D-Line Dominance Attributed to Chemistry

Sophomore defensive linemen Adrian Tracy and Drake Nevis roomed together during their first year with the Hamilton Tigers-Cats in 2015.
“He’s a great cook,” Tracy said when asked if Nevis was a good roommate. “He was always out there barbequing; chef-ing it up in the kitchen. Our bellies were never empty.”
Although cooking skills are a good trait in a roomie, perhaps what was even more important about the time Tracy and Nevis spent together was the chemistry they developed off the field.
That connection can now be seen on the field.
Tracy played in six games for the Black and Gold in 2015 while Nevis was on the practice roster. They both earned starting spots this year and flank each other on the D-line; Tracy as the field side defensive end, with Nevis directly to his right in the tackle position.
“There’s times [on the field] when we don’t have to say anything, we just know based off body language or the way things have transpired in the past,” said Tracy. “I think off the field develops on the field.”
The D-line knows the importance of chemistry, which is why it’s been an ongoing focus from training camp into the regular season.
The only returning starter from the 2015 defensive line is veteran Ted Laurent who is in his third year with the Ticats. Bryan Hall and Justin Hickman signed with the rival Toronto Argonauts in free agency while the team released Eric Norwood this year.
That left three very large holes in the trenches, and Tracy and Nevis have stepped up to the plate.
The Ticats also signed longtime Roughrider John Chick during free agency to add another veteran presence on the D-line. With so many new faces, it’s important for the linemen to get to know each other both on and off the field.
“We have D-line breakfast on our walk through days where we’ll sit down and watch film together,” said Tracy. “We have a D-line dinner that we’re about to implement to just get us familiar with each other outside of football and outside of those surroundings so we can get to know the people that are new and they can get to know us as well.”
On top of being roommates with Tracy, Nevis had connections with both Laurent and Chick before joining the Ticats last year. Ole Miss recruited both Nevis and Laurent out of high school. Laurent chose Mississippi while Nevis opted for Louisiana State University and the two were rivals in the NCAA Division 1 Southeastern Conference.
Nevis and Chick also both spent time playing with the Indianapolis Colts. Those past connections made it easier for Nevis to click with the rest of the line.
“I have a lot of chemistry together with those guys and it helps on the field,” said Nevis.
Developing chemistry is an on going project that will continue to grow as the year progresses, but the D-line is off to a good start. Laurent sat out injured in Week 1, but the unit held down the fort in his absence. Nevis and Chick recorded a sack each and the three starters combined for eight tackles against the Argos.
Despite the outcome of Week 2, the defensive line’s performance could be considered a bright spot in the disappointing loss to the BC Lions. Ted Laurent came back healthy and had four tackles and a sack. Chick had two fumble recoveries while Tracy and Nevis recorded two tackles each. As a unit, the defensive line continuously assaulted the Lions front five, forcing them to call in running backs to provide extra protection for quarterback Jonathan Jennings.
“I think thus far we’ve done pretty well,” said Tracy. “Last game we didn’t come out and play as well as we wanted to as a whole so we’re taking it on our shoulders this week to come out stronger and communicate and get the job done.”
Nevis and Tracy have taken it upon themselves to improve their individual games on top of working on the D-line chemistry. Both played college ball and hopped around the NFL before landing with the Ticats. They both had to make some adjustments when it came to the Canadian-style game.
“Just the small things like the yard off and knowing that you can’t be on the ball and stuff like,” said Nevis, referring to the distance the D-line must line up from the line of scrimmage. “But after that, it’s football. It’s the same.”
Tracy said that the biggest adjustment for him coming into the league was stamina. The CFL’s longer and wider field equals more running than in the American game.
“I didn’t realize how big I was last year,” said Tracy. “I used to joke around in the locker room that I was mad my friends didn’t tell me I was fat and they would laugh. It was just a lot of me getting myself in shape, realizing that this game up here is a lot different. There’s a lot more running that is required.”
The combination of working on individual play as well as developing team chemistry can only lead to good things for the new-look defensive line in 2016.