Jerrell Gavins, defensive back from Miami, FL experienced 4 years of cool weather here in Ottawa and loved every minute of it! The hype man in the secondary who retired in February of this year ended his career with 167 tackles and 7 interceptions!
The now 30 year old, is living back home in Miami, where he is a manager at a local ALDI grocery and goods store. At the store, he is now making ore money than he did in his first years in the CFL, where he can provide for his family, his wife and daughter who is now 1 years old!
This morning, I was able to catch up with the former Redblack, and got to ask him what he’s got to say about his time in Ottawa and the future he sees here in Ottawa.
Interview
Q: In your time in Ottawa, you experienced the transition from being an expansion team to pretty well being Grey Cup champions… What was different about the 2015-16 seasons compare to the 2014 season that gave you more success?
A: “It was all the same core that was there, statistically we had a very good in 14′. In the 2014 season, we had a lot of very close games, but could never finish offensively, so one thing that made the next years different would have to be the big transactions that made our offense stronger. The signing of Jeremiah (Johnson), Chris (Williams), E Jack (Ernest Jackson) and Sinopoli were all huge for the team’s future! In both the 2015 and 16′ season, the offense really took off, and the defense progressively got better. In my eyes, what made us better were about 5 guys that we signed, and along with the newly signed guys, the veterans from the year before stepped up, and made the team better!“
Q: In your last few years of your career, you played with both Sherrod Baltimore and Jonathan Rose. What do you have to say about the success they both have had together early in their careers?
A: “They’re just different! Seriously though, Rose is a gorilla, he’s fast, strong and he understands the game! And when it comes to B More (Baltimore), you rarely ever see him not close to making a play! He has instincts out of this world and he can move like a cat! Both of them are ballers, and have bright futures ahead!”
Q: In the time spent here in Ottawa, you got to play under defensive coach, Mark Nelson! What do you have to say about the success both he and Noel Thorpe have had together this year and last?
A: “Coaches know the game! There’s 24 hours in a day, I believe 18 of those hours, they spend in the stadium watching film and just studying. Every time I as a player showed up to the stadium, could even be a day off, I’d see Nelson working on his craft! The coaches in Ottawa do a good job of critiquing you as a player and telling you what you did wrong, you really get to learn more and more as you play! The coaches are very free, and they let you express what you feel about certain play calls, and I feel that is what makes them so successful compare to others!“
Q: In your career, you had quite the success as a player, have you considered coming back as a player?
A: “I would, I’ve considered it many times! Not necessarily Canadian football, but anywhere! Life without football is much different! I work at a grocery store now, and the communication isn’t the same! On the field, I was always a vocal player, but I cant just yell “great play” or “I see you” in the middle of a store! I miss the little things about the game, and yes, I would definitely come back as a coach!”
JZ MEDIA 