The ferocious hits will come soon enough. Everyone associated with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers knows it won’t be long before Adam Bighill ear-holes someone in enemy colours, and in that instant, a defensive tone around these parts will be chiselled into stone.
That Bighill big hit could come Friday night against the Edmonton Eskimos at Investors Group Field in the first pre-season dress rehearsal, next week when he’s back in Vancouver to face the B.C. Lions, or, depending on how many snaps he takes in the pre-season, maybe it won’t come until June 14th when the Esks return for the Canadian Football League’s 2018 curtain raiser.
But, here’s the thing: in difference-maker/setting-a-tone terms, Bighill’s new defensive teammates have already seen enough evidence of his impact.
And the man hasn’t even played a game in a Bombers uniform yet.
“I’ve known him for a week and I will say this about him: natural-born leader,” said all-star cornerback Chris Randle. “He has my attention. He already had the respect of all of his teammates because of his reputation on the field. And off the field, he’s very easy to talk to. We all have the same goal and when you have that, it’s easier to come in and lead. He’s familiar with our playbook already and we’ll follow his lead.
“He’s going to be the general.”
Now, it’s not like the Bombers defence was completely devoid of this kind of leadership a year ago. Randle himself is a very respected a voice in the locker room. Same goes for the likes of Maurice Leggett and Taylor Loffler.
But a vet like Randle has been in enough huddles to know natural leadership when he sees it. And he saw it instantly with Bighill. It’s not just about spitting out fiery speeches or putting in extra film work.
It’s a little bit of all of that and then some.
“Almost right away he went to every person individually,” said Randle. “He came to me and some of the other defensive backs and asked, ‘How do you feel about this check? How do you feel about this? Do you understand that? What can I do to make it better?’ He went to the D-line and asked things like, ‘Do I need to come tighter? What do you need?’ It was a lot about how he could fit into the equation.
“It’s not forced. I can’t really explain it. It just comes natural for him. He’s a legit general. Now, I’m not saying we didn’t have that before, but just his presence is definitely already making us better.”
Earlier in the week we caught up with Bighill to chat about his adjustment to his new CFL home. He planned on spending part of Thursday checking out various options to live and is already comfortable with his decision to sign here.
“Absolutely, no doubts about it. None,” he said. “Once I signed here it was because I knew it was for a good reason. Everything so far has been over the top for me.”
It wasn’t long after when our discussion naturally turned to football, to Friday night’s game and Bighill’s long-term goals. And within a nanosecond it became clear that he would never step onto the field thinking ‘just another pre-season game.’
That’s simply not how the man is wired.
“My goal is to be one of the best linebackers to ever do this, to have ever played in this league. Ever,” he said. “And that comes with a lot of hard work. That comes with a lot of time spent and a lot of sacrifices and understanding it’s not going to be easy. That’s just how I’ve always tried to live my life in becoming a professional.
“I’m still setting more goals. I go to work a certain way and try to be the ultimate professional and do all the little things right and button up all the details, whether it’s communication, knowing my assignment exactly or understanding tendencies on film. It’s about playing faster than the normal person because of all the information gathered and the work I do before the snap.
“I just want to try and be perfect out there and play the best I can for my teammates.
“It’s just who I am, what I do and part of my process,” Bighill added. “That will never change. I feel like I can play this game as long as I want to, as long as I want to have that mentality that I’m going to be the best because I’m going to put in the work and no one is going to take my job because they’re not willing to do the things I’m willing to do.
“When I don’t want to do that anymore, that’s when I’ll know I probably don’t want to play anymore. But I know I have a lot of that left in me.”
It could be argued Bighill’s addition – given the need in the Bombers defence – was the biggest in the Canadian Football League this offseason. The club hasn’t even taken a snap yet, for real or even in a dress rehearsal, and his impact is already being felt.
Still, as much as adding a four-time CFL all-star is mammoth, it’s also worth pumping the brakes here a bit. No man, after all, is a cure-all.
“He’s our leader,” said Randle. “But as far as him making our defence miraculously better, I don’t think that’s the case. We’ve all got to understand our defence, not just know it. We’re all trying to get to that and he’s going to help us.
“He’s one piece of the puzzle. One big piece.”
