The big men in the middle.

Otherwise known as the heart of the defence.

“I say that we’re the engine of the ship,” remarked fourth-year defensive lineman Derek Wiggan.

“If we’re on our game, if we’re doing our job, we may not get the glory all the time, but that allows other guys to get their jobs done. We always have to bring our A-game when we play somebody. We’ve always got to make sure we’re running to the ball, we’re playing with our keys, playing with good eyes, playing with good hands, just working.”

Wiggan and the rest of his fellow lineman will need to be ready for Saturday’s Home Opener as the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats boast two quick, athletic quarterbacks in Jeremiah Masoli and Johnny Manziel.

It’ll take a group effort to keep them contained.

“We know the importance of rush lanes, keeping those guys in the cup, rushing together as a unit,” said Wiggan. “With those type of dynamic QBs, if you have one breakdown in a rush lane, he gets out and that extends the play and leaves our secondary vulnerable. As long as we play good team defence and rush as a unit, we can keep those guys contained and make it easier for us.”

The 6-foot-1, 295-lb. defender has been practicing and playing as a starter for the team during the pre-season as Micah Johnson is working his way back from an injury.

That experience has helped the National lineman once again prove that he can be a steady contributor when the Stamps call on him.

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter who I’m going against,” Wiggan said. “Whenever I go on the field, I make sure I’m going 100 miles per hour. It doesn’t matter who’s lined up across from me, ones, twos, it doesn’t matter. I’ve got a job to do and I just try to do it to the best of my ability.”

“My goal is to just go out there and execute. Whatever the coaches want to glean from that, they can get that information. I’ve showed over the past couple of years that I’m a reliable guy, but I want to keep proving that.”

Along with Johnson, Junior Turner, and Ese Mrabure, the Stampeders are set at the defensive tackle position.

Mix in some incredible edge rushers in James Vaughters, Cordarro Law, and Ja’Gared Davis, and you’ve got yourself a potent line-up.

Having all of that talent on the ends, Wiggan knows that he just need to keep working hard and help those around him wreak havoc on opposing QBs.

“It’s a pleasure every day to be working with those guys,” stated Wiggan. “My job is to make things easier. If I control what my job is, that helps them do what they have to do. As long as we work together, it makes everything so much easier.”