Adherence to scheme equals success for Bombers

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2016 (3398 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ideally, you are not supposed to judge a book, or a CFL prospect, by its cover, but since there are only 25 days until the regular-season opener against the Montreal Alouettes, many of the books in camp are going to have to be evaluated solely by the illustrations on the front. With only two preseason games to build a case, and not enough reps to go around, first impressions are a critical tool in today’s CFL, as nobody has time to read to Chapter 2, and most are likely to draw their conclusions from what they’ve skimmed on the inside of the dust jacket.

So where does a new prospect go for guidance on how to nail that initial impression? While “being seen and not heard” is always a can’t-go-wrong proposition for any new player to a team, it’s encouraging to hear high-profile veterans impart words of wisdom for how delicate this balancing act really is — even from those who already have their roster spots locked up. For not only do newcomers —rookies and veterans alike — have to learn a new playbook, but they also have to learn how to get along with the social animal of the locker room.

Case in point, Justin Medlock, a shoe-in to take over the kicking duties on the Blue Bombers, showed a level of insightfulness to these locker room dynamics that few veterans are even aware of. In his first in-house scrum interview, Medlock said a couple of things that show he is a big-picture guy and has an understanding of the subtle nuances that need to be recognized to be part of a successful squad in the CFL.

When asked about what kind of winning ways he’ll bring to the team, he said, “Leadership, but you know it’s hard. I’m new, so I’m trying to fit in. Not have them adjust to me, right?” Those three sentences right there might be close to some of the most pointed and humble phrases ever uttered from a high-profile free agent addition, when discussing the prospects of joining a new team. Medlock might have been instructed to help overhaul a losing culture and to change the fortunes and vibe of all things blue and gold, but you don’t show up in Week One with a bulldozer; you show up with a hardhat and a shovel. So many high-profile players sign with a new franchise and try to make a room adjust to them and their personality. They have little respect for those who were there before them, and little awareness for the group dynamics and leadership that already exist in the room.

One of the most common mistakes, and the downfall of many a veteran, is assuming the size of their contract and former successes equate to instant credibility in the locker room. All-star defensive end Jamaal Westerman also echoed the sentiments of Medlock in his initial presser when he reflected on last year, his first year with the team, and said, “Last year I was kind of tip-toeing around, trying to see who’s cool and who’s not cool.” A more subtle way of affirming that to get along, at least initially, you have to go along and walk softly. No matter what you bring to the table, nobody likes a new hire that just assumes control and respect before it gets earned in their new postal code.

When talking about what he could share from the successes he experienced in Hamilton, Medlock went on to say, “Yeah, we did some good things in Hamilton, you know, my biggest thing is, guys have to buy in. You can’t complain, you’ve got to buy in, you got to go out, you got to execute.” Once again, it may seem like everyday football-speak, but there are layers and depth to these remarks. The thing that separates teams with talent that have success, and teams with talent that fail, is simply the buy-in. It doesn’t matter how many stars your roster has picked up, if they don’t fully commit themselves to the schemes and programs presented to them, they don’t have a chance to succeed.

For a season that has a lot of new, high-priced and expensive parts trying to come together and operate harmoniously on the same team, it’s at least encouraging to hear proof that many of them know exactly how it should be done.

Doug Brown, once a hard-hitting defensive lineman and frequently a hard-hitting columnist, appears weekly in the Free Press.

Twitter: @DougBrown97