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October 18, 2018

A Winning Mentality

Eleven straight winning seasons.

Not too shabby.

Coincidentally or not, that was the same time that Brandon Smith joined the Stampeders.

“We’ve had good coaches here, good systems,” said Smith. “They brought in a culture to where winning is the standard. Being around here for that long, it’s been a blessing to be a part of it. I came in when Huff came in and Dave [Dickenson] was actually on the squad that year.”

Smith joined the team for the 2008 campaign, the same year that John Hufnagel returned to the sidelines for the Red and White.

Through the whole process, the intelligent defensive back has gone from bright-eyed rookie to grizzled vet.

But the way he – and the team – approaches their job remains the same.

“It’s awesome to be a part of that,” said Smith. “We pride ourselves on that being the standard here, you know – to win games.

“That’s what everyone is coming for. We know what works and what we have to do to get those wins. We all have to buy into the systems, believe in each other, and play unselfish football. That’s been the recipe around here.”

With a dozen wins so far in 2018, Smith and the Stamps have set a record with their winning ways.

According to the CFL, they are the only team in league history to have 12-plus wins in seven consecutive seasons.

“That caught me off guard, I never realized we had that many wins in consecutive seasons,” said Smith. “Just being a part of it and being looked at as a leader, it’s a good honour to have here. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

Another win for the Stamps this weekend could give them a direct trip to the West Final for the third straight year.

But with the Saskatchewan Roughriders coming to town for the grudge match on Saturday, October 20 at 5pm, it’s not going to be light work.

“We have to just continue to do what we do,” acknowledged Smith. “We need to block out the distractions and focus on the game at hand, execute our assignments, play fast and play hard. That’s usually the recipe around here.”

With a number of big-play threats on offence for the Riders, combined with the likely return of standout rookie Jordan Williams-Lambert, the Calgary secondary will have a big challenge on their hands.

“We just can’t worry about who the player is over there,” explained Smith. “We just have to worry about ourselves. I think that’s what we do best over here. We worry about executing the scheme, playing to our standard of football, and flying around.

“Whatever players they have, we just have to make it tough on them. With guys like Williams-Lambert, you have to make sure they make contested catches. You’ve got to make them earn everything rather than giving them open catches and easy scores.”