Thread for the Team that Cannot Be Named

[jerrym]

Very surprised. Fresno State had a very good season and I figured that may lead to him getting a HC job in the NCAA down the road. I wonder if it was Austin or Jones that reached out to him.

Orlondo Steinauer discusses why he rejoined the Tiger Cats below. Getting a chance to work on offence for the first time makes him more attractive as a potential future HC.

“Basically June Jones and Scott Mitchell were instrumental in having conversations with me,” Steinauer told Davis Sanchez and James Cybulski on The Waggle presented by Sport Clips.
“This all happened within seven days, to be honest with you. It wasn’t something that was drawn out or something that had been discussed previous.”
Jones and Mitchell presented Steinauer an opportunity to re-join their coaching staff, he told them he would be interested in returning to the Canadian game and then the Tiger-Cats gave him an offer. Simple as that.
“I was planning on coming back to Fresno again and building on a 10-win season,” he said. “But an opportunity came up,” Steinauer continued. “I think the familiarity with Southern Ontario and what not (was part of the decision). It was just a decision we made as a family and decided that at this point in time that this was what was best.”


In his first two seasons as a coach with the Toronto Argonauts (2010-2012), Steinauer was the defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator. Then when he moved to Hamilton (2013-2106) he was their defensive coordinator. Now, the 44-year-old is looking forward to learning from Jones as he gets his first opportunity to work with a CFL offence.
“One thing I didn’t get afforded along the journey was to jump on the offensive side of the ball,” he said. It’s very important for me in my growth,” he continued. “And where my mind is as a coach that I take advantage of an opportunity like this."

http://ticats.ca/steinauers-return-t...in-seven-days/

[doubleblue]

I recommend Orlondo to be the first Head Coach of the Atlantic Schooners in 2020.

[jerrym]

Former Argo Lirim Hajrullahu talks about kicking the championship winning FG and his remarkable journey from war-torn Kosovo to the CFL below.

"When that moment came, it just felt like every kick and everything that I've experienced, just came to fruition in that moment. That realization that I did it, that we did it together," the new Hamilton Tiger-Cat says, when asked to explain. "It was one of the happiest moments of my life, especially given everything my family and I have been through."
The Hajrullahus have been through a lot. Born in Kosovo, Lirim and the family fled the region when he was nine-year-old as Serbian forces attacked their town. More than a million ethnic Albanians were driven from the country and 11,000 were killed and the family ended up in a refugee camp in Macedonia.
"As we were leaving our town, there were tanks coming in and blowing up houses. It was mayhem ... I do still think about. When times get hard, I think it's important to remember where I came from," he says now. "We lived in a tent with nine people in it but we had to do what we had to do to stay safe. We were just happy to be alive at that point." ...


He played his university football at Western, he came agonizingly close to winning a Vanier Cup, before landing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a largely undrafted free agent. He's worked diligently at his craft and is now considered one of the best all-around kickers in the game, a guy who can do all three jobs with a Canadian passport in his pocket.
Hajrullahu attributes much of that success to Hamilton-based kicking coach Ken Urquhart, who he has worked with since his high school days. Hajrullahu has maintained the relationship through the years, flying home on the bye weeks from Winnipeg to work with him and driving down from Toronto through much of last season.

https://www.thespec.com/sports-story...amily-freedom/

[jerrym]

National DL Nathan Shepherd, who is on the Tiger Cats negotiation list because he went undrafted after dropping out of SFU but then went to university in the US, is drawing a lot of NFL interest with 11 team visits/workouts already scheduled, greatly decreasing the chances that Hamilton will see him any time soon.

[jerrym]

31 year old former Ticat and Als' WR Tiguan Underwood, who played in the CFL from 2015 to 2017, has accepted a receivers coaching position at Lafayette College.

He played two seasons in Hamilton and another two in Montreal during his CFL career catching 87 passes for 1,320 yards and six touchdowns in 32 games. While in the NFL, Underwood made 63 receptions for 1,006 yards and six touchdowns during 45 games with the Buccaneers, Patriots and Jaguars over five seasons.

http://3downnation.com/2018/03/18/fo...-coaching-job/

[jerrym]

Kent Austin says the Ticats not only are watching how Manziel plays in the spring league, they will be attending his games.

[jerrym]

Is it a promise or a threat?

“If something (NFL) pops up, it pops up. And if not, and I don’t get the opportunity to go back, I’m going to play in the CFL.” # CFL pic.twitter.com/DTuelRXLCc

— David William Naylor (@TSNDaveNaylor) March 27, 2018

[jerrym]

The Tiger Cats will not bid on CFL Week until it has resolved its lawsuit with Ontario Sports Solutions and Infrastructure over structural problems and delays in the construction of the $145 million dollar stadium.

[jerrym]

Bernie Custis, who became the first Black QB in pro football history when he signed with Hamilton in 1951, will have a high school across from Tim Hortons Field named after him.

https://www.thespec.com/opinion-stor...bernie-custis/

[ArgoZ]

The Tiger Cats will not bid on CFL Week until it has resolved its lawsuit with Ontario Sports Solutions and Infrastructure over structural problems and delays in the construction of the $145 million dollar stadium.

To be more detailed, the city is suing OSS for 35 million in damages, which includes the Cats claim against the city for 14 million due to delays and lost revenue.

What I don’t understand is why the parties involved can not host joint events to supplement their incomes. The lawsuits will carry on, despite whatever events they host. The Cats currently hold concerts at THF. What the heck is the difference?

As it stands, the City will not host a Grey Cup either. What if litigation takes 10 years?! These are some serious “cut of your nose” scenarios. Will newly elected officials decide a settlement isn’t necessary?

[jerrym]

Ticat GM Kent Austin will be considered for the CFL Hall of Fame this year as a player. It certainly won't be as a coach or GM.

