In the second quarter of last Friday’s win over Saskatchewan, Ticat defensive end Justin Hickman chased down then-Rider quarterback Kevin Glenn and slammed him to the ground. Hickman had a few choice words for his former teammate as well.
“I told him ‘I’m not helping your ass up, either.’ He just laughed,” Hickman said. “But I think was upset about getting pulled last week and wanted another shot at us.”
Glenn will get just that on Sunday – albeit with a different team. The 36-year-old former Ticat was dealt to the Montreal Alouettes on Wednesday. Saskatchewan gets a fifth round pick in return.
Montreal is fourth in the East with a 5-9 record and while they have little hope of catching the 9-5 Ticats or the other divisional front-runners – the Argos and Redblacks also have nine wins – the Alouettes are still in the hunt for a playoff berth by way of a West Division crossover. They’d need to get by both B.C. and Winnipeg, another pair of five-win teams.
“KG’s going to bring confidence to those receivers instantly,” Hickman said.
Glenn is expected to start against the Ticats, despite the fact that he’ll have just two days of practice to learn a new offensive system. The Alouettes have lost three quarterbacks to injury – Jonathon Crompton, Dan LeFevour, Rakeem Cato – and a hastily prepared Glenn likely gives them a better chance than rookie Anthony Boone or third-year man Tanner Marsh.
“We’ll certainly anticipate his skill set and know the things he has strengths in. I’m sure they’ll play to those strengths but they also have an offence,” said Hamilton head coach Kent Austin. “He’s a veteran quarterback who’s won a lot of football games and it’s a good acquisition for them.”
Despite weeks of speculation following the season-ending injury to starter Zach Collaros, Austin said the Ticats never expressed an interest in Glenn. They’ve cast their lot with rookie Jeff Mathews, who was named a CFL Top Performer of the Week after throwing for 385 yards and three touchdown passes in the win over the Riders.
The Ticats did make a move just before the 4 p.m. trade deadline, however, acquiring Canadian defensive back Mike Edem from Montreal in exchange for a sixth round pick in the 2016 CFL Draft and a conditional seventh round pick in 2017. He’s good a fit for Hamilton, a team that starts two Canadians in the secondary.
Edem was an all-star in 2013, his rookie season, making 49 tackles and registering three interceptions while playing at safety. He fell out of favour in Montreal, however, and has played in just four games this year.
There was one other significant move at the unusually busy trade deadline, as the Calgary Stampeders acquired Canadian running back Jerome Messam (and a fifth rounder) from Saskatchewan in exchange for former McMaster kicker Tyler Crapigna, a third round pick and a neg list player. With Stamps running back Jon Cornish battling injury troubles – he’ll miss Saturday’s game against Toronto – Messam offers a ratio-sustaining alternative.
Calgary, second in the West, has clear Grey Cup aspirations. Glenn, meanwhile, is joining his eighth CFL team (only Edmonton remains on his to-do list) and gets yet another shot to pursue his elusive first championship.
“It’s all exciting, especially at my time of career. The big thing is being on a team that’s a contender,” he said. “Watching from far, this is a very good team. I’m glad to be here.”
Until Sunday at least.
Notes: Ticat receivers Bakari Grant and Terrence Tolliver missed practice on Wednesday, as did Canadian defensive back Courtney Stephen and offensive lineman Joel Figueroa.
