If it moved, Bombers LB Wild tackled it

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This article was published 24/08/2014 (4231 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IAN WILD set a franchise record for tackles in a game Friday night, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers linebacker had no idea he’d done anything special at all in a 24-16 win over the Montreal Alouettes at Investors Group Field.

With 14 defensive tackles, Wild broke the single-game record of 13 co-owned by three former Bombers greats: Ken Hailey (Aug. 14, 1987); Greg Battle (Sept. 23, 1990); and K.D. Williams (Oct. 9, 1995).

“I honestly had no idea I had that many. I thought it was something more like seven or eight,” said the second-year linebacker.

“You just kind of take it one play at a time. But I guess they all added up. It’s pretty cool.”

Wild also had a special-teams tackle Friday night.

To put Wild’s remarkable defensive performance in context, the second-highest tackle tally Friday by any player on either team was Bombers defensive back Demond Washington, who recorded six defensive tackles.

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Wild wasn’t the only Bombers defender to record a big night on Friday.

Bombers safety Maurice Leggett had three interceptions, which is the third-highest single-game tally recorded by a Bomber defender.

“I’m grateful,” said Leggett, who picked off Als QB Jonathon Crompton with under two minutes to play in the first half and then twice more with under two minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the Als pressing after a late Bombers go-ahead TD.

How hot was Leggett Friday night? He says he was able to predict the future.

‘I honestly had no idea I had that many. I thought it was something more like seven or eight. You just kind of take it one play at a time. But I guess they all added up. It’s pretty cool’

— LB Ian Wild after his 14-tackle

performance

“The last (interception), I told one of my players to switch with me,” he said. “I knew the ball was coming this direction and I just played it perfectly, I guess.”

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No one was happier to make a contribution to the winning effort Friday than Bombers special teamer Don Unamba, who scooped up a punt blocked by teammate Derek Jones early in the third quarter and rumbled one yard into the Montreal end zone.

“Oh man, that’s big for me,” said Unamba. “I’ve been taking pride in special teams the whole year. So to finally get a stat or something on the board, it shows what I do, because special teams are sometimes behind the scenes.”

paul.wiecek@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @PaulWiecek