The veteran middle linebacker inked a new three-year contract with the Blue Bombers on Tuesday, guaranteeing he’ll be in blue and gold through the 2021 CFL season.
Adam Bighill spoke extensively with bluebombers.com about the decision and other topics here, but here are five other takeaways from his 19-minute media conference Tuesday afternoon:
1. WHY NOW?
Bighill becomes arguably the highest-profile CFLer to re-sign with his club rather than test free agency. He and his agent Dan Vertlieb had a sense of his value and when the Bombers met the number that will reportedly make him the highest-paid defender in the CFL, he decided to forego the opportunity to see what else might be out there.
“It’s hard to tell what you could have got out there on the open market. In my life, I’ve never truly been to free agency. We were prepared to do that this offseason. But how strongly I felt about last season, the guys in the locker room, this organization, this city – I knew if we were able to reach some terms I thought were going to be acceptable prior to free agency, then why not sign?
“I obviously loved it here last year and that’s part of why we got the deal done so early. We were able to come to terms pretty quickly and get the deal done, which was exciting. I don’t think anybody likes waiting around for contracts to see what you’re going to do, where you’re going to go. It’s stress off my shoulders knowing what I’m going to be doing for the next three years.”
2. THE IMPORTANCE OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES
Bighill has secured a deal working with Wellington-Altus Private Wealth in the offseason as an investment advisor, joining a firm that also offered a similar opportunity to curler Jennifer Jones. That means Bighill and his family – wife Kristina, his three-year-old son Adam, Jr. (A.J.) and daughter Leah, who is 20 months old – will be living in Winnipeg year-round.
“This will allow me to be involved year-round in building another career outside of football. It’s a great fit. It definitely gives us more of the ability to commit to come to Winnipeg year-round. In Vancouver I have stuff I can do in the offseason to make some money… some training, doing a handful of different things and be around family. But this will be a great career move off the field, on the field all coming together as one. I really haven’t had that full blend yet and haven’t really been looking for it. But I feel now is the time and I want to transition to that. I think it’s going to be a great fit and allow me to do a lot of great things here in Winnipeg, meet a lot of people and be involved in the community. I really look forward to that.”
3. FAMILY FIRST
As cornball as it may sound, the Bombers made a positive impression with Bighill dating back to last May both on and off the field. The fans and organization made him feel welcome and he put a value on that in making his decision.
“We came out here last year and didn’t know what to expect and we absolutely loved it. My family loved it, we love the organization and just love the way people treat you out here. We just had a great time and it made the decision that much easier.
“Coach O’Shea and Wade (Miller, President and CEO)… it’s their approach to family and how much that means to them and how they carry that to this organization. It’s putting on events for wives when we’re out of town, hosting parties to watch the games, getting the kids together, doing barbecues… I wouldn’t say every team does that. And that’s what makes you feel everyone cares about family here.
Actions speak a lot louder than words, right? Coming from New Orleans we didn’t know what to expect. But to be able to come in and get ingrained so quickly it was exactly what we needed and exactly what we enjoyed so much.”
4. NEXT: THE BIGHILL SALES PITCH
Bighill’s return could – emphasis on could – be a catalyst to having some of the pieces on defence heading to free agency return for 2019. The club has already moved on from Chris Randle and Maurice Leggett and still has some key defensive pieces slated to become free agents, including Jackson Jeffcoat, Drake Nevis, Tristan Okpalaugo on the defensive line, linebackers Jovan Santos-Knox and Kyrie Wilson and defensive backs Brandon Alexander, Kevin Fogg and Taylor Loffler.
No doubt Bighill will be asked by the Bomber brass to help twist some arms to sign.
“Automatically you become that part of the team as soon as you sign. The guys in that locker room were great and obviously you want them back. We had a lot of success last year and when you play with someone for an entire year, you get to know them, get to know what they’re capable of. You have fun building those friendships, those bonds and you just want to continue that because it’s comfortable, it’s easy to keep moving forward and you know the capability of some of the players we have.
“To be able to get these guys back… (Jackson) Jeffcoat, Jovan (Santos-Knox), to name a few, those are two names on defence we want to bring back. I look forward to seeing some of those guys back if we can get them.”
5. THE FIRE STILL RAGES
Bighill was asked a simple question about what still drives him, what gets him in the gym in the morning and keeps him working. His answer offered a glimpse at part of what makes him so successful.
“I’m doing this because I want to be the best I can be at it. We’ve talked about this before: I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder, always felt like I had something to prove, whether it’s being told at a young age I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t tall enough, not big enough. I just built that chip and I’m not done servicing it yet. I feel like there’s so much more for me to do. I feel like I’m still reaching the top of my game and there’s more I can do. I love putting in the work and I love seeing the reward because that’s what it’s all about.
“I’ve never had trouble putting in hard work because time and time again I’ve seen it pay off. The satisfaction you get from that is overwhelming and I just want to keep doing it.”
