Stamps' new defensive boss Bob Slowik brings NFL pedigree from Jimmy Johnson and Bill Walsh coaching trees
Article content
Both legends — and their coaching trees — have provided Slowik with plenty of pigskin knowledge during what's been a lengthy career as a defensive wizard for the Super Bowl XXVII champion in the professional ranks.
Article content
Article content
'Fantastic backgrounds for me,' said Slowik, whose eye-popping coaching resumé — including as a defensive assistant for the Super Bowl-winning Dallas Cowboys — reads back to the late 1970s.
Article content
Article content
'I'm just hoping what I can bring will help us get better than we were last year and help this organization and this team win football games.'
The Stampeders sure hope so, too, in trying to right the ship after the 2024 CFL campaign that saw them finish with a 5-12-1 record.
Article content
Slowik benefitted from the Stampeders' coaching shake-up following the debacle that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in two decades.
The 71-year-old was bumped up in the organization after spending the last four seasons as — first — defensive assistant for a year and — then — linebackers coach since 2022.
Article content
Before that, he was the defensive coordinator for the Montreal Alouettes for a pair of campaigns, marking his arrival in the three-down ranks.
Article content
Article content
SLOWIK OVER THE YEARS
Article content
Slowik's resumé is impressive, indeed.
Article content
After two years as the starting cornerback for the NCAA's Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens, the Pittsburgh native became a graduate assistant at his alma mater to start his coaching career.
Article content
From there, he found his footing at higher-profile NCAA Div. 1 schools as a defensive coach, before moving onto the NFL for a prominent 22-year career. The pro highlights included gigs as defensive coordinator with the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos:
Article content
1979-82 – Florida (NCAA) – Defensive backs coaching assistant
1984-89 – Rutgers (NCAA) – Secondary coach
1990-91 – East Carolina University (NCAA) – Outside linebackers coach
1992 – Dallas Cowboys (NFL) – Defensive assistant
1993-98 – Chicago Bears (NFL) – Defensive coordinator
1999 – Cleveland Browns (NFL) – Defensive coordinator
2000-01 – Green Bay Packers (NFL) – Defensive backs coach
2002-03 – Green Bay Packers (NFL) – Assistant head coach/Defensive backs coach
2004 – Green Bay Packers (NFL) – Defensive coordinator
2005-06 – Denver Broncos (NFL) – Defensive backs coach
2007-08 – Denver Broncos (NFL) – Defensive coordinator
2010-11 – Washington Redskins (NFL) – Defensive backs coach
2012-13 – Washington Redskins (NFL) – Linebackers coach
2019-20 – Montreal Alouettes (CFL) – Defensive coordinator
2021 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Defensive assistant
2022-24 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Linebackers coach
2025 – Calgary Stampeders (CFL) – Defensive coordinator
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rookie tight end Mason Taylor, son of Hall of Fame pass rusher, shining at Jets camp
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mason Taylor remembers running around the fields as a wide-eyed kid at New York Jets training camp, visiting his famous father and rooting him on at games. He's back, 15 years later. And now, it's his turn. The rookie tight end, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, has been one of the standout performers through the Jets' first nine camp practices. Taylor, a second-round pick out of LSU, is making plays and impressing his coaches and teammates. 'Mason, he doesn't talk a lot, he does work a lot, though,' quarterback Justin Fields said. 'From the moment he got here, he's been working, his head down working. He doesn't make really any mental mistakes, at least from what I've seen. He's a great route runner, he's smooth, has natural hands, so he's been great so far.' The 21-year-old Taylor, whose uncle is Hall of Famer Zach Thomas, received a text from his father the night before camp opened, offering him some sound advice. 'Really just stay where your feet are,' Taylor recalled. 'I mean, we always say that in our family — day by day, you know, attack the day, get better every single day and really just be where your feet are. Don't look into the future, don't look into the past and just take advantage of every moment you get.' Jason Taylor would certainly know all about that. Recognized as one of the NFL's greatest pass rushers with 139 1/2 sacks, the elder Taylor made a name for himself during 11 outstanding seasons playing for Miami and then one in Washington before joining Rex Ryan's Jets in 2010. New York was one of the league's best teams that season, reaching the AFC championship game — one win away from the Super Bowl. The Jets' kicker was Nick Folk, who just re-signed with the team — and now has the distinction of having been teammates with both Jason and Mason Taylor. 'It's a crazy, crazy world,' Mason Taylor said with a big smile. 'I mean, it's crazy to think about and now that he's on my team, it's a blessing, for sure.' Taylor is in position to have a major role on the Jets' offense as a rookie. He was listed Sunday on the team's first unofficial depth chart as a backup to Jeremy Ruckert, but the 6-foot-5, 251-pound Taylor is expected to see his fair share of snaps — especially if he continues with his impressive summer. 'The receiving skills, listen, that doesn't surprise me, I know he can do that,' coach Aaron Glenn said. 'His blocking, I know he can block, but I didn't think it was going to be this good. So, I'm excited to see how he matures when it comes to camp on how we want to do things as far as that is concerned.' In three seasons at LSU, Taylor had 129 catches for 1,308 yards and six TDs, establishing himself as the most productive tight end in school history and one of the top players at his position in the country. The Jets parted ways this winter with Tyler Conklin, their top pass-catching tight end, by allowing him to leave in free agency. So, New York was in need of a complement to wide receiver Garrett Wilson and provide Fields another reliable outlet in the passing game. New general manager Darren Mougey jumped on the chance to bring in Taylor, who has made that selection look smart. 'I think it's been pretty good,' Taylor said of his progress. 