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Two fresh but familiar voices are set to saddle up and help guide the Calgary Stampeders through the 2023 CFL campaign.
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They’re loud and proud, too, as Nik Lewis and Juwan Simpson — both Grey Cup champs with the Stamps — bring more familiarity to the coaching staff of the Red & White.
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“We definitely bring energy,” said Lewis with a chuckle of Tuesday’s news that him, Simpson and J.R. Davis have rounded out the Stampeders sideline crew. “Juwan was loud on the defensive side, and I was loud on the offensive side. So we injected energy into practice and into games. And we expect not just to get the job done but to exceed expectations.”
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Lewis, the CFL’s all-time pass receptions leader with 1,051, is the club’s new receivers boss, catching on in the footsteps of fellow superstar receiver Marquay McDaniel.
“It’s great,” said Lewis, whose hall-of-fame career included 11 seasons with the Horsemen. “It was definitely shock and awe myself for myself — I thought I was removed from that world. But when such a great opportunity comes up, you want to capitalize on it.
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“Calgary’s definitely like home to me, and I get to work with one of my favourite people in the world in (GM/head coach) Dave Dickenson.”
Simpson, the team’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2010, steps in to serve as defensive line coach following the departure of Cornell Brown.
“Glad to get back, man,” said Simpson, who was a two-time division all-star and a one-time league all-star during his 11-year CFL career — all with the Horsemen. “It’s a great opportunity for myself. Ever since I came back from guest coaching (in 2016) with the Stampeders, it was what I wanted.
“All the stars seemed to align this year, and it finally worked out. It’s just good to be part of a good organization.”
Then there’s Davis, a former Simon Fraser University quarterback who, since 2012, had been serving as a regional scouting consultant for the Stampeders and has coaching experience at the college and high-school levels. He’s in to take the reins as running backs coach, replacing T.J. Vernieri.
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“I’m excited to welcome Nik, Juwan and J.R. to our coaching staff,” Dickenson said. “There’s no doubt these three will bring energy, knowledge and fresh ideas to our team. All three have Stampeder roots, so they know our standard and how we operate.”
Yes, that familiarity should help the Stamps.
Particularly the additions of Lewis and Simpson.
Both were major contributors in two CFL championship runs, winning Grey Cups with the Stampeders in 2008 and 2014. Both were fan favourites, as well. And both have since moved into the coaching world, in Saskatchewan and Alabama, respectively.
“The horse means more to me than just a logo,” said Lewis, who has a long history of training high-school and college talents, spent one season as running backs coach with the BC Lions and has most recently worked with a U.S.-bound all-star squad of high-school students in Saskatchewan. “At 21, when you come into a situation coming out of a college and be able to be in Calgary for 11 years and play in that stadium in front of all those wonderful fans. I’ve always had a dream to coach — it’s always been my passion. As (an NCAA) Division II walk-on receiver from (the) Southern Arkansas (Muleriders), you don’t ever think, ‘I’m going to go play professional football anywhere.’ So coaching was always my passion and my path and my plan.”
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Lewis has already reached out to McDaniel to understand more of what the Stamps’ pass-catching unit holds in store for 2023.
But the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2004 and a six-time division all-star already knows he’s got a dynamic mix of veterans and youngsters, featuring the recently re-signed Reggie Begelton and 2022 first-round draftee Jalen Philpot.
“It’s an athletic and talented group of receivers,” said Lewis, a Texas native. “It’s going to be a fun journey.”
Meanwhile, Simpson returns to coach the d-line, even though he’s remembered fondly by fans as being a steady star in the club’s linebacking corps.
“My first couple of years, I came in as a d-lineman,” said Simpson, a former NCAA star with his home-state Alabama Crimson Tide. “In the later part of my years when I played linebacker, I would still do a lot of stuff up front. And I’m actually co-owner of a training business in Alabama, working primarily with a lot of d-lineman. It’s a craft, man. I love it. Linebacker, yeah, I played that, but there’s something to be said about the big guys up front banging every play.”
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Simpson, a two-time division all-star and a one-time league all-star, has been coaching high-school football back home in Alabama since leaving the Stamps and the game in 2015.
“The guys up front are really athletic. I mean … you talk about falling into a good situation. They led the league in sacks with 11 last year. I’ve worked with (defensive coordinator) Brent Monson — he coached me — and he’s been doing an amazing job with those guys. The stats kind of speak for themselves on what those guys are capable of doing. I’ll get to know them over the next couple of months, but I’m just super excited.”
Davies started his coaching career as an assistant at Simon Fraser and since 2012 has been coaching in Texas, most recently as offensive coordinator at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas. He started his collegiate playing career at with the NCAA’s Nevada-Las Vegas Rebels before transferring to Simon Fraser. The Port Moody Secondary School alumnus is a member of the British Columbia Football Hall of Fame.
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The remainder of Dickenson’s staff consists of returnees with a combined 54 years of experience with the Calgary organization.
- Special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Mark Kilam (entering his 19th season with the Stampeders)
- Defensive coordinator Brent Monson (14th season)
- Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Pat DelMonaco (10th season)
- Quarterbacks coach Marc Mueller (10th season)
- Defensive backs coach and CFL draft coordinator Dwayne Cameron (fourth season)
- Linebackers coach Bob Slowik (third season)
“We were fortunate to keep the majority of our staff together,” added Dickenson. “I appreciate their loyalty and their commitment to consistently put a winning product on the field.”