Executive director Mark DeNobile confirmed Friday that Austin has been nominated by an anonymous member of the public and therefore will be considered by the hall’s selection committee this year. It doesn’t guarantee he’ll be enshrined — the three-stage process by which players are selected is truly Byzantine — but at least he’ll have an opportunity to get in.
He’s got a strong case. Austin, who spent 10 years with Saskatchewan, B.C., Toronto and Winnipeg, is currently 12th all-time in career passing yards with 36,030. Every player above Austin on that list is either already in the Hall of Fame (Anthony Calvillo, Damon Allen, Ron Lancaster) or likely on the way there (Ricky Ray, Henry Burris.)

http://3downnation.com/2018/04/08/ke...-hall-of-fame/

[Argo57]

I sense the Ticat’s don’t know what to do with Austin, very awkward.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/04/12/kent-a...g-role-ticats/

[R.J]

I sense the Ticat’s don’t know what to do with Austin, very awkward.

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/04/12/kent-a...g-role-ticats/

It was bound to happen, I think it's been pretty clear for awhile now that Jones with Tillman's help is running the show. This gives Austin an out (as Mitchell mentioned), and saves the Ticats money from my understanding.

[AngeloV]

It was bound to happen, I think it's been pretty clear for awhile now that Jones with Tillman's help is running the show. This gives Austin an out (as Mitchell mentioned), and saves the Ticats money from my understanding.

Prediction: He will be running the Alouettes in 2019.

[R.J]

Prediction: He will be running the Alouettes in 2019.

I'm surprised it didn't happen for this season.

[ArgoGabe22]

I'm surprised it didn't happen for this season.

It still can after they start 0-6

[jerrym]

How much Austin was a problem is reflected in the fact that many of the key Tiger Cat free agents made it clear at the end of the 2017 season that they would not resign with Hamilton if Austin was still there during the 2018 season.

Shortly after the Hamilton Tiger-Cats season ended last November, a group of anonymous players expressed their concerns with vice-president of football operations and former head coach Kent Austin. Chief among them was that the team’s pending free agents – including the starting quarterback and star receiver – would elect to go elsewhere if Austin remained in place. Clearly, that didn’t happen. But the players got their wish.
Every single one of the Ticats’ key pieces – including quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, receiver Brandon Banks, linebacker Larry Dean and defensive tackle Ted Laurent – signed new deals to remain with the club. Austin remained in place during that process but the team announced on Thursday that he was stepping back from his role as the primary decision-maker to become a consultant.
One player quoted in the November piece – again, speaking on the condition of anonymity – said he thinks there’s one major reason why so many of the team’s potential free agents decided to return. ...

“June Jones. It’s that simple,” the player said. “When June left, he told us that he had some things to figure out but that if he came back, he wanted everybody back because he felt such a close connection with our group.” ...

There are, however, still plenty of questions. With Austin’s role significantly diminished, team CEO Scott Mitchell said the Ticats are going with a “collaborative effort” in the front office with general manager Eric Tillman, assistant general managers Shawn Burke and Drew Allemang as well as Jones and assistant head coach Orlondo Steinauer. In pro football, where order and routine are often paramount, the unconventional management structure is sure to raise eyebrows.
“What’s Orlondo’s role, what does that look like, what does that mean?” one player said. “There’s still a lot of things up in the air and there will be until training camp.”

http://3downnation.com/2018/04/13/ti...one-came-back/

[ArgoZ]

The players didn’t want to leave Hamilton, they wanted to leave Austin. That’s what happens when you have a disconnect with management. People don’t like working under an ass, and every other reason (usually money, chance of winning, family, etc) is given, except the true one.

[jerrym]

Joe Montford, who also played for the Argos, Edmonton, and Shreveport and who is already in the CFL Hall of Fame, will be added to the Tiger Cats Wall of Honour at Tim Hortons Field. Great choice as he spent most of his career with Hamilton.

[jerrym]

Its looking increasingly like Canadian DL Nathan Shepherd, who is on the Tiger Cats negotiation list because he wasn't selected in his CFL Draft year, won't be coming to the Tiger Cats or CFL any time soon. NFL draft pundit Mike Maycock lists Shepherd among his top five DL in the NFL Draft.

There’s been plenty of NFL interest in the six-foot-five, 315-pound Shepherd. The native of Ajax, Ont., visited 10 teams at their facility and conducted nine private workouts this off-season, doing both for the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. Dallas and Arizona were also among the 16 NFL teams that watched Shepherd perform at Fort Hays State University’s pro day in March in Hays, Kansas. ...

Shepherd registered 38 tackles (12.5 for loss) and four sacks to earn Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association defensive player of the year and NCAA Division II All-American honours last season. Shepherd also helped the Tigers (11-0) win their first MIAA title. Shepherd impressed in January at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., before suffering a fractured left hand. The following month Shepherd attended the NFL combine, participating in the 40-yard dash (5.09 seconds), shuttle (4.53 seconds), broad jump (nine feet, three inches) and vertical jump (31 inches), but he skipped the bench press as a precaution. ...

“Even though he played a day and a half at the Senior Bowl I think it really helped him,” Mayock said. “He’s a big dude with an NFL body.“He’s got kind of rare movement skills. I think the 3-4 teams (three defensive linemen, four linebackers) would look at him and say, ‘Wow.’ He could be a five-technique (defensive end in a 3-4 alignment) but he also might have the movement skills down the road to develop into a sub rusher inside.”...

Shepherd began his collegiate career at Simon Fraser University in 2012 as a linebacker. He appeared in nine games as a freshman, registering 20 tackles, 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for a loss and an interception before financial challenges forced him to leave school.

https://www.pressreader.com/canada/v...82291025833596