assume that’s on the defensive line rushing the passer and playing the run because you have to have a good stout defence against some of the great quarterbacks that play up there.”
One thing’s certain: Westerman will stop at no lengths to win football games for his team. If his decision to sign in Winnipeg was a football decision only, having the Grey Cup there this November has to be a nice little perk.
A ravenous fan base can’t hurt, either.
“For my family to be in the City of Winnipeg, the fan support that they have there is amazing and it’s similar to talking to other family members and other friends that played there,” said Westerman. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about the city.”
“On game day for guys that are playing against the Bombers, they said it’s just crazy and fans are frothing at the mouth for a winner.”
“I think everybody puts on the pads to at the end of the year hold up the championship, whether it’s the Super Bowl or in this case the Grey Cup, and with this year being at home it’s going to be great.”
