REGINA -- Throughout his time in the Canadian Football League, defensive end Charleston Hughes was a force to be reckoned with.
The long-time Calgary Stampeders and former Saskatchewan Roughriders standout gave offensive lines fits throughout his career in the CFL and he has the accolades to show for it: a six-time CFL all-star and the West Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2013.
The 13-year veteran -- who retired after the 2022 season with the Riders -- knows the league and what it takes to succeed. Hughes joined the 620 CKRM SportsCage crew and analyzed the head coaching changes the league has seen this off-season, specifically Mark Kilam taking over the Edmonton Elks and Buck Pierce the same with the B.C. Lions. Hughes spent time with Kilam during his 10 years in Calgary.
“He is different from every other football coach with the aspect of relatability to players,” Hughes said. “He's seen it all, done it all with most players. For him to be the assistant head coach in Calgary and lead that team… it's a big void. I hope they got bigger plans that involve making a drastic decision like that, a real dramatic decision like that.”
Hughes pointed to how Kilam was a transformative coach in Calgary, with his work with the Stampeders being felt throughout the CFL.
“When he took over and he was able to install exactly the vision on how players see the field, it opened up a lot of doors for a lot of people all throughout the league,” Hughes said. “Players that have played for him have seen how effective his coaching style was and I got to see it.”
Hughes added a key to Kilam’s success was a willingness to let players do their thing within his schemes, which also helped with his relationships with those under him.
“Mark Kilam was a players' coach, he's a player-type coach,” Hughes said. “I’ve played with coaches that rely on schemes and it doesn't matter who the player is, as long as you're in my scheme, you're gonna have success, which that ain't always true. Because sometimes it is the players who are in your scheme… Mark Kilam was one of those coaches where he understood that players are the ones who make plays.”
Former Roughriders linebackers coach and run game coordinator J.C. Sherritt will be joining Kilam in Edmonton as his defensive coordinator. Hughes knows how tough a player Sherritt was in his time as a CFL linebacker and how that style makes him a great coach.
“He played hard, man,” Hughes said. “He played with extreme effort. He wasn't the fastest guy, wasn't the biggest guy either, but when you talk about his grit, run to the ball, effort, relentless, from sideline to sideline, unlike any other linebacker in that league… he put himself on the line at any time for his team," Hughes said.
“That's the thing you want. That's the guy you want to play for, a guy who's been on the field, who's seen what it feels like to be in between the lines and who understands the game.”
As for Pierce taking over the B.C. Lions, Hughes felt it was a solid move for the former Winnipeg Blue Bombers offensive coordinator and play-caller, especially when it comes to working with standout Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke
“You need an offensive mastermind because they have the highest-paid quarterback in the league,” Hughes said. “They got a quarterback who showed great success in the CFL. So having a quarterback like that trading VA away is 100 percent invested in my quarterback to be the guy.
“So now you got to bring in an offensive-minded individual to balance out what you have at quarterback. You can intend on them being extremely good, based on those two additions to the team.”
You can check out the whole interview right here, and be sure to follow SportsCage.com for all your Roughriders and CFL news.
We chat with Charleston Hughes @Sackatchewan2 about all the moves happening around the CFL.https://t.co/5BCrjgTZRP#Riders | #CFL
— The SportsCage (@sportscage) December 4, 2024
