Winning never gets old for O’Neill
B.C.’s experienced guard enjoying opportunity to play near home
Age, relative to his peers, has made Tim O’Neill a rather obvious target for increasingly unoriginal trash talk from his opponents.
“I get called ‘old’ during games. These guys are real witty on the other teams. I hear the same thing every game,” O’Neill said.
He doesn’t seem at all fazed. At the age of 36, the oldest player on the B.C. Lions’ roster, the veteran offensive lineman is living out a dream.
When he’s done playing football, he can devote more time to his farm in Metchosin, outside of Victoria, and hopefully get back into golf, a game he says he only “dabbles” in right now because there isn’t much free time during the summer football schedule.
The dream is, instead, an opportunity for O’Neill late in his career to play for the Leos, the team he grew up watching. Some veteran players may not welcome the reality of an off-season trade and the process of moving from one city to another, but O’Neill believes he’s in an “ideal situation” now after he was dealt to B.C. from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in February.
The Lions gave up a fifth-round selection in this year’s draft to get O’Neill, who has more than 140 CFL games worth of experience and can play all three interior offensive line positions, including centre, which adds even more value to the trade for B.C., as Wally Buono looked to add more Canadian depth at the position.
“I don’t know what it would’ve been like if it (was) somewhere else,” O’Neill said of the trade. “But once I heard it’s B.C., I got excited about it and it’s just gotten better from there.
“This is awesome to play for the team you grew up watching and cheering for. And my friends, to be able to cheer for the team they want to cheer for when they’re watching me … it’s been perfect.”
O’Neill currently fits into the lineup as the starting left guard, put into the starting lineup ahead of fellow Canadian and 2013 first-round pick Hunter Steward. Steward’s time with the Lions has been limited to 17 games over three seasons due to knee and foot injuries. He played in only three games last season, finally appearing in game action for the final three weeks.
“The reason we brought Tim here is because he’s a solid veteran who has a lot of starts as a guard and as a centre. And we just didn’t feel Hunter Steward was progressing at the level that we wanted. We want to improve the offensive line,” said Buono.
“Sometimes it’s always good when you’re a young player to step away and watch for a while. Guys go through phases like that,” said offensive line coach Dan Dorazio. “(Steward) understands he’s growing and learning. He’s a better player today than he was three weeks ago.”
The new week of practice began Tuesday with O’Neill back in the same spot, taking first-team reps at left guard as the Lions prepare for a first-place game with the Calgary Stampeders Friday at B.C. Place.
This will be the third and final time the Lions and Stamps face each other this year — at least in the regular season. The season series is tied 1-1 following Calgary’s come-frombehind overtime win in a thriller at McMahon Stadium in Week 6.
O’Neill won a Grey Cup with Calgary in 2008, but fell short in the championship game twice with Hamilton in 2013 and 2014.
There is still such a long way to go, but winning a Grey Cup for his home province would be another dream come true for O’Neill.
“The way we’re working and the talent we’ve got here, we’ve got as good a chance as anybody,” he said. “That’s what I want more than anything. That’s why I’m playing still.”