'Things have been flying around in the installs and everything like that, but I think I've kind of grasped onto it pretty quickly. And with the help of my teammates and coaches, I've been getting on the playbook pretty fast.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Taylor acknowledged that the little details of the offense — how many steps to take in a route, where you're supposed to be in position on a given play — have been the biggest things to which he has had to adapt. He has also put extra emphasis on his blocking, working on his hand placement and pad level as he aims to be an all-around tight end in the NFL. 'I see growth and development out of Mason,' offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand said. 'He's on the path to becoming what we expected and hoped he could be. And he's done a really nice job this camp in the pass game and in the run game as well. So, again, daily improvement by him, and we're excited to see where that continues to go.' ___ AP NFL:
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Roughriders cruise to a 7-1 season record after dominating Alouettes
A dominant defensive performance and explosive plays allowed the Saskatchewan Roughriders to walk away from Montreal with a 34-6 win on Saturday. It was billed as a clash between the CFL's top two teams, but the Roughriders proved a class above the Alouettes, improving to 7-1 and moving four points up on the 5-3 Calgary Stampeders in the West Division. The Saskatchewan defence held the Alouettes (5-3) to 169 yards and did not allow them to pass their 46 yard-line. They also forced three turnovers, although it could have been even more. "Through and through that was our best game as a defence," said Saskatchewan head coach and defensive coordinator Corey Mace. "I told them, that being said, we dropped so many potential interceptions and turnovers. Really, really proud of those guys." "It makes it pretty easy to win football games," quarterback Trevor Harris said about his defence's performance. "If they don't get into the red zone and they only kick two field goals, it's tough to lose games. "It's on us as an offence to make sure we extend our leads and they don't get close. We did that, but obviously still wish we would have done a little more offensively." "They're a good team," said Montreal quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson. "We have to give them credit, but we came out absolutely terrible tonight, myself included. You come out against a good team and play badly, it looks like that." Harris threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns against one of his former teams and Dohnte Meyers had 182 all-purpose yards in the win as well but the common refrain from the Riders coaches and players was that they were capable of even more. "We're just going to continue to keep climbing and getting better. Just because you're 7-1 after eight games, it doesn't mean anything," Harris said. Rare road win A crowd of 21,654 at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal witnessed the Riders improve to 4-0 on the road. It was the Roughriders first win in Montreal since Oct. 30, 2021, snapping a two-game losing streak in Quebec and three games against the Alouettes overall. "The environment was everything that we thought it was going to be," said Mace. "Their crowd showed up, the energy was crazy, but as a football team we were able to keep them quiet." "Anytime you get a win on the road in the CFL, it's nothing to sneeze at, especially against a team like this," Harris said. Montreal was playing its fourth game of the season without starting quarterback Davis Alexander. They are 1-3 in those games. Bethel-Thompson, Alexander's replacement, went 15 for 26 for 126 yards and an interception and was briefly replaced in the third quarter by Caleb Evans. Maas said he tried to find a spark by going to Evans but when it wasn't there, he returned to Bethel-Thompson. The loss drops Montreal two points behind the East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Saskatchewan opened the scoring with short-yardage quarterback Tommy Stevens' one-yard touchdown run on an opening drive aided by a 46-yard return on the opening kickoff by Meyers and an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Alouettes. It was the only scoring in the first quarter. The Roughriders doubled their lead on their first drive of the second quarter, a nine-play, 69-yard drive ending with a Harris touchdown pass to Tommy Nield with 8:35 remaining. Montreal finally got on the board with 5:15 remaining in the first half when Jose Maltos connected for a 56-yard field goal. Saskatchewan answered right back with a field goal of their own, set up after a long 58-yard pass and catch from Harris to Meyers. Meyers is in his second season with the Roughriders and came into the game among the league leaders with five explosive plays, which is categorized as receptions over 30 yards and kickoff returns over 40 yards. On Saturday, he added three more. "He's a big-play guy and he's able to help us stretch the field," said Harris. "The reputation is that we only throw the ball short, but we've been throwing the ball deep over people's heads quite a bit this year with Dohnte and KeeSean [Johnson]." "He's an explosive receiver," Mace said. "He runs routes as smooth as ever, he's got great hands, and he's got some top-level speed to be able to break away. The kid's just a ballplayer, man, and I think everybody in the country's starting to figure that out." Rain and injuries The game's second half was delayed close to 30 minutes due to a thunderstorm in the area, and the rain continued to start the third quarter. Both teams were dealing with key players missing. Saskatchewan was missing receiver Samuel Emilus. In addition to Alexander, Montreal was without receivers Austin Mack and Tyler Philpot, while defensive back Kabion Ento was a late scratch and safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy left the game with an injury. Montreal head coach Jason Maas did not give an update on Dequoy's status, saying he will be re-evaluated this week. "Injuries are part of the game," said Maas. "At times they're harder to overcome than others. Obviously, you don't ever want to start a game losing a guy and then lose a couple extra guys at those positions." "What I give more credit to than anything is them," he said about his opponents. "They played very well tonight, whether we were injured or not."
