Courtesy Hamilton Spectator:

There’s no question he puts the “off” in offbeat.

And there is no question that, with his unique West Coast perspective and long, flowing mane of curls, Peter Dyakowski proved to be one of the more interesting Tiger-Cats last season. But he is also one of the most promising.

The Cats drafted the 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive lineman with the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft. Dyakowski had played four seasons with the Louisiana State Tigers, where he started 13 of 27 games at right tackle.

But Dyakowski signed a free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints, meaning he missed the Tiger-Cat training camp last season. After being released by the Saints, Dyakowski made his way to Hamilton in time to watch the Cats second preseason contest. He was forced to play catch-up in a hurry.

With injuries slowing the start of the season for George Hudson and Pascal Cheron, the Cats were forced to bring along the rookie faster than expected. Dyakowski found himself starting at guard by the fourth contest of the season, and later moved over to tackle. He was joined by another rookie on the offensive line — Cedric Gagne-Marcoux.

Read More…