Dylan Barker Retires

I apologize for the lack of posts over the last couple of days. I moved earlier this week and that has occupied all of my time and energy. But enough about my personal life, let's move on to some Tiger-Cats news.

The biggest, and saddest, news over the past 72 hours is Dylan Barker's decision to retire due to a back injury.

Barker was drafted first overall by the Tiger-Cats in the 2008 CFL Draft; spent his rookie year on the shelf due to a broken leg; really blossomed in 2009 and 2010, especially on Special Teams, where he tied the record for tackles in 2009; and missed the entire 2011 campaign because of the back injury that now ends his career.

It is a shame that Barker has played his last game, but based on what he told The Hamilton Spectator's Drew Edwards, it is absolutely the correct decision.

Deciding to retire, especially at such a young age, is never an easy decision. But risking a life of paralysis is simply not worth it. Barker is trying to ensure his long-term health will not be compromised, so while he will be missed on the field, his decision is absolutely the correct one.

So I'll just close by saying, thank you to Dylan Barker for all that he did during his time with the Tiger-Cats. I hope you find happiness in your post-football life. Best of luck to you in the future.

Barker Staying in Steeltown

The Tiger-Cats announced today that they have signed Safety Dylan Barker to a contract extension that will keep him in Hamilton through the 2012 season.

This is great news. Barker is a fantastic Special Teams player, and is undoubtedly the future for the Ti-Cats at the Safety position. Getting Barker locked up for the long haul provides the Tabbies with some stability at a position which has been somewhat lackluster. With all due respect to Sandy Beveridge, he gets beat too much, and he is clearly not the answer at Safety. Perhaps we could see Barker and Beveridge switch roles. Beveridge is still an asset, but I think Barker is the player that the Cats should move forward with.

Last season, Barker tied the CFL record for Special Team tackles with 37 and was the team's nominee for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. Barker was inserted into the starting lineup for the final three regular-season games and the East Division Semi-Final and played very well. It would seem that Barker and Beveridge will be in a tight battle for the starting Safety spot in training camp.

The future looks bright for Barker and for the Tiger-Cats. Every move the team has made so far this off-season looks to be the right one. I think we Ti-Cat fans might have to start a new saying: "In Obie We Trust."