Aims to be only second Canuck to enter as middle linebacker

By Kent Gilchrist,
Vancouver Province

Wayne Harris, Ben Zambiasi, Jerry Campbell, Ray Nettles, Dan Kepley, Tom Brown, Danny Bass and Greg Battle are the names of middle linebackers whose bronze busts can all be found in the CFL Hall of Fame in Hamilton.

They have another thing in common: They are all American-born and American-trained. In the eras they all played the "mac," linebacker was reserved for American players. Oh, the odd Canadian kid, such as Wally Buono, filled in the middle between the careers of Tom Cousineau and Carl Crennel, but Canadian middle linebackers were more scarce than seeing Gerry Datillio or Giulio Caravatta play quarterback back in the day.

Frankly, not much has changed. Mike O'Shea, from North Bay, Ont., has played the position with uncommon distinction since 1993 -- first for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, then 10 of the last 11 years for the Toronto Argonauts. The Hall of Fame is keeping a spot warm for O'Shea.

The Lions' starting middle linebacker, Javier Glatt, was born in Calgary and trained at the University of B.C., and would like to become only the second Canadian to enter the Hall of Fame at that position.

Because of changing defences, Buono, who mostly played outside linebacker in his 10-year career with the Montreal Alouettes, says you could call standout Calgary Stampeder Scott Coe of Winnipeg a middle linebacker, too.

The modest Glatt even suggests that weakside linebacker Otis Floyd is "our best linebacker," which may or may not be true. But it was somewhat surprising when Glatt was injured during the regular season that the Lions elected to start second-year Canadian Jason Pottinger into his spot rather than shift Floyd over.

"He's a good one," says defensive co-ordinator Dave Ritchie, who was lucky enough to have coached Battle in Winnipeg. "Javy's very athletic and he works hard and studies hard. He really analyzes."

Because of the complexity of today's defences, the linebacker positions are a bit blurry. There's strongside and there's weakside, and depending on the call, the middle linebacker might favour one or the other or he might drop off into pass coverage. In the old days the middle linebacker was in the middle filling the A and B gaps. He was responsible for stopping the run "up the gut."

Ritchie says the best he ever saw was Battle. Not surprisingly, Buono likes Alondra Johnson, whom the Stampeders signed as a free agent away from B.C. in 1991.

There have been some very good homegrown linebackers play for the Lions, too. Glen Jackson, Kevin Konar and John Beaton were terrific outside linebackers who played when Sam Britts and Ty Crews were in the middle.

Despite the changes in responsibility, the middle linebacker is still considered "the quarterback" on defence. He makes the calls and checks for the front seven. The safety makes them for the secondary.

"They better be on the same page," says Ritchie, conjuring up in his mind the chaos that would ensue if Glatt and Barron Miles saw two different things from the enemy's offensive alignment.

"They have to see the same thing. That's why they spend so much time watching film."

Glatt enjoys the added leadership responsibility. He became the team's middle linebacker in 2006, three years after the Lions drafted him in the second round, and he'd paid his dues on special teams and backing up.

"Originally," says Glatt, "I think the plan was to make me an outside linebacker. I played all over the place when I first got here.

"It has been great making a lot of decisions and being involved in the leadership. I relish that role. I love to see my teammates making plays. Middle linebacker is such a vague position now. I might be lining up on the edge or dropping off into coverage."

With his ability, if he plays long enough, he should make the Hall of Fame, too.