“A little bit, yep. He’s young, he’s athletic, he’s around the ball. He could be a young Eiben, yes (laughs).”
Toronto Argonauts defensive co-coordinator Kevin Eiben was responding to a question posed by Argonauts.ca. He was asked if linebacker Fraser Sopik reminded him a little bit of himself as a player.
There are definitely similarities between the two. They’re both Canadian linebackers who started their careers by being productive on special teams. Eiben didn’t become a regular on defence until his fourth season, when he not only started, but set a CFL record for most tackles by a Canadian player with 110, a record he would surpass by three the following season.
Sopik is now in his fifth CFL season after stops in Calgary and Hamilton. After signing with the Argos on the first day of free agency, he’s finally getting the opportunity to start and is proving the decision was a good one by both him and the team. He’s tied for third on the Argos with 27 tackles, already doubling his previous career high. He’s added 4 special teams tackles, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass knockdown.
“I think I’m playing good football,” Sopik told Argonauts.ca. “We’re playing a lot better as a defence lately, so it’s coming together.”
The Toronto native, a St. Andrew’s College product, is proving he’s more than just a prototypical backup Canadian linebacker/special teams player. Sopik is rounding into the force he was at Western, an impact player who seemed to be in on every defensive play. He was named the country’s top defensive player in 2018, a season after he was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player in the Mustangs Vanier Cup win over Laval.
“I think I’ve put in my time,” he said of the chance to start. “I think I’ve earned a look. I guess that’s all you can ask for and then keep doing the right things. In pro football you have to take advantage of it or else it goes away.”
Perhaps the toughest thing a player can do is to win the trust of his coach, especially if they’re attempting to dispel whatever preconceived notions have developed based upon how they’ve been used previously.
Argonauts.ca asked Eiben what he expected from Sopik when they signed him. Did he see him as strictly a special teamer, or did he think there were greater possibilities for him?
“I brought him in to compete (for a starting job),” said Eiben. “I knew that he had a chance to compete. I’ve seen his career and he makes plays, he’s always around the ball. I was ecstatic when we had the opportunity to get him here in Toronto.”
Along with his athleticism, one of Sopik’s strengths is his football IQ. The linebacker always seems to be in the right position, another similarity to Eiben the linebacker.
“Sopik is football smart, life smart, and just a great man in the locker room,” said Eiben the coach. “He’s a great man to have around because people feed off his energy.”
It’s been a while since the 27-year-old has been a regular on defense. He was asked if he was worried about any aspect of his game being a bit rusty with so much time between opportunities as a starter.
“Just tackling,” said Sopik, an excellent tackler historically. “You don’t tackle as a defender for five years, so you’re going to get continuously better. I’ve been really happy with my tackling overall. My instincts are coming back to me, and they should get better and better as games go on.”
Lining up next to Wynton McManis has helped. The pair played together in Calgary during Sopik’s rookie season, and the pair has meshed together quickly in their reunion.
“Anyone can play with Wynton,” said Sopik. “Wynton’s one of the best linebackers in the CFL and it’s really not even close. I said this going back to Calgary in 2019 in his first year starting, I couldn’t understand how he wasn’t in the NFL. He’s one of those few guys up here that are athletically gifted, but also superiorly smart and instinctual. He’s a hell of a player and he gets everybody right.”
With or without McManis beside him, Sopik is stepping into the spotlight and capitalizing on the opportunity.