Veteran cornerback Houston among CFL leaders in interceptions with Stampeders

He’s wearing different colours, but Demerio Houston is still doing his thing.

The Calgary Stampeders cornerback stands tied for second in the CFL in interceptions with four, two behind Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan Jr. He and teammate Tre Roberson are also tied for third overall in defensive takeaways with four apiece.

Houston led the CFL in interceptions (seven) and defensive takeaways (10) last season with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The 27-year-old native of Shelby, N.C., signed a two-year deal with Calgary in free agency.

But the five-foot-10, 173-pound Houston has also registered 39 tackles in seven games this season. He’s on pace to surpass his career highs in both interceptions (seven) and tackles (50) that were recorded last year when Houston was a CFL all-star.

“I feel like I’m playing well, I’m playing physical especially against the run,” said Houston. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot in my tackling, improved a lot just working on my hands.”

Houston had a team-high seven tackles in Calgary’s last contest, a 31-29 home loss to Ottawa on Aug. 15. However, he’s more concerned about the plays that eluded him, including an 18-yard second-down catch by Jaelon Acklin, who corralled the ball after it went off Houston’s hands.

The catch extended Ottawa’s final drive, one kicker Lewis Ward capped by hitting a 51-yard field goal with no time left.

“I feel I’m definitely making plays,” Houston said. “But I felt like I left a lot on the table that I should’ve had (versus Ottawa), especially late in the game.

“I always put the game on my shoulders and try to make sure if my team needs a play, I always put it on myself.”

Calgary (4-6) is on a bye week but remains in the thick of it in the West Division. The Stampeders enter this week’s action tied with Winnipeg (4-6) for third but fifth-place Edmonton (3-7) is close behind and riding a three-game winning streak.

Calgary resumes its schedule Sept. 2 hosting Edmonton to open the annual Labour Day home-and-home series between the provincial rivals. The teams meet again Sept. 7 at Commonwealth Stadium.

And that series will open an important final stretch for Calgary, which has reached the CFL playoffs 18 straight seasons.

“When Labour Day comes, it’s a new season,” Houston said. “That’s not to say the first 10 games didn’t matter but going down the stretch these final eight for us are definitely important.

“There are things we can look at and understand we need to keep doing. But there’s also things we need to fix.”

Houston knows what it takes to excel in the West Division. He helped Winnipeg make a fourth straight Grey Cup appearance last year, although the Bombers lost 28-24 to the Montreal Alouettes in Hamilton.

Houston first signed with Winnipeg in 2020 but the CFL didn’t play that year due to the global pandemic. He started 2021 on the practice roster before cracking the Bombers’ active roster later in the year.

He was with Winnipeg for its last three championship appearances, including a 33-25 overtime victory over Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field in 2021. The following year, the Bombers dropped a heartbreaking 24-23 decision to Toronto in Regina.

Calgary has won eight Grey Cups, its last coming in 2018.

“Demerio is a humble and soft-spoken person,” said Kenny Kim of Summit Athletes, Houston’s Florida-based agent. “I refer to him as the quiet assassin.

“Demerio is a consummate professional and one of the top defensive players in the league. He’s a ballhawk and a true shutdown corner.”

Houston comes by his ball-hawking skills honestly. He played on offence growing up, seeing action at running back, receiver and quarterback in addition to returning punts and kickoffs.

“The only positions I didn’t play were linebacker or the line because I was smaller,” Houston said. “The ballhawk in me comes from the offensive side that I used to play.

“Just having that mentality that whenever the ball is in the air, I’m going to win.”

But physical ability is just one piece of the puzzle. During the season, Houston spends a lot of time watching film on opponents, trying to break down and dissect their on-field tendencies.

There’s also always keeping the lines of communication with halfback Kobie Williams open so both are always on the same page on the field.

“It’s preparation for the game but it’s also love for the game,” Houston said. “Without the love you won’t have the drive.

“So it’s doing whatever I need to do to make sure I put myself in the best position to be successful and help my team.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2024.