Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
In at least one way, the Westerman brothers aren’t your usual pair of siblings, being professional football players and all. In other ways, though, they are very typical, with good-natured competitive instincts leading to laughter and brotherly trash-talk.
That’s in evidence when you talk to them about each other, in separate conversations, and especially clear when it comes to the matter of their one-on-one battles on special teams.
“I think I won that battle this year,” says Jamaal, who may really believe that. Or, he may have been setting a hook for his younger brother, knowing I’d be talking with him just a few hours later.
“I wouldn’t even call it trying to beat me,” retorts a snickering Jabar, of his brother’s efforts. “He’s more just trying to hold on to me like he’s been doing for the last couple of games we’ve played. I’m running down the field, he’s holding on to my arm or something….”
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Jamaal Westerman meets his brother for the first time in a playoff situation in the Western Semi-Final (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The brothers Westerman will meet again, this Sunday, when 27-year-old Jabar’s BC Lions play host to 31-year-old Jamaal’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers, in the Western Semi-Final. They will not cross paths on a regular basis, each of them being standout defensive linemen and therefore not on the field at the same time when they are each attempting to stuff the run or track a quarterback.
Have an eye, though, when the Lions are attempting a field goal. That’s when you’ll see Jabar lined up right across from his big brother and the sibling rivalry is renewed.
It’s a rivalry steeped in needling, but one that seems also to be rooted in equal parts affection and respect between the brothers, who’ve been trying to get the best of each other their entire lives, the balance of power shifting back and forth over the years.
“When we were younger, there was a big size difference,” says Jabar, who now outweighs his brother by thirty pounds, although he does give up an inch in height. “He used to pick me up and body slam me and lay on top of me. I couldn’t do anything,” he says, laughing.
“Always in good fun,” Jamaal says, when asked if it ever escalated from just playful testing. Then he adds, chuckling: “I think we all have scars somewhere on our bodies with one of the other ones being an ass.”
No doubt that competitive spirit – as well as the mutual support they’ve given each other – was helpful in bringing the Westerman brothers to this point in time; one where they are established stars for their teams. Jabar totalled 17 tackles and five sacks in his fifth season as a Lion, gobbling up space and wrestling with opposing offensive lineman as he toggled between tackle and end. Jamaal, flipping from right end to left and using his speed to overwhelm, racked up 44 tackles, eight sacks, a couple of pass knockdowns and a forced fumble in his second year with the Bombers.
Growing up in places like Brooklyn, Fort Lauderdale and Brampton, Jamaal and Jabar got into the expected amount of wrestling and one-upmanship, along with another brother, Jawaan.
“It was always like me versus the both of them,” claims Jamaal. “We were very competitive when we were young.”
They still are today, if talking to them about field goal team matchups is any indication.
They are also supportive and text or talk on most days, even if they leave game details out of it as their teams get closer to playing each other. This Sunday’s meeting has some emotional heft for the Westerman brothers and that sense comes blazing through when Jabar is asked about meeting his brother in a playoff game for the first time. He talks about the years of training with each other. About the pride he feels when he sees Jamaal make a good play.
After a pause, he offers: “It’s a significant moment within our lives.”
If the brothers’ willingness to fire good-natured barbs is not scarce, neither is the willingness to talk, in glowing terms, about each other.
Jamaal, Winnipeg’s outstanding player in 2015 as well as a CFL all-star, says he has to give it up to little brother when it comes to versatility and game smarts.
“He’s probably a little bit more knowledgeable about the game than I am,” says Jamaal. “He’s a lot bigger than me so he’s probably able to hold up better in the run game and do different things like that.”
When we were younger, there was a big size difference. He used to pick me up and body slam me and lay on top of me. I couldn’t do anything.”
Jabar Westerman
He calls Jabar the big brother when it comes to the CFL, despite Jabar’s being younger. With three seasons under his belt before Jamaal joined the Blue Bombers after six years in the NFL, Jabar did have much more knowledge when it came to the differences in how to play defence in Canada. That, however, is a gulf that is narrowing.
“It’s actually starting to merge a little bit more,” says Jabar. “When he first came over, it was two different leagues.”
Jabar, the CFL’s rookie of the year in 2012, is a little sheepish when asked if there’s anything he does better than his older brother.
“I don’t know, man,” he says, laughing a little. “I kinda took all his moves and re-tweaked them.” Then he brightens and emphatically announces: “I probably cook better than him, I can tell you that.”
Wish I’d had the brothers Westerman on the line at the same time so I could have gotten Jamaal’s response to that. Might have had a witty comeback set to go. Who knows? Maybe he’d agree with that assessment and verify that Jabar does, in fact, cook up a mean plate of Ackee and Saltfish.
“I’m a better arguer, I’m way better at being in charge,” Jamaal had said earlier. I’m definitely better at telling people what to do.” Jabar agreed with that but insisted his brother would instead call it “delegating.”
Yes, it would have been fun to have the Westerman brothers on conference call.
I’ll settle for zeroing in on their field goal teams matchup on Sunday, where I’m sure Jamaal will want to prove little brother’s insistence – that he just kind of holds on against him – to be false.
Jabar will be ready. He knows what Jamaal is up to. “He’s trying to open up the gap for somebody else to rush through,” he says of their one-on-one challenges.
“When I have the opportunity, I wanna win that match-up,” says Jamaal.
“So at least I can say ‘hey, I beat you on field goal block.’ I think he had a good block on me last year and I’m, like ‘crap,’ and he kinda told me about it.”
Sunday’s Western Semi-Final will be bursting with interesting matchups but only one will have that little extra something that only brothers can understand.
Jamaal Westerman braces for big challenge against Olafioye
Jabar Westerman moves around a lot for the BC Lions, playing on the edge, both left and right but also on the interior as well. He’ll see a variety of opponents lined up against him during a game. Brother Jamaal plays on the end for the Blue Bombers, flipping from left side to right side but can be very often seen taking on the opponents’ left tackle.
Jamaal Westerman will have the challenge of matching up against Jovan Olafioye in Sunday’s contest (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
In the matter of Sunday afternoon’s Western Semi-Final, he’ll see a lot of Jovan Olafioye, a player for which he says he has great respect. It will be a key battle.
“I don’t know him, personally, but from the way that he plays he must do a good job of studying film,” Westerman says of the Lions’ candidate for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman. “You can see him thinking the game.
“When you’ve played for so long and you’ve played at such a high level like he has, half the game for him is just thinking, trying to cut out what you’re gonna do before you have an opportunity to do it.
“He’s a very good offensive lineman. He’s a big guy that’s played a lot.”
Westerman had eight tackles and a sack in two regular season games against the Lions. Jabar Westerman had two tackles and a sack against Winnipeg in those same two games.
