Staff Training camp PHOTO: Tim Austen/Freestyle Photography
The “new version” of the Ottawa REDBLACKS, a team led by a new head coach – Ryan Dinwiddie – will focus on the “four E’s.”
Energy. Effort. Enthusiasm. Execution.
Sounds really simple. But it all starts with that.
Add in some physicality. And, if all goes well, wins will follow when training camp, then pre-season games, turn into the real deal early next month.
“We want to be a physical team; we want to be a team no one wants to play,” said Dinwiddie.
Training camp, which opened Sunday at TD Place, is now full steam ahead. There are plenty of new recruits and talented free-agent signings to mix in with a strong core of veterans.
It’s all about building a team that can take a step forward with a roster that includes influential veterans like Cleyon Laing and newcomers like free-agent signing A.J. Allen.
Laing, an interior defensive lineman in his 13th CFL season, is one of the roster cornerstones, one of the been-there-done-that guys, with a couple of Grey Cup rings to show for his career excellence.
“I’m a big energy guy; I like to inspire,” he said. “I’m just a big kid playing a kids’ game and having fun with it.”
There we are again, with that “energy” word. There is no lack of it in camp. Veterans are excited to be back on the football field, and newcomers are pushing for roster spots and starting jobs.
“You have to come out (to practice each day) with a purpose,” said quarterback Dru Brown. “It’s pretty easy to have energy on Day One, versus Day Seven or Day Eight. But if you have a purpose to come out and get better and have a plan for that day, that’s going to require a higher level of energy.”
“That energy needs to be our standard,” said Allen. “I don’t know what happened here last year, but that energy you see out there is infectious. It makes you want to run. It makes you want to practice hard. That energy needs to become the standard; it’s how it should be. From there, you create the effort and culture that wins games.”
And there we are with those words – “winning culture,” a vibe that’s established over time as players develop trust and belief in each other.
“It starts with building a positive culture,” said Allen. “It’s not just about playing football; everybody here is paid to play winning football. It starts with getting to know your teammates on a personal level. You can hold each other accountable without it being an attack, without it being aggressive, without ego, without damaging people’s pride. You can create a different level of accountability; that’s how you get a winning culture.”
Winning. Sometimes, it’s a fine line between W’s and L’s. But finding a way to win in a rock-em, sock-em league where games are often decided in the final three minutes is doable for the REDBLACKS.
“(2025) was obviously a tough year,” said Brown. “But it’s over, and I’m happy it’s over. Learn from it and be better.”
“I’ve erased all the years I’ve been here,” said Laing. “This feels different; this is a new team, a new environment.”
The step ahead will require not only a shift in mindset, it will also need a talent boost.
Allen, a former star at the University of Guelph, will be one of the players expected to provide that. He began as a very good special-teams player whose role shifted significantly during his four seasons as a Saskatchewan Roughrider. In 2024, he was the CFL’s co-leader (with Toronto’s Jack Cassar) in special-teams tackles, with 22. Last year, in his team’s Grey Cup-winning season, the weak-side linebacker emerged as a defensive force, with 87 defensive tackles, four sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.
Obviously, he’s come a long way since Year 1.
“I’m more confident in myself, I know what I can bring,” he said. “I always prepared like I was starting (on defence). So, if I got the opportunity, I knew what was going on.”
Asked what fans can look for from him as a member of the REDBLACKS, he said: “They can expect an energetic guy, a happy guy. I’m privileged to be out here playing football. I’m also a playmaker. My standard is getting the football, forcing fumbles, sacks, and making interceptions. I try to get the football back for the offence.”
While Laing remains a solid contributor, the REDBLACKS have good young options on the defensive front. Whatever happens won’t stall Laing’s motor.
“I’ve always had that competitive edge going into camp,” he said. “I go in thinking I’m never really sure of my spot; my thought is I have to earn it. I still feel up to speed. The most important thing is I still love playing the game.”
Asked for advice he’d give to newcomers to camp, he said: “It’s going to be a change, whether you’re coming from down south or U SPORTS; I encourage everybody to embrace the opportunity. It can be intimidating, but it’s important to recognize you’re here for a reason. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have the capability to compete.
The practice schedule for the next few days, with all practices open to the public: Tuesday 8:30-11:55 a.m., Wednesday 8:30-11:45 a.m., Thursday 8:30-noon, and there will be a Fan Fest/controlled scrimmage Saturday 1-4 p.m.
