Toronto Argonauts: Brian Tyms appreciative of Marc Trestman’s coaching
Brian Tyms has found a new home with the Toronto Argonauts a new appreciation for football because of Marc Trestman’s coaching.
Since joining the Toronto Argonauts last season, Brian Tyms has found a new appreciation for football.
After being released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last season, Tyms wasn’t in the best of mood which is understandable for any player getting let go by a team. However, following an hour phone conversation with his brother in law S.J. Green, he told him that he should come play for Toronto with Marc Trestman being the biggest selling point.
“S.J. was always talking about Trestman and I have a good buddy Brandon Marshall who played for Trestman telling me about him too,” Tyms said on who helped sell him on the Argos.
He could have considered Ottawa or Montreal since he wanted to stay in the east so that he would be a direct flight away from his family in Florida.
In the end, everything he heard about the new culture in Toronto formed by Trestman and Jim Popp was tough to say no to.
"“I kept hearing so much positivity and at that time I needed discipline, structure and needed to be a part of a team where it wasn’t just the starters that held you accountable but the people holding you accountable and playing at a certain level.”"
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Tyms didn’t even play a snap with the team and was immediately hooked on what he was seeing, he was in love with football once again.
Throughout his career, the 29-year-old has played with many coaches including Bill Belichick who Tyms said Trestman reminded him of.
“Coach Trestman keeps me on my toes, always throwing a situation at practice where you think it’s just a situation but low and behold, it’s a situation you messed two weeks ago in a game.”
With DeVier Posey down in the NFL, the Argos are going to need a player like Tyms to step in and fill the void. While the former NFL receiver isn’t concerned about where his name is on the depth chart but knows that there are similarities with the Grey Cup MVP.
“I saw how much fun he was having and he was in the same situation I was in where you felt like you could play at a big level but you get hurt and they say you can’t play you anymore and they toss you to the side,” said Tyms on what he saw in Posey’s turnaround in 2017. “I also played with Armanti [Edwards] in Cleveland where we won only four games and I come in here and he’s a totally different guy.”
Many players benefited from playing with Trestman last season; from Posey and Edwards to Ricky Ray and rookie of the year James Wilder Jr. that was the difference in upsetting the Calgary Stampeders.
Now Tyms has a chance to join that list with the Argos looking to be the first team to repeat since the Montreal Alouettes who did it in 2009/2010. A big part of the team’s mentality going into this season is making the most out of every play.
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“We are not playing any games, if you catch a ball you run it to the end zone, if you pick off a ball you finish to the end zone,” Tyms explains on what’s different between the mentality in practice last season to training camp this year.
Even Tyms was guilty of letting up a bit in practice on Monday but did not get away with it.
“The first couple of plays I caught a pass and I ran about 10 yards, Cassius [Vaughn] and Johnny [Sears Jr.] pulled me to the side and said we’re not doing that, you need to finish to the end zone, Tyms explained. “So every catch after that I ran to the end zone, that’s just the accountability we have here, you only get one opportunity at this.”