By MURRAY McCORMICK, Leader-Post June 14, 2010
REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Barrin Simpson doesn't look or act his age.
The Riders middle linebacker is 32 but doesn't seem to have lost a step as he heads into his 10th CFL season. He is ripped at a solid 6-foot-0 and 235 pounds and was among the most enthusiastic Roughriders in Sunday's 19-17 pre-season loss to the B.C. Lions at Mosaic Stadium.
"I feel like I'm right in the middle of being 22 to 25,'' Simpson said after recording a defensive tackle and a special-teams tackle Sunday. "That's how good I feel.''
Simpson hasn't discovered some secret elixir or potion to keep going. It requires a great deal of training and work during the off-season to be as fit as he is during the season.
Simpson hasn't discovered some secret elixir or potion to keep going. It requires a great deal of training and work during the off-season to be as fit as he is during the season.
"This is easy,'' Simpson said. "This is the product of what I've done in the off-season. I've always prided myself on what I do in the off-season as a means to getting myself ready to go. I still feel fast, good and fit. I still feel like I'm 25.''
Simpson started his CFL career in 2001 with the B.C. He remained with the Lions before signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a free agent in 2006. Simpson was with Winnipeg before being released during the off-season. Simpson endured a public spat with Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly during the 2009 season. He missed four games but still finished with 84 defensive tackles and two sacks.
Simpson joins a team that has started two different players at middle linebacker over the previous two seasons. Mo Lloyd was a CFL all-star in 2008 before signing with the Edmonton Eskimos as a free agent in 2009. Rey Williams started most of the regular season and playoff games in 2009 and has signed with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
Simpson has played in 143 regular-season and eight playoff games and has been named a CFL all-star six times. Despite an impressive resume and the Riders' needs at middle linebacker, Simpson feels he still has to make the team.
"Every year of my entire career has been a competition to play,'' said Simpson, who is first on the Riders' middle linebacker depth chart followed by non-import Mike McCullough and import Jerrell Freeman. "I've never looked at anything as being given to me and the coaches don't look at it that way either. They want the best guys on the field. I always come on the field with the rookie mindset of having to work hard. Then I try to be the leader who I am and play to the best of my ability.''
Simpson guards against coming into camp in a condition he calls "fat.''
"Fat means like I have everything made,'' said Simpson, who is nicknamed the Minister of Defence due to his off-season job as a minister. "There is never a time in professional sports where you can do that. It's all about what you did for me today. Not nine years ago or not even yesterday. You have to stay on top of your game week in and week out.''
Simpson does that while continuing to contribute on special teams. On Sunday, Simpson exhibited his abilities while covering a second-quarter kickoff return. Simpson raced down the field and rocked Toddrick Pendland with a special-teams tackle.
"I've always been the guy to raise my hand, especially for the kickoff and punt teams,'' said Simpson, who has 44 career special-teams tackles. "Defensive guys want to be on special teams to make a play and get us in field position defensively. This a field-position game and you want to get them backed up.''
Sunday's game marked Simpson's first time on the Mosaic Stadium sidelines as a member of the Roughriders. The always enthusiastic Simpson loved being there.
"It was beautiful,'' said Simpson. "The atmosphere was great and I had a lot of fun. You don't normally have a sellout for a pre-season game.''
Simpson was disappointed that he wasn't able to reward the huge crowd with a win.
"You always want to win,'' Simpson said. "You want to win every time you're on the field and that's the mindset of professional sports. If this game doesn't mean anything, why play it? You want to get a win.''
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