A desire to win is what brought Johnny Sears Jr. to Hamilton, and it’s what should make the player who teammates call ‘Honcho’ a Ticats fan-favourite in no time.
“Who doesn’t want to win?” said Sears, when asked what drew him to the Tiger-Cats in free agency, “I hate losing and I’m a sore loser, so I’m going for the win every time.”
The hard-hitting defensive back spent the past five seasons in Winnipeg, where he played in 35 games for the Blue Bombers, racking up 127 tackles, six interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
Yet for all the individual success he’d had with the Bombers and the leadership role he played there, Sears decided that it was time to move elsewhere in the off-season, and the Ticats presented an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
Along with the opportunity to play for a Grey Cup contender and one of the top defensive units in the league, the Ticats presented Sears with the promise of camaraderie off the field and chemistry on the field with a close friend.
“I didn’t want to really start over,” said Sears, “but knowing that Stew [Brandon Stewart] could do it, it helped me know that I could do it and adjust.”
Stewart, a teammate and good friend of Sears’ from his Winnipeg days, made the same transition last season, signing a free agent deal with the Ticats in February. So when it became time for Sears to look for a new home in the offseason, it made Hamilton that much more of an attractive destination.
“We were together for four years straight, it’s like having my brother here,” said Sears, “it’s made the process that much more fun.”
The two veteran defensive backs were together in the Winnipeg secondary from 2010 through 2013, so they know what each other brings to the table, and after a one-year hiatus, they’re ready to use that familiarity and chemistry to their advantage in the Black and Gold.
“I enjoy having Johnny out here with me,” said Stewart, “I know what he brings to the table…he’s a physical football player. He’s going to give everything he has, every ounce, every time he hits the field.”
It was this physicality and aggressiveness that earned Sears his nickname with the Blue Bombers. As the first guy to lead the defensive charge and fire his team up with timely, hard hits, he was dubbed the ‘head honcho’ and the nickname stuck.
The nickname has remained, but Sears isn’t focused on creating a new name for himself in Hamilton; instead, he’s just looking to play his part on the defensive unit that he saw as an ideal fit for himself.
“I’m not trying to be a standout or be that one guy,” explained Sears. “I’m just trying to add another tooth to that shark-bite and take a chunk out of everybody.”
