Here’s an old personal football joke, which is really only half-joking, because it’s based on longtime observation. Q: What is the rarest sight in all of pro sport? A: An offensive lineman standing by himself.
Unless the day is long done and everyone has gone home, you almost never see a centre, guard or tackle, even their backups, on their own around the stadium, or anywhere near it. No position group is consistently closer. By choice, but also by necessity because of the synchronization of movement, thought and anticipation required by the five-man collective which has to protect the passer and also open holes for the running back. They require the physical and mental harmony of a chorus line: The Radio City Rockettes in pads and helmets.
One of the Ticats’ marquee signings as free agency opened was 27-year-old right guard Liam Dobson, who was named to the West Division All-CFL team last year in Winnipeg and has helped cushion the free agency departure of All-CFL Ticat David Beard. That allowed Coulter Woodmansey to move to centre between Dobson and perennial all-CFL Brandon Revenberg.
That trio, as well as another half-dozen linemen including returning tackles Brendan Bordner, Quinton Barrow and Jordan Murray, are always bunched, in subsets or as a whole crew. Talking, laughing, learning football, ribbing each other, often in an off-colour way.
“We spend a lot of time in meetings,” Dobson says. “Last night we got out of our meetings at 8:00 and me and some of the guys kept sitting in there just going over the talking points, and I was cracking jokes while we’re doing it, you know? The more time you spend together as a unit you just build those relationships and get to know each other better and better.
“Even when we have a break after lunch or something like that, we’ll sit around, play some cards. You know, just the small things. People might want to take a nap and that might feel good, but hanging out, getting to know your teammates is also a great thing to do. I’m typically a Go Fish or Crazy Eights guy.”
The unit is steadily gelling, inhaling new addition Dobson and the return of Jakub Szott, and that has made it seem to Dobson that he’s been in Hamilton much longer than the few weeks he spent here before camp opened, and the fortnight since training began. He’s impressed with the way Woodmansy is handling the transition to centre.
“He’s a great player, smart player. Super physical,” Dobson says. “Playing beside a guy like that is always a another lineman’s dream. If you can play with somebody who knows what they’re doing and plays hard, you’d take that every day of the week. He’s making the switch over to centre and I think he’s done some fantastic things there. That’s a really hard position, having to call the plays.”
The line loves to hear head coach Scott Milanovich’s commitment to a more frequent run game, as was demonstrated during last season’s second half when Greg Bell took over the ball-carrying roles. Bell is back and looking effective and has a deep support system of Canadian backs.
“It keeps us going,” Dobson says. “And it keeps the defence off balance. If we’re not running the ball very well, and we’re just sitting back there and dropping back to pass block all the timed defensive linemen are going to be able to tee off, kind of pin their ears back and get after us. Or try to, at least.
“So if we’re able to run the ball, it keeps them a little more honest. They’ll have to play some different defences and different coverages that are more beneficial to us running the ball.
“A lot of people say offensive linemen don’t get credit, but when our back gets free and through to the second level, that’s all the credit we need.”
