A seven-year CFL vet, defensive lineman Stevie Baggs made stops in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Hamilton before donning the Red & White for the first time last season.

The Florida native has spent the bulk of his off-season in Calgary, making numerous appearances in the community and hitting the court as a member of the Stampeders Basketball Team.

Baggs has certainly made a name for himself on the field in the CFL. You probably already know that he tied for the league in sacks 2009 with 12, including three two-sack games. You may also know that he led the CFL in 2010 with 141 fumble-return yards and two fumble-return touchdowns. You may have even watched him play in the 2009 Grey Cup here in Calgary as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

But what do you really know about Stevie Baggs? We asked him to finish the following sentences to help us get to know him a little bit better.

Going to Paris this off-season was… one of the most exciting experiences I have ever encountered. The best thing about it was experiencing a different culture and the one thing I liked about it more than anything was I was able to see that everyone is so different, yet we’re all still the same.

Scoring my first CFL touchdown…  oh man, I don’t even know how to explain it. It was exciting, to say the least. But more than that, it just added another layer to my game. Being a complete all-around player and not just being defensive-minded. I have learned the man with the ball wins no matter if you are on offence or defence; if you can find a way to get the ball in your hands, you’ll win. That first touchdown helped bring that awareness to my game.

College…  the first word that comes to mind islove. I love my university, Bethune-Cookman. I learned a great deal about being a better student, not only in the classroom, but a student of the game. I met a ton of friends. The pros are different. I’ve been on so many different teams, had so many numbers. At college I came in as #52 and I left as #52. My college is near and dear to my heart.

Teammates… Camaraderie and relationships. Anytime the game has been taken away from me or I converse with guys who are done playing, they all love the football part of it, but the most exciting thing about football is your teammates and being in the locker room. And that’s what the guys miss the most when they are done playing. A lot of people call football a family. A family has women and children. I look at football as a brotherhood of men. When it’s time to break bread, we break bread and when it’s time to hunt, we hunt.

I really dislike… celery and dog and cat hair.

Training camp… going into my 10th pro year and just being as transparent as possible here, I do not like training camp. The wear and tear it puts on the body, as well as the mind. But it’s necessary because when you talk about camaraderie, you talk about building success for your team and that’s one of the places you do it. My mom always had a saying, “You never really know someone until you squeeze them.” That’s what training camp does because everyone is under pressure – the players, the coaches. That’s when you can tell the character of guys. I really dislike training camp, but I can respect and appreciate it.

Championships… are one of the reasons why I play this game. When you are done with the game of football and the jersey is off your back, one of the most gratifying things is to be able to say that you are a champion. But I can’t say that yet.

I learned lately… no matter what happens to you in life, it’s not necessarily about what happens to you but how you react to what happens to you.

Calgary… has been a blessing to me. Although I haven’t been here long, I have met a lot of wonderful people. There is an economic bubble here, obviously in the financial area, but there is also a philanthropy here that I have a great passion for. That is my ultimate passion is giving back.