In the Spring of 2024, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats essentially forced iconic linebacker Simoni Lawrence to retire and take a PR position with the front office, observers of the Tiger-Cats assumed that the Tiger-Cats had a plan to improve the linebackers position group. The 2024 CFL season indicated that if someone thought that the Tiger-Cats had a plan, it is evident that they did not have a solid plan due to the defensive front seven being a disaster all season long. What was once one of the best units in the CFL has now become one of the worst.
If you track the Tiger-Cats’ decisions from last season, the Tiger-Cats could have linebacker Kyle Wilson step up and become a more productive player. American linebacker Ray Wilborn joined the Tiger-Cats in an attempt to replace Simoni Lawrence. Still, Simoni is a much more difficult player to replace than the Tiger-Cats believed would be possible. This off-season, new GM, Ted Goveia, has acknowledged this mistake, although he has never directly admitted to that line of logic.
Recently, the Tiger-Cats have invested many of their available roster spots to bring a pool of linebackers who will improve the performance of the Tiger-Cat front seven. Last week, the Tiger-Cats signed linebacker Jason Johnson, who recently spent time with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. This week, according to the CFL Transactions list, the Tiger-Cats have signed American linebacker Justin Whiteside.
Unlike Johnson, Whiteside does not bring previous professional football experience. What he does have is a successful career at Central Michigan University and a significant amount of potential and upside. Potential and upside can take a player a long way in the CFL, with many of the historically great CFL players being Americans with potential and upside who simply need a stage to demonstrate their play-making ability.
The 6’0″, 220-pound Whiteside is a native of Flossmoor, Illinois. Whiteside played college football at Central Michigan University from 2019 until 2024, and he played in 58 games with the Chippewas. Whiteside recorded 117 solo tackles, 96 assists, 5.5 quarterback sacks, and intercepted one pass during his career at Central Michigan.
Check out more football content at Football Scientific
Follow me on X: @AaronSauter7
