Wilson happy to look back on football days

Tim Switzer
Leader-Post

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Eight will be enough for Steve Wilson.

Even though the University of Regina linebacker will have one more year of Canadian Interuniversity Sport eligibility after the 2007 season, Wilson plans to put an end to his football career.

Wilson is in his eighth season of post-secondary football having completed four seasons with the Prairie Football Conference's Regina Thunder and three with the Rams.

Wilson has finished all his classes for his degree in kinesiology and is doing his work placement this semester at Level 10 Fitness, where he is doing personal and athletic training. Wilson hopes to stay in the field after he graduates even though he may have some interest from CFL teams. He spent a few days in the Calgary Stampeders training camp in June after signing as a free agent. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Wilson, though, wants to steer away from a life of football.

"I'm going to move on," said Wilson. "I'm looking to get a career. I'll have my degree and want to get into that field. I've done all the classes -- the hard stuff is done -- now I just have to look forward to getting up every morning."

It has been a fairly impressive football career thus far. Wilson was the Canadian Junior Football League defensive player-of-the-year in 2003 -- his final season with the Thunder -- and is a two-time All-Canadian with the Rams.

And just to add to his resume, Wilson also became the Rams' all-time leading tackler during the U of R's 36-13 loss to the Manitoba Bisons on Sept. 1. Wilson will try to add to the total this Saturday when the Rams travel to Edmonton to take on the Alberta Golden Bears.

His eight tackles in the season openeing loss pushed him to 235 for his career, three more than Jeff Zimmer, who needed four full seasons to set the old standard.

Zimmer, as it would happen, is now the Rams' linebackers coach.

"The first quarter I thought about sitting him to keep my record in tact," Zimmer said with a chuckle. "But then I decided against it."

Probably a wise move.

Wilson has led the team and the CIS in tackles the last two seasons, setting team single-season records each time -- first with 84 in 2005 and then 90 in 2006.

So naturally, it will be tough for coaches to say good-bye when the 2007 season comes to a close.

"He's just a very good player, a very good guy and makes big plays for us," said Rams head coach Frank McCrystal. "In the last couple of years, if we didn't have Steve Wilson, that would have really been an unfortunate thing for us."

So far, Wilson's final season is looking like it could coincide with the best defensive Rams team in the last few years.

The Rams defence was to blame for at least a few of the team's losses last season, but was the highlight of the U of R performance against the U of M.

"This year we've noticed a different attitude with the players," said Zimmer. "We maybe missed the boat last year in trying to do some things that didn't suit guys. This year we're trying to suit the defence to the players we've got."

And that, as well as the return of Mat Nesbitt and a healthy Brandon Ganne in the linebacking corps, leaves Wilson with a little less pressure to make every play.

"We've got some guys that are stepping up that are very athletic," said McCrystal. "That means that Stevie isn't going to have to make his 12 or 14 tackles a game. He'll get away with eight. He'll still be pushing for 10 all the time because he's just that good."

The external pressure may not be crushing in on Wilson, but the linebacker is making sure there is still some on his shoulders.

Even if he could already be remembered as one of the best Rams linebackers of all time.

"I want to go out in my last year with a good season and maybe a playoff run," said Wilson.

"That would make me a lot happier than any record."

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