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Ticat does his talkin' on field
Kaz Novak / the Hamilton SpectatorMEAN MACHINE. Ticat defensive end James Cotton is a calming influence on the rest of the team, says coach Greg Marshall.
Cotton is a defensive end who leads by example and not with his mouth
By Steve Milton
The Hamilton Spectator
More articles by this columnist
(May 29, 2006) James Cotton is a man of few, although direct, words and says he prefers to let his actions do the talking.
Then it should be quite the conversation this season.
Unleashing some nasty velocity, the veteran defensive end was all that -- and usually more than -- a variety of offensive tackles could handle during Saturday's black-and-gold friendly at Mac. Had this been a real game, a couple of young quarterbacks would be eating dinner through a straw today.
"The goal is to get better every year and I feel like I'm a much better player now," said the second-year Ticat. "I watch film and am very critical of myself. The things I was not so good at last year, I'm a little bit better at this year."
For example?
"I didn't really work that hard on my quickness last year. This off-season I worked on it; being faster to the ball."
And it shows. Cotton, a serious customer, was all business Saturday as he came off the edge like a sprinter and also worked a few stunts with his interior linemates that reflected the difference between assembling a defensive line (last May) and fine-tuning one (this May).
"It was a fairly new front four last year, but we had the season together and spent some time together in the off-season," Cotton said. "And now we're here as one unit and that's what we're preaching this year: one unit."
A portion of that sermon is coming from Cotton, who was asked by defensive co-ordinator Kavis Reed and Front Seven coach Dennis McPhee to assume more of a leadership role this season.
While the headlines and excitement have, justifiably, revolved around the marquee additions on offence, Front Four returnees Cotton, Tim Cheatwood, Adriano Belli and DeVonte Peterson must provide the early-season stability for the rebuilding Cats.
"I'm just out here trying to lead by example," Cotton says. "I'm not the most vocal guy on the team, but I'm a leader on this team."
Head coach Greg Marshall says Cotton is a calming influence on the rest of the team because he doesn't get too high, or low.
"And in a season that had a lot of ups and downs and changes in personnel, James was steadying," Marshall says.
Time can often be the enemy of a professional football player, but for Cotton this year it's an ally. Last season, he'd been out of the Canadian Football League for a couple of years, playing with the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder, and he signed with Hamilton only a few weeks before training camp. He had to quickly readjust to the Canadian game, and to new teammates. This spring, he'll hit the ground running.
"It's easier to pick it up after a year together," he agrees. "It's just a trust thing. The more you spend time with somebody, the more you trust them. We (the D line) spent a lot of time together before the season this year."
Cotton and Cheatwood both live in Cleveland and drove to Hamilton together for a few days at a time in the off-season to work out with other players. Theirs is a relationship which dates back to 1992, when they were both noted high school basketball players in Cleveland.
When Cotton arrived at Ohio State as a junior transfer in 1998, Cheatwood was a freshman who had just come to the Buckeyes as a defensive back.
"In Cleveland, the circle is so small we know of each other in high school," recalls Cotton, whose off-season pursuits include helping raise funds for nonprofit organizations. "When I got to Ohio State, we became good friends. It's good that he made it as far as he did and I made it as far as I did. We are inner-city youths who didn't have much growing up, so we're just trying to do something positive."
This winter, Cotton and Cheatwood worked out together almost every day, starting with a morning session with the weights and then moving on to some basketball.
"He's probably tired of seeing me right now," Cotton smiles. "We spent a tremendous amount of time together."
That might continue for a while. Cotton, at 29, is just nine months older than Cheatwood, putting both of them squarely into their prime pro years.
Thus, it had to be heartening for Marshall to see Cheatwood and Cotton make the effort to come to Hamilton together during the off-season, committed to building team chemistry and strengthening their own relationship.
"It was," Marshall says. "They were up every month or two to visit, to work out, to take part in a pass-rush clinic. They feed off each other. In the past, sometimes we wouldn't see some of our defensive ends all winter."
