Argonauts.ca staff
TORONTO – If you ever find yourself at an Argos practice at the team’s facilities in Downsview Park, you’re likely to hear Euclid Cummings before you see him.
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Though he’s hard to miss at six-foot-four and nearly 300 pounds, Cummings makes his presence known through his near-constant verbal jabs at his offensive teammates, and words of encouragement for his defence.
While many rookies choose to keep their heads down and do their work quietly as to not end up on the wrong side of a veteran, Cummings is loud and proud, something he attributes to both his personality and his defensive teammates.
“The [defensive] unit around me, they make me feel comfortable” said Cummings. “BI (Brandon Isaac) is a loud guy too and some days he’ll come out at the start of practice and say ‘Euclid, you don’t have your intensity today!’ If that’s my job, to bring the intensity, I’ll do it.”
Cummings has been making his fair share of noise on the field this season as well. The CFL rookie is currently tied for the league lead with two sacks through two games and has been a disruptive force as an anchor in the middle of the Argos’ defensive line.
Still, he admits that his unit has room to improve after the Argos’ defence allowed over 500 yards of offence to Kevin Glenn and the Riders in week 2.
“The first week against Edmonton we had a solid game, but last week I felt like we didn’t play well at all,” said Cummings. “We didn’t get enough pressure and I can blame that on the defensive line, but we’re working to fix it and we’re going to fix it.”
Quarterback pressure is especially important in defensive coordinator Casey Creehan’s scheme. Heavy blitzing and getting defensive players into the backfield is imperative for creating sacks and forcing hurried decisions which leads to turnovers. It’s a dream scheme for a defensive lineman, and it’s a system Cummings is used to.
“I love his style of defence, it speaks to his mentality” Cummings said. “We’re an attack defence. That’s what I did before I got here at Georgia Tech, playing attack defence and getting downfield. I’d rather be doing that than standing on the line and eating up blocks.”
When he’s off the field, Cummings is somewhat of a gentle giant. Always smiling, he took the time after practice on Thursday to not only sign autographs for a youth football team in attendance, but to talk to the kids and pose for photos.
It’s a stark contrast to the intensity he shows on the field, and illustrates the mental ‘switch’ that athletes must have in order to maintain a normal life outside of football.
“I just feel like it’s a mentality,” he said. “When we get out here between these lines, it’s not a game anymore. We’re not playing around, we’re trying to win a Grey Cup. Even against my own guys, against these o-linemen, I’m not smiling, I’m trying to kick their butts when we’ve got pads on.”
“But when the pads come off,” Cummings said with a smile, “we’re boys again. It’s natural.”