Coming to the Canadian Football League, I really didn’t know what to expect.
In the short time since I’ve been here, I feel I’ve learned a lot though. The one thing that was very apparent in Week 1 is how great our fans are — our fans are awesome!
Week 1 of the regular season was full of memories. Sunday’s game was loud and it was crazy! When MacDougall scored his touchdown, I couldn’t hear anything. It was definitely a great experience for me and I’m very thankful I was able to be apart of it, on Canada Day.
The second thing I learned very quickly on Sunday — the game is a lot faster in the regular season. The defensive ends are smaller compared to the NFL but they are coming at you like crazy! There’s a lot of pressure from everywhere, so you have to be very sound on your assignments.
It sounds cliche but you really can’t take a single play off. The game moves so quickly up here and before you know it, the ball can be going the other way.
I’m adjusting but the game was very fast. You really have to know your playbook and be able to read the different defensive looks. Another thing I’ve been forced to learn real quick is anybody can have any number. Defensive ends up here can wear 5, 6, 7 and even 95 at linebacker.
You just really have to watch a lot of film, know who’s coming at you and what your assignment is on each play. I’m getting used to it though and can’t wait for Week 2.
Looking ahead, Toronto has two of my really good friends on their roster. Cory Boyd and Brandon Isaac were teammates of mine at South Carolina and I can’t wait to get on the field against them.
Toronto’s defence looks good — there all tall; they have a lot of bigger guys. We’re going to have to get our hands on them.
The film shows they come with a lot of pressure and they show a lot of different looks. They’re very inconsistent in a good way — they don’t show the same look twice. They look good and it will be a good challenge.
I’m looking forward to getting out to Toronto and Montreal for this road trip. It should be a good opportunity to bond with the guys. I’m going to try and get in contact with my college teammates but not until after the game — I’ve got to keep my game face on!
I still haven’t tried poutine yet so if all goes well, we will be coming home with two more wins and some poutine to celebrate with.
Na’Shan Goddard, #68
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