Hamilton knew what they were doing when the Ticats went ahead and inked Courtney Stephen to a three-year contract extension during the free agency period of the offseason.
Last season he helped the Ticats’ defence in ranking first in several statistical categories including passer rating (78.8) and yards per pass attempt (6.8) while Stephen also recorded a career high in interceptions with four.
Stephen has since made the move from the cornerback to the safety position in Defensive Coordinator Orlondo Steinauer’s defence, where he has made a sizeable impact following the transition.
Through six games of the 2016 season, Stephen is on career season pace while anchoring the Hamilton secondary in the safety position. He’s already tallied 22 defensive tackles along with four on special teams, which combined has him cruising to top his career high of 49 set in 2015.
The 2012 Ticats’ draft pick has also made his presence heard by opposing offences as he’s registered his first two career quarterback sacks. He’s also dropped the hammer resulting in three forced fumbles, which is already a career high for the Canadian defensive back.
Year |
Games Played | Defensive Tackles | Special Teams Tackles | Quarterback Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Fumble Recoveries | Interceptions |
2013 |
14 |
35 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
2014 |
18 |
46 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2 |
2015 |
16 |
47 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
4 |
2016 | 6 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
0 |
Career | 54 | 150 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
6 |