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September 13, 2016

Heath Taking Nothing For Granted

T.J. Heath had just put the finishing touches on a career day at the office – a two interceptions/seven tackles/two pass knockdowns afternoon – when he was summoned to a meeting with Toronto Argonauts management.

At that moment, so many things must be rolling through an athlete’s brain about what the chat with the bosses might be, especially while riding such a euphoric high.

Being traded likely isn’t one of them.

“I had just come in, was doing a few interviews and had just got dressed,” began Heath Tuesday, not long after his first practice with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“We were talking about plans, because it was my birthday and what we were going to do. All of a sudden… I thought I was about to get a pat on the back from the general manager and the head coach but they were telling me I was getting traded.”

TJ Heath

“I actually thought it was a joke when they told me at first. It was tough, because I knew I had to leave the guys in that locker room. I hit my knees and I cried a little bit and I asked, ‘What am I supposed to tell them?’ It got easier as the day went on, but it was a tough situation. But this is what we’re built for.

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“We’re athletes and we have to learn to adjust to any kind of situation that is handed to us. That’s what I’ve done. I’m moving forward and I’m happy to be here.”

It’s undoubtedly been a crazy couple of days for the 29 year-old Alabama product – big game, traded, named a CFL Top Performer, arrive in new town to face new teammates – but Heath spoke to the media Tuesday with a been-there, done-that calmness.

There’s a foundation for that, it turns out, that comes with a change in perspective.

Back in 2010 while in his senior season at Jacksonville State, Heath fell asleep at the wheel of his SUV for a split second, and lost control of his vehicle which flipped nine times. He suffered a broken jaw and some cuts but doctors also initially told him his spine was broken.

His days on the football field, he believed, were kaput.

Luckily, the limited movement was later diagnosed as whiplash and Heath has been back on the field doing his thing ever since.

Still, a moment like that changes a man and his approach to each day.

So being traded? No big thing.

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“It’s just to never give up,” said Heath when asked about how it changed his outlook. “That was a time in my life where nobody thought I was ever going to be able to play football again. Once I got the opportunity to play football, I made sure I never took it for granted. That’s why I work so hard. I work every day because you never know if that’s the last time you will step on the field or take your last breath.”

The Argos insisted Monday they did not want to part with Heath but that Bombers GM Kyle Walters was insistent he be included in the deal for Drew Willy.

Now he comes to a team on a six-game win streak where no starting spot is guaranteed – even if he is tied for the CFL lead in interceptions with new teammate Maurice Leggett.

And frankly, walking into a new locker room mid-season can be like changing schools halfway through a semester.

“That’s what was so hard about it, because I had such a bond with those guys. That’s what made it harder to leave,” said Heath. “But, the same way I created a bond with them doesn’t mean I have stop bonding with those guys over there. It just means I get to bond with a lot more people here. That’s the approach I’m going to take. This is my team. This is my home now and those guys in that locker room are my family now and likewise I’m sure they’ll say the same.

“It’s kind of weird. But to be on a team that has a lot more ball hawks makes me feel like I’ll be right at home.”