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
Tiger-Cats outlast struggling Elks 28-24 for sixth straight win
Hamilton Tiger-Cats' Miles Fox, right, rushes Edmonton Elks quarterback Cody Fajardo during second half CFL football action in Edmonton, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Not even the threat of lightning could knock the Hamilton Tiger-Cats out of their zone. Tim White reeled in a pair of touchdown passes as the Tiger-Cats continued their red-hot play, defeating the Edmonton Elks 28-24 on Saturday in a game that was delayed more than an hour due to lightning strikes around the Alberta capital. The Ticats (6-2) have now won six games in a row. 'It was resiliency and continuing to build the belief in the locker room, no matter what happens, where we are in games, up or down, a lightning delay trying to take away the momentum, we will find a way to win,' said Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, who was 30 for 42 for 350 yards passing and three TDs. 'It's different people, it's different groups every time. When it matters, we are playing the complimentary football we need to play.' Bo knows Mitchell eclipsed Doug Flutie (41,355) in career CFL passing yards on Saturday, moving into ninth all-time. 'He's doing a great job of moving in the pocket and not taking sacks and making great decisions with the football and making the big plays when they are there. He's playing the best football I've seen him play,' said Ticats head coach Scott Milanovich. Bo with a message after passing Doug Flutie to take 9th place on the CFL's All-Time Passing Yards list!#cfl | @Ticats — CFL (@CFL) August 2, 2025 'I didn't feel like we played a full four-quarter, three-phase, game again, but I thought we did in the fourth quarter, which is when we needed it the most.' The Elks (1-6) continue to struggle, now with three straight losses. 'We're getting closer,' said Elks head coach Mark Kilam. 'When good teams play each other, it is the team that makes the plays down the stretch that usually wins. We had an opportunity to do that. We did not.' Hamilton looked like it meant business right from the opening kickoff, which was returned 75 yards by Isaiah Wooden Sr. Two plays later, Mitchell completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Kiondre Smith. Edmonton shrugged off the shock and responded on its first possession with a touchdown of its own, as quarterback Cody Fajardo engineered a long drive, capped off by a 10-yard run into the end zone by Justin Rankin. However, Hamilton punched right back with a long drive of its own, culminating in a two-yard TD run by Greg Bell. The Elks once again bounced back as Steven Dunbar Jr. made a nice play shrugging off a defender for a 25-yard reception, setting up a one-yard rushing major by Cole Snyder. Edmonton looked poised to take its first lead late in the second quarter, but the Cats' defence came up huge, stopping the Elks on two consecutive goal-line stands from the one-yard-line on attempts by Snyder to turn the ball over on downs and keep the game tied 14-14 at the half. The Elks responded with another solid drive to start the third quarter, finished by a 13-yard TD pass from Fajardo to Rankin. The see-saw battle continued as Hamilton responded with a three-yard TD catch by White. Then at 3:17 p.m. local time, with just 18 seconds remaining in the third quarter, lightning strikes were reported in the vicinity of Commonwealth Stadium and the game was delayed until almost 4:30 p.m. Edmonton got a huge play with 9:56 left in the fourth as punter Cody Grace was the first to get to his own sky-high kick and knocked it forward for teammate Luke Burton-Krahn to pick it up. The play led to a 33-yard field goal by Vincent Blanchard. After Fajardo was intercepted on a long-bomb attempt by Stavros Katsantonis, the Tiger-Cats marched down the field and completed a 27-yard touchdown pass to White to take a four-point lead with two minutes left. 'It was definitely a close game, so being able to grind it out and catch the win definitely feels good,' White said. 'I feel as a team we keep our composure throughout the process and late in games we are just able to finish.' Edmonton had a late chance as Fajardo hit Kaion Julien-Grant in the end zone with a long pass, but he dropped it. The Elks turned over the ball on downs and Hamilton ran out the clock. Up next Tiger-Cats: Host the B.C. Lions on Thursday. Elks: Visit the Montreal Alouettes on Friday. -- Shane Jones This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 2, 2025.
