Breaux getting up to speed on return to Tiger-Cats defence
CALGARY — Hamilton Tiger-Cats linebacker Simoni Lawrence says he threatened to cry for eight straight days if Delvin Breaux didn’t choose Steeltown for his return to the Canadian Football League.
Lawrence was joking, but Breaux counters his teammate should have known that, despite interest from other clubs in the league, the cornerback was coming back to the Ticats.
“In my eyes, there was only one. In my heart, there was only one,” Breaux said Wednesday following his second practice with Hamilton.
The 28-year-old’s last CFL game was the 2014 Grey Cup in Vancouver, where the Calgary Stampeders narrowly beat Hamilton 20-16 for the title.
A Ticat in both ’13 and ’14, Breaux was a league all-star the second season with 33 defensive tackles, an interception for a touchdown and three forced fumbles.
He had an interception in the East Division final and the Grey Cup.
The Ticats released him so he could sign with his hometown New Orleans Saints the following season. Breaux’s NFL debut season was stellar with 45 tackles and three forced fumbles in ’15.
But a run of injuries, including twice breaking his fibula, sidelined him for most of the next two seasons. The Saints chose not to retain his services this year.
“After that 2014 Grey Cup, I was like ‘I don’t want to leave,’ but it was my dream to play in the NFL, so I got my dream,” Breaux said.
“The NFL experience was great. It was eye-opening for me.
“This is home for me. This is where everything took off for me playing with Hamilton in ’13 and ’14 and becoming a CFL all-star.”
The immediate question with Breaux is whether the six-foot-one, 210-pound back is ready to step in and play Friday night in Edmonton against the Eskimos.
Both he and Tiger-Cats head coach June Jones were noncommittal Wednesday, although Jones indicated a decision would be made soon.
“We’re going to make that decision after we watch the film today,” Jones said.
“He looks like he can play to me.
“I think he’s still not quite obviously in football shape, but he took a lot of snaps and he runs well still. I think it’s a great addition to our team.”
The Tiger-Cats are coming off a 28-14 loss in last week’s season-opener in Calgary.