They'll see plenty of Cotton this summer too, although they won't hear him much. He wants them to listen with their eyes.
Ticat does his talkin' on field
Cotton is a defensive end who leads by example and not with his mouth
By Steve Milton
The Hamilton Spectator
More articles by this columnist
(May 29, 2006) James Cotton is a man of few, although direct, words and says he prefers to let his actions do the talking.
Then it should be quite the conversation this season.
Unleashing some nasty velocity, the veteran defensive end was all that -- and usually more than -- a variety of offensive tackles could handle during Saturday's black-and-gold friendly at Mac. Had this been a real game, a couple of young quarterbacks would be eating dinner through a straw today.
"The goal is to get better every year and I feel like I'm a much better player now," said the second-year Ticat. "I watch film and am very critical of myself. The things I was not so good at last year, I'm a little bit better at this year."
For example?
"I didn't really work that hard on my quickness last year. This off-season I worked on it; being faster to the ball."
And it shows. Cotton, a serious customer, was all business Saturday as he came off the edge like a sprinter and also worked a few stunts with his interior linemates that reflected the difference between assembling a defensive line (last May) and fine-tuning one (this May).
"It was a fairly new front four last year, but we had the season together and spent some time together in the off-season," Cotton said. "And now we're here as one unit and that's what we're preaching this year: one unit."
A portion of that sermon is coming from Cotton, who was asked by defensive co-ordinator Kavis Reed and Front Seven coach Dennis McPhee to assume more of a leadership role this season.
While the headlines and excitement have, justifiably, revolved around the marquee additions on offence, Front Four returnees Cotton, Tim Cheatwood, Adriano Belli and DeVonte Peterson must provide the early-season stability for the rebuilding Cats.
"I'm just out here trying to lead by example," Cotton says. "I'm not the most vocal guy on the team, but I'm a leader on this team."
Head coach Greg Marshall says Cotton is a calming influence on the rest of the team because he doesn't get too high, or low.
"And in a season that had a lot of ups and downs and changes in personnel, James was steadying," Marshall says.
Time can often be the enemy of a professional football player, but for Cotton this year it's an ally. Last season, he'd been out of the Canadian Football League for a couple of years, playing with the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and NFL Europe's Berlin Thunder, and he signed with Hamilton only a few weeks before training camp. He had to quickly readjust to the Canadian game, and to new teammates. This spring, he'll hit the ground running.
"It's easier to pick it up after a year together," he agrees. "It's just a trust thing. The more you spend time with somebody, the more you trust them. We (the D line) spent a lot of time together before the season this year."
Cotton and Cheatwood both live in Cleveland and drove to Hamilton together for a few days at a time in the off-season to work out with other players. Theirs is a relationship which dates back to 1992, when they were both noted high school basketball players in Cleveland.
When Cotton arrived at Ohio State as a junior transfer in 1998, Cheatwood was a freshman who had just come to the Buckeyes as a defensive back.
"In Cleveland, the circle is so small we know of each other in high school," recalls Cotton, whose off-season pursuits include helping raise funds for nonprofit organizations. "When I got to Ohio State, we became good friends. It's good that he made it as far as he did and I made it as far as I did. We are inner-city youths who didn't have much growing up, so we're just trying to do something positive."
This winter, Cotton and Cheatwood worked out together almost every day, starting with a morning session with the weights and then moving on to some basketball.
"He's probably tired of seeing me right now," Cotton smiles. "We spent a tremendous amount of time together."
That might continue for a while. Cotton, at 29, is just nine months older than Cheatwood, putting both of them squarely into their prime pro years.
Thus, it had to be heartening for Marshall to see Cheatwood and Cotton make the effort to come to Hamilton together during the off-season, committed to building team chemistry and strengthening their own relationship.
"It was," Marshall says. "They were up every month or two to visit, to work out, to take part in a pass-rush clinic. They feed off each other. In the past, sometimes we wouldn't see some of our defensive ends all winter."
They'll see plenty of Cotton this summer too, although they won't hear him much. He wants them to listen with their eyes.
