Ticats extend Hage's contract through 2012
Offensive lineman Marwan Hage has invested his future in the continued resurgence of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, signing a new contract with a team trying to distance itself from memories of a four-year run as the doormats of Canadian football.
The 28-year-old centre has agreed to a deal that will keep him in Hamilton through the 2012 season — a key off-season move for the Ticats, who qualified for the CFL playoffs last year for the first time since 2004. Hage was nominated as the team's most outstanding Canadian.
"Why did I decide to stay in Hamilton? Because, over the years, Hamilton's become a home away from home," Hage said Tuesday in a telephone interview. "I'm just very happy here. I'm very comfortable with where the team is going, and I'm very happy with the organization."
It had not always been that way. The Ticats made the playoffs when Hage was a rookie, six years ago, but fell into the East Division basement in each of the next four seasons, including back-to-back three-win campaigns in 2007 and '08.
'I don't look back.' —Marwan Hage
Hage still flourished in the darkness. He was named an East Division all-star in 2007, and has three times been named an all-star by the Canadian Football League Players' Association.
"We are pleased to extend Marwan's contract, as he's a veteran player who has established himself in the middle of our offensive line," Ticats general manager Bob O'Billovich said in a release.
"Marwan sets the tone for the rest of the line by making calls and being aggressive with his play. Away from the field, he's a great representative of our team in the community."
Hamilton also announced Tuesday that it had released running back Tre Smith.
The Ticats beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the last day of the regular season last year to claim second place in the division, giving the beleaguered franchise its first home playoff game since 2001. Hamilton lost that game, falling 34-27 in overtime in the East Division semifinal to the B.C. Lions, who had crossed over from the West Division.
Hage, who has been recognized for his charity work around Hamilton, capped the turnaround season by claiming the Tom Pate Memorial Award, bestowed annually by the CFLPA to the player who "displays qualities that distinguish them from their peers."
"I don't look back, you know?" Hage said of Hamilton's recent past. "The atmosphere has changed, and the way people talk about the team has changed. It's like a new career — every year, it's a new vibe that comes along, and it's very exciting, and that's what makes it very easy for me to commit to stay."