Making a return visit to a place you once lived isn’t always easy, as Adam Bighill discovered last weekend in Vancouver.

Like any houseguest, Bighill received a warm welcome Saturday night when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers played their rematch against the Lions at BC Place Stadium. At first the hometown team was most hospitable but, in the end, the former Lion was shown the door.

The evening started sweetly enough as Winnipeg built a 17-0 half-time lead. Things went sour for the Bombers when the Lions took advantage of some Winnipeg penalties, costly turnovers and questionable play calling to roar back in the final 30 minutes to win 20-17 on a last-play field goal.

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“It was fun to come back here and play,” said the Bombers’ middle linebacker, who had seven tackles. “I saw tons of fans out there cheering me on. It was a great environment to come back and play.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on the right side.”

Bighill joined the Lions in 2011 as an undersized linebacker from Central Washington University. Over the next six years, he developed into one of the CFL’s top defensive players.

The five-foot-10, 230-pound native of Montesano, Wash., was a four-time CFL All-Star and the league’s Top Defensive player in 2015. He wore No. 44 and along with No. 56 Solomon Elimimian formed Team 100 which stalked opposing defences.

Bighill, 29, joined the Bombers as a free agent in May after spending a year with the NFL New Orleans Saints.

When the Bombers beat BC 41-19 in Winnipeg two weeks ago, Bighill was a bowling ball and the Lions were the pins. He had six tackles, and for the first time in his career, two interceptions in a single game. One he returned 55 yards for a major, the longest touchdown return of his career.

One of his biggest plays Saturday night was a bruising hit for a loss on Lions’ running back Chris Rainey.

Any animosity Bighill felt toward the Lions during the game ended at the final whistle. As he walked off the field Bighill exchanged handshakes and hugs with players like running back Jeremiah Johnson and defensive coordinator Mark Washington.

“It’s a lot different,” Bighill said about playing against his former teammates. “You have so many relationships with the guys. You feel like you can have a conversation on every play after someone comes and blocks you.

“It was fun, really fun, to compete against the guys you were in the same locker room with for a long time.”

Lions’ quarterback Travis Lulay admitted it was unnatural seeing Bighill in Bombers’ colours.

“It was weird,” said Lulay who threw for 326 yards and a touchdown in his first start in nearly 10 months after undergoing offseason knee surgery. “I have lined up against him a lot in practice, but it still looks funny for me to see him in blue and gold.

“He’s as good as he’s ever been. That experience in the NFL probably upped his confidence. You can see he’s playing fast. He’s at the top of his game for sure.”

After four games Bighill leads the league with 34 defensive tackles. His two interceptions leave him tied with four other players for best in the CFL.

Sometimes it takes a former linebacker to really understand what a player like Bighill can contribute to a team.

“You can’t ask for anything more than that guy,” said Bomber head coach Mike O’Shea, who spent 16 CFL seasons playing for Hamilton and Toronto. “He’s always giving everything he’s got. Great physical play, a terrific athlete. High football IQ and a good leader.”

Adapting to a new system has gone smoothly for Bighill.

“My experience over the last six years of playing football and understanding and learning football, allowed me to come into the system here and basically learn the playbook immediately,” he said.

“The challenging part as always is building chemistry and communicating the different language that the teams have. That took four or five days in training camp to try to assimilate all that terminology.”

Running back Andrew Harris, another former Lion, said Bighill has had an instant impact on the field and in the dressing room.

“He brings a tenacity, a veteran presence,” said Harris. “He brings a lot of experience. He’s a guy that can fly around. He can stuff the run, he can cover receivers, running backs. He’s multi-faceted.

“He calls himself a savage and that’s exactly what he is.”

Bighill spent most of his year in the NFL on the Saints’ practice roster. He saw action in three games and recorded one tackle. The experience left him with mixed feelings.

“It was something I anticipated and was prepared for,” he said about not playing regularly. “I was going to go down there and play special teams and be a reserve linebacker.

“I put it on tape I can play in that league. Unfortunately, not always the best players are going to play down there. There are some things that are out of your control. At the end of the day, I left it all down there. I’m really proud of what I did. I love being back up here and play again in the CFL.”

Bighill did receive an offer from one NFL team but decided he would rather return to Canada, where “a handful of teams” were interested in him.

“When I got released a lot of teams had the roster they thought they were going to win the Grey Cup with,” he said. “A lot of salary caps were spoke for.

“I have a great relationship with coach O’Shea prior to ever coming here. I got a handful of guys I already played with that are in this locker room. I leaned on them, talked to them before I signed, and got a feel for the team. Those kinds of things made it more comfortable for me.”

One of the deciding factors was playing in front of packed crowds at Investors Group Field.

“Winnipeg has that wow factor,” he said.

As for the Lions, Bighill knew new general manager Ed Hervey was remodelling the lineup.

“They were going through a lot of changes,” he said.

One change for Bighill is wearing No. 4. His old No. 44 is currently held by linebacker Shayne Gauthier, who is on the six-game injured list.

“I figured I would create a new identity,” said Bighill. “A single four I think looks pretty slick.”