CFL.ca Staff
It can be the less glamourous side of football but defence sometimes holds the keys to success.
Like the old saying goes, “defence wins championships,” and that’s something that Adam Bighill is a firm believer in.
The Lions’ linebacker is entering his fifth season in BC after signing as a free agent in 2011. If there’s one constant that Bighill has always known it’s a dominant defence.
In 2012, only his second year with the club, Bighill was a featured part of a Lions resistance that was more of a wall than a defensive
unit. He was named Defensive Player of the Week four times that season, one in which the team broke multiple records on defence and is known as one of the league’s best groups in recent memory.
Yet such a vaunted defensive group, second-best in the West in 2014, was the same one that allowed 50 points in their playoff loss to the Alouettes. Because of the standings, the Lions had to play in a cross-division semi-final playoff game against Montreal. While the West was a much stronger division than the East, Bighill did not underestimate is competition. Rather, the team’s confidence simply couldn’t match what was being delivered on the field.
“Everyone was pretty excited we were going to the East to play,” Bighill said in the off-season. “I think anyone looking into that situation would say the East is the optimal route with the West being so dominant last year and everyone would want to try going through the East.”
“We felt confident and we didn’t take them lightly, because anybody can beat anybody on any given day – you’ve got to show up and play. For whatever reason things just really weren’t going our way. Montreal played a hell of a game and those types of things can happen sometimes.”
Now that time has passed, Bighill is able to reflect on what happened last season. The Lions finished 9-9 and would not have made the playoffs in the West had it not been for the crossover format. Throughout the year, it seemed that as soon as BC was able to string together some wins, the team would then drop its next few contests.
“I feel we played pretty well. We played sound fundamental football and we were maybe a little conservative in some aspects – we weren’t considered a really aggressive defence, where Montreal would be considered a really aggressive defence. I feel like we held teams quite well – we didn’t give up a lot. I feel like we were quite successful. Not the best we could be now, but we were pretty successful.”
Allowing so many points in a defeat can damage the psyche of a team but Bighill is using it as a learning experience despite still feeling stung. The Lions giving up such a high number of points is likely just a blip on the radar for this group, who have maintained a solid guard throughout Bighill’s tenure.
Still, the defence is comprised of 12 men, not just Bighill. Of course, one can’t mention that unit without bringing up the name Solomon Elimimian, the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. Together, the duo combined for 11 sacks and two interceptions as one of the league’s most feared secondary pairs. Bighill believes it’s their comradery off of the field that allows them to be so successful on it.
“Solomon and I play really well together, we’re good buddies. I was super happy for his success during the year and he had an amazing season, played very well and was consistent in what he did,” said the 26-year-old. “He kept making the plays he was supposed to make – the plays that came to him, he didn’t miss them. That’s the mark of a great player, consistency. Always make that play 10 out of 10 times. Solomon showed that and that’s why he’s considered one of the best in the league.”
If Bighill keeps stressing the importance of team it’s because he knows the offence carries equal weight on the field. Especially after last season, many eyes of the league have been put on the health of quarterback Travis Lulay and running back Andrew Harris. Both struggled with injures last season and now are fully healthy entering the regular season.
The Lions are a prideful group and Bighill says it doesn’t matter which part of the team leads them to victory. The offence and defence support each other ‘through thick and thin’ and he knows that that they need to support each other and not point fingers when times get tough.
“Good things can happen when you stay positive and everyone’s working together and I think this year offensively it’s going to be a much different story.”
Bighill knows that the offence is the flashier part of the game because of the points they score but notes a unique set of circumstances last season that allowed for defensive players to be in the spotlight. Injuries to offensive stars like Ricky Ray and Jon Cornish allowed for players like himself, John Chick and Elimimian to put empasis on the defensive aspect of the game.
With a healthy roster and many important pieces staying in BC, the Lions are out to prove that last year’s playoff defeat was merely an aberration and not the start of a new norm. The team will be relying heavily on veterans Bighill and Elimimian to return the Lions to top defensive form.