Valley Huskers head coach Bob Reist has plenty of reasons to be excited about his defence.
From the potential dominance of Isaiah Letander and Tyrece Viner Cox on the line to the presence of ball-hawking defensive backs Marcel Arruda-Welch, Desmond Jeanson and Keenan Onyebuchi, there is top-level talent on each level.
But the most interesting piece will be right in the middle of the action.
Linebacker David Steeves has returned to Canada after four years in the United States. The Winnipeg native played at Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota. He was a three-time National Christian College All-American with the Lions, collecting 242 tackles, 13 sacks and 44 tackles for loss while setting a school record for most forced fumbles in a career.
He played well enough to earn an invite to the Canadian Football League’s Eastern Regional Combine in Montreal.
“Unfortunately I sprained my ankle during one of the drills and couldn’t finish the day, and after that happened I realized the chances of being picked up by a CFL team were short,” Steeves said. “I needed a backup plan. I talked to my agent and he mentioned the idea of playing junior football.”
The Huskers had a recruiting edge in house when they started chasing Steeves.
Receiver/return ace Brandon Poulin played high school football with Steeves at Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg.
“We always talked about playing together again one day, and when we were messaging about the situation I was in, he talked to Blair (Huskers general manager Atkinson) about me.”
As soon as Atkinson and Reist caught wind that Steeves was available, they moved fast.
“They reached out to me and it took a week for me to think about it and talk to some of my mentors about it,” Steeves recalled. “Once I knew I wasn’t going to be playing in the league (CFL) this year, I thought this would be a good chance to get re-accustomed to the Canadian game and be a part of a spectacular team on the rise.”
North Dakota was an interesting experience for Steeves, who played road games in South Dakota, Illinois, Kansas, Idaho and Tennessee.
“Football in the States is like religion, and it’s taken real seriously no matter what division you play in (Steeves played Div 3),” he said. “The nerves get going on game days when you’re playing those big schools. When we had big road games, some of them were televised and it was a thrill. I grew a lot through the last four years, on and off the field.”
Steeves will find the B.C. Football Conference a lot quieter by comparison. But the calibre of play will be challenging as he transitions from small fields, 11 players and four downs to three downs, 12 players and wide open spaces.
“Being here, watching all the receivers moving around and me playing further back from the line was definitely tough when I first got here,” he admitted. “But as I‘ve gotten more reps, watched more film, gotten into my playbook more and asked the coaches more questions I’ve been feeling myself getting more comfortable.
“But for sure, my body felt like it was in football shock at first.”
With Trinity Bible College, Steeves said he was more of a run-stuffing linebacker, and the moment he enjoys most on the field is coming up to stuff a running back in the hole.
But in the Canadian game he knows he has to be rangier, able to drop back in coverage and roam sideline to sideline.
“I’ve been trying to enhance that part of my game, and I’m definitely better with my foot-work and getting into pass coverage zones than I was when I was in my sophomore and junior years in North Dakota,” he said. “Honestly, it’s all just reps and not being afraid to fail. There was a point where I was afraid to try different things because I thought I wouldn’t be good at them, but once I broke through that bubble and got through that wall, I saw my game get a lot better.”
Reist loves what he’s seen out of Steeves, first at spring camp in May and now at training camp.
“From day one he’s been an outstanding leader, both on and off the field,” the coach noted. “Man, this kid brings it. He attacks downhill with force and aggression and his impact is felt with the hits that he brings and the work he does running the defence.
“I can’t say enough good things about him.”
Like we said off the top, Steeves will be surrounded by a lot of talent this year.
Every linebacker ever will tell you they like working behind a disruptive D-line, and the Huskers should have that. Steeves describes them as Dawgs, guys who aren’t afraid to mix it up and get physical.
“They’ll always be in the fight and have your back,” he said with a grin.
Working in front of a stingy secondary should be a lot of fun too.
“They’re not afraid to get their noses in their game and they’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Steeves said. “They’re Dawgs too.”
All in all, Steeves said Reist is right to be optimistic about a dominant D, and now it’s up to the players on the field to make it happen.
“I think Coach Reist did his homework in recruiting and I don’t think he is overselling our potential at all,” Steeves said. “I think we’re definitely going to be a force to reckoned with on both sides of the ball and he has a right to be confident.”
The Huskers kick off the 2019 season Aug. 3, hosting Victoria’s Westshore Rebels with a 2 p.m. kickoff at Exhibition Stadium.