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July 17, 2022

Hladik Ready To Fill Void With Mentor Sidelined

His first CFL start will come in the same venue he competed for a Subway Bowl provincial championship with the Vernon Panthers in 2016. And while it hurt big-time to see his friend and mentor, Bo Lokombo, go down with a serious elbow injury, Ben Hladik is ready to fill the void and get the Lions back on track against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

“I’m excited to start for my hometown team; obviously not under the best circumstances with Bo going out but I’m going to do my best to continue doing what he had going on,” said the Vernon product following Sunday’s practice.

Filling the void of a reigning CFL Most Outstanding Canadian winner is certainly not for the faint of heart. But just spend a few moments in his presence and you will quickly learn to understand Hladik was built for this moment.

After leading Vernon to its first provincial championship game in school history- they ultimately lost to Jalon and Tyson Philpot and the Seaquam Seahawks- and becoming the first-ever Panthers player to earn Subway Bowl MVP honours, Hladik suited up for the UBC Thunderbirds and served as defensive captain along with earning Canada West All-Star honours twice and a U Sports First Team honour in 2019.

Despite his senior year being wiped out due to the pandemic, the linebacker stayed sharp at the virtual combines and was nabbed by the Lions in round three (22nd overall) of the 2021 CFL Draft. Having prospects from your backyard turn into real players is indeed a great luxury to have. Now Hladik aims to draw on that big game experience gained at the high school and university levels.

Vernon Panthers and UBC product Ben Hladik is ready to fill void left by mentor Bo Lokombo. The linebacker is drawing off of past experience.

“It was special to be able to play in BC Place in high school and to get another chance here in the pros is pretty special as well,” he said.

“Playing university football in Canada and then going to the CFL involves a lot of carrying over; it’s different than going from American rules to Canadian. I’ve been playing for a long time and I’m ready to go.”

It also helps that he was called upon to fill Lokombo’s void not only against Winnipeg on July 9 but in the second game of the season against Toronto when the veteran also got banged up in the early going. He has chipped in with six defensive tackles in those combined experiences.

“Getting in-game reps is a lot different than practice. I’m getting that full intensity and I’m ready to jump in,” said the former Thunderbird.

Hladik also credits the likes of Lokombo, Jordan Williams and TJ Lee for helping him prepare for these big moments. In a defence filled with veterans who have been there and done that several times over, having the next man up in key spots will only do wonders for the squad in the long run.

“I’ve been here for a year-and-a-half now. I’ve been watching the film every day, learning from their tips and tricks during meetings and now I’m excited to go out and show what they’ve taught me and what I’ve learned so far, “said Hladik.

Vernon Panthers and UBC product Ben Hladik is ready to fill void left by mentor Bo Lokombo. The linebacker is drawing off of past experience.

That dedication to the craft and ability to step in and make plays has also caught the attention of the Lions’ coaching staff.

“He has worked his butt off-season to become an aggressive, downhill guy. I’m excited to see him on the field this week,” said linebackers coach Travis Brown.

“Ben is a stout and smart linebacker who has all the intangibles to be a great player in this league.”

And that just further proves how much tighter this team has gotten compared to the beginning of Hladik’s rookie campaign. The loss to Winnipeg left a sour taste in everybody’s mouth but they know they can lean on each other to get this ship turned around in the right direction.

“There is a lot of energy in the locker room,” he said.

“Everybody is having fun all the time. It’s a great team environment. It was last year too, but it just keeps stepping up; everybody is getting to know each other a bit better than last year and we’ve just got to keep that rolling.”

They will no doubt have to fill a void or two in order to pursue their goal of getting back to the Grey Cup playoffs.

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com