There are a variety of code words to frame the message that, from November to late June, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats consistently delivered to their longest-serving player.

Therapists call it tough love, Orlondo Steinauer often mentions a "jagged pill." Defeatists use "end of the line."

But what Mike Filer heard was "honesty."

As the 2018 season ended, the only current Ticat who also played at old Ivor Wynne Stadium arrived at a career crossroads. His contract was expiring, and the Ticats' starting centre for six-plus seasons was told by offensive line coach Dennis McKnight that he had some bad habits in his playing technique and had "got fat."

"I think he took it hard," McKnight recalls. "But he took it to heart."

Gratefully so, the 29-year-old Filer said, calling his heart-to-heart with McKnight straight to the point and absolutely necessary.

"But it's still tough to hear, right?" Filer says. "Essentially they're telling you that unless you make a change you're pretty well done. But I needed to hear it.

"McKnight did a great job in pointing me in the right direction. He said that to play in this league longer I needed ... to lose 30 pounds and work on lateral movement and speed. I wish I could have figured this out sooner, that you don't need to be 315 pounds. I was too big, I was too slow. I just wasn't moving in the same way as guys like Rev (guard Brandon Revenberg) and Zeyl (tackle Chris Van Zeyl)."

Less than a week after McKnight's direct hit, Filer began following the keto diet, eating whole foods low in carbs and high in protein, and "good fats." But he said that the biggest change was adhering to intermittent fasting, "which a lot of people aren't believers in at this point. I'd stop eating at 8 p.m. and wouldn't eat until noon the next day. I still do it, but change the hours a bit in the season."

He also readjusted his off-season training focus to flexibility and mobility, while still maintaining strength. He worked diligently on his speed, lateral motion and technical skills.

In the first month, he lost 15 pounds and by May's training camp he was down to 289 from a season-ending 315.

"I felt great and still feel great," Filer says. "It wasn't even the fact I was losing weight, it was just this real good feeling I had. I was even jogging a lot."

But even while he sped up and slimmed down, Steinauer was honest with Filer when he re-signed in February, saying he wouldn't automatically return to starting. Mathieu Girard had the inside track. But Filer, whose father told him competition was an important facet of life, was confident he would regain his starting role.

"So I think Coach O has gave me one of the great life lessons," he says. "I don't think negatively about anybody who influenced me to do this, I just thank them."

Even after Girard was lost early to injury, Filer didn't get the nod as the Ticats brought in former NFLer Demetrius Rhaney. But when he departed for personal reasons, Filer started the season's third game and has been there ever since, the soul of an offensive line having a collectively good year. His position coach suggests that the widely popular centre should get all-star consideration.

"He's the best centre in the CFL right now," McKnight says.

And his head coach praises Filer for dealing positively with the career realities the coaching staff placed in his line of vision.

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"It was an adjustment he needed to make," Steinauer said. "I think he's seeing the results and more importantly we are seeing the results."

smilton@thespec.com

905-526-3268 | @miltonatthespec