Teammate's death hits home for Stamps' receiver
Most people can’t imagine the kind of grief Mylan Hicks’ family is going through. Joe West can. The Calgary Stampeders wideout knows exactly what Hicks’ family is dealing with after the 23-year-old aspiring football player was slain on the weekend.
West lost a younger brother under similar circumstances two years ago.
Brandon Hobdy and his friend were struck by stray bullets when shots were fired from a moving car in Arkansas in August 2014.
West said the news of Hicks’ death hit him hard.
“It hit home with me,” West said. “I looked at Mylan like a little brother. My little brother lost his life when he was 23.
“Mylan was out here trying to seek out what he needed to do to become a better player.
“It’s sad. It hurts. I’m just glad we got to spend time with that guy since training camp.”
Stamps quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell talked on Sunday about how Hicks was a pain in the butt to play against in practice because of his dogged determination.
West noticed similar character traits.
“He had a great heart,” West said. “And he’s a great example to have around the guys because he was somebody who embraced the position he was in, playing on the practice squad as an American.
“He continued to try to get better every day and that’s huge.”
West found out about his brother’s death just hours before a road game in Ottawa.
Then-teammate Nik Lewis was the first to hear about the shooting and went to West’s hotel room to deliver the sad news.
West elected to play that day and, despite the heavy heart, posted a game-high 129 yards receiving.
He remembers the pain he felt that day and wants to do anything he can to soothe some of those same emotions felt by Hicks’ family and his own grieving teammates. “I’m hurt for his family, his mom,” West said. “I talked to my mom about it and she wanted to get in contact with his mom and comfort her.
“That’s what we have to do. This locker-room is full of brothers and love so we have to keep each other lifted.”
West credited his teammates for helping him through those tough times two years ago.
Now, even though it brings back painful memories, he’s returning the favour as his teammates look to him for guidance.
“I’ve been through this and it’s not easy to talk about but it’s something that I accept and embrace,” West said.
“I use it to add fuel to my fire and I hope these guys do the same.
“We’re never alone. Although sometimes we’re lost in thought, we have to let go of those thoughts and let God work in our lives for the better.”
Football can actually be a comfort, acting as a distraction and providing players with a common goal.
That has been the case this week as the Stamps prepare for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Saturday at 2 p.m., TSN/News talk 770).
West likely won’t get a chance to duplicate that on-field performance from two years ago.
He hasn’t been in the lineup since Week 3, when he suffered an ankle injury that landed him on the six-game injured list.
During his absence, rookie receiver DaVaris Daniels caught fire, making it impossible to take the productive youngster off the roster and, now fully healthy, West has spent the past four games on the one-game injured list.
“I’m just working hard and trying to do what (head coach Dave Dickenson) asks me to do,” West said.
“I’m trying to be a good leader, take advantage of my reps and fill in when my number is called.”
The adage is you can’t lose your spot to injury. The truth is it happens all the time.
“It’s part of the business,” West said with a genuine smile that he wears through thick and thin.
“If I was on fire and I was healthy, I wouldn’t want to get taken out.
“So you just gotta keep the ball rolling.”