During training camp, and the first few weeks of the season, French mime Marcel Marceau talked more than B.C. Lions draft pick Jabar Westerman.

"He didn't say a word,'' defensive end Keron Williams said with a laugh. "He was quiet, he was mute.

"We kept picking at him.''

When explaining his silence Westerman said he wasn't trying to be aloof and he isn't shy. The big non-import defensive lineman from Eastern Michigan was simply trying to concentrate on the task of making the considerable jump from college football to being a professional in the CFL.

Rewind: Westerman taken 2nd overall
Rookie Jabar Westerman has lived up to expectations since shaking hands with Commissioner Mark Cohon on draft day in May. » WATCH: Westerman taken 2nd overall

"I didn't want to get involved in all the distractions around,'' said Westerman, raising his voice to be heard over the shouts and music in the Lions' dressing room after Sunday's 24-5 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"I was trying to get into my playbook. A lot of the time when people thought I was quiet I was just going over the plays in my head, trying to memorize them and seeing what I could do. In college we had the same terminology but it was different plays. I had to get used to it. Now that I am used to it I have opened up a little more.''

Westerman has proven a quick learner. The rookie has earned himself a spot on a Lions' defence that hasn't allowed a touchdown in three games.

"Things are going pretty well,'' he said.”I'm getting a lot more playing time than I expected to get.''

The two-game suspension handed to defensive tackle Khalif Mitchell resulted in Westerman getting his first professional start against Saskatchewan. He admitted to some extra pre-game jitters.

"After you get that first hit out of the way it's smooth sailing from there,'' he said.

In the last three games the six-foot-two, 285-pound Westerman has four tackles and forced a fumble for the Lions. He also recorded his first CFL sack when he hauled down Toronto QB Ricky Ray in B.C.'s win Week 6 win over the Argonauts.

"It felt great,'' Westerman said."Hopefully I will keep improving on that.''

Head coach Mike Benevides has been impressed with Westerman's progression.

"He keeps getting better and better,'' said Benevides.”As we go, he gets more used to playing professional football. He understands it. He's just learning and getting comfortable.

"One of the toughest challenges for any line of scrimmage player, whether it's an offensive lineman or defensive, is to just get used to the size, speed and physicality of the game. From a physical and maturity point of view, they are still not there yet.''

The 23-year-old Westerman said he's still adjusting to the speed and experience of the offensive linemen he's facing.

"I feel they have a better first step than me,'' he said. “In college, they were still adolescents, 18, 19 or 20 years old. These guys have been here for a long time. They know all the little tricks, the little hand placements, the techniques.

"It's going to take time to get used to that and defeat those techniques. I have been working with the offensive linemen. That should help me out.''

The defending Grey Cup champion Lions traded up two spots in the Canadian College draft to select Westerman second overall. In 23 games at Eastern Michigan over two seasons he had shown promise by making 48 tackles, nine for a loss, 5.5 quarterback sacks and one fumble recovery.

Born in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Westerman's family moved to Brampton, Ont., where he attended elementary school. He played football at Dodge City Junior College in Kansas before transferring to Eastern Michigan.

To gain his non-import status Westerman had to obtain a letter from a secretary at the school in Brampton, signed by the principal, proving he spent 60 months living in Canada before his eighth birthday.

The Lions like Westerman's combination of football intelligence and body size. He has extremely long arms plus explosive speed. He has impressed the coaches with his lateral movement and ability to attack the line of scrimmage.

His teammates liked Westerman's worth ethic and attitude.

"The biggest thing is he's listening,'' said safety J. R. LaRose. "Some guys that get in a position that rise up quickly, they think they (know it all). He's a very humble guy and he's plugging away at it.''

Football runs in Westerman's family. His oldest brother Jamaal is a linebacker for the NFL Miami Dolphins. Another brother Jawann was a wide receiver at Rutgers.

Replacing a player like Mitchell with a rookie could have opened a gap in the Lions' defence. Against Saskatchewan, B.C. had three sacks, three interceptions and held the Riders to 261 yards of net offence while giving up just one field goal and a safety.

"What it proves is we have tremendous depth,'' said Benevides. "It's not just the 12 starters. We have 15 guys on a defence on a rotation and a multi-packaging thing.''

No one expected Westerman to totally fill Mitchell's shoes but it still was a good fit.

"Even though he's not the same stature as Khalif, he knows the defence and he knows what gap he has to be in to make the defence work,'' said Williams, who leads the league with seven sacks.

Westerman knows there are still plenty of areas he can improve.

"I need to get better on my first step, my get-off is pretty slow,'' he said. "Also, just being aware of the guys around me, where they are rushing, so I can cover for them.

"I feel I have to get a better chemistry with the guys. It's pretty good but it has to get to that next level.''

The Lions face a busy couple of weeks. They travel to Winnipeg to play the Blue Bombers on Friday. B.C. then face the Alouettes in Montreal Aug. 31.

"We have experienced it before,'' said Benevides. "You basically have to give them (the players) rest.''

For Westerman, the learning experience continues.

"It's been a great time so far,'' he said. "It's great living the dream to play professional football.

"A lot of people would live and die for this opportunity. I don't take it for granted.''