Thunder getting bang for its buck with Todd

Joey Todd is following in his family's footsteps, only most of the fireworks he produces are on the football field.

For over 10 years, the Regina Thunder defensive back's father Dave, a former firefighter, has worked with Big Bang Fireworks out of Calgary and produced fireworks shows across Saskatchewan, including the annual Canada Day display in Wascana Centre, and around the world.

"When you think about it, it's kind of a different thing," Todd said Friday before the Thunder continued preparations for Sunday's tilt with the Edmonton Huskies at Mosaic Stadium (1 p.m.). "My dad wanted to get into it though and we've always been around it."

While Todd's brother Chris is now working with Big Bang in Calgary, Joey (a second-year kinesiology student at the University of Regina) is still deciding whether or not he wants to enter the business.

"Dad's trying to pass it down to me and my brother now," said Joey, who counts Big Bang's pyrotechnics that go underwater before heading into the sky as his favourite. "I'm not sure exactly where it will go for me."

For now, the 19-year-old Thunder player is content to explode out of the blocks and blast a returner on special teams. Three games into the Prairie Football Conference season, Todd leads the Thunder with 35 defensive points after compiling 12 tackles, three assists, a batted ball, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

"He has worked on his defensive skills and all that (over the off-season), but he is a fearless guy," said Thunder head coach Erwin Klempner. "He's versatile, he's quick and he can make plays."

Thunder coaches weren't always as confident in Todd's abilities, but decided to give him a chance by taking him on the road to meet the Huskies in Week 3 during his rookie season in 2008.

"We gave him a chance to play and right off the get-go, he made plays and that game is when he became a starter," said Klempner. "He stuck his nose in there."

This season has been more of the same. Todd, 5-foot-11 and 175 pounds, can work out of halfback or cornerback spots and also serves on Regina's punt and kickoff coverage units.

His play this season, said Todd, is partly due to being given more freedom by the coaching staff.

"The coaches don't care if we make mistakes as long as we go as fast as we can and trying as hard as we can to give us opportunities to make plays," said Todd, who had seven tackles during Regina's 51-11 win over the Huskies on Aug. 9. "Our philosophy is to go 100 miles an hour all the time. You can play with nothing on your back; no pressure."

Not that Todd has made many mistakes in 2009.

"He's obviously more mature and more confident because he has worked out and put in more time into being ready to play," said Klempner. "He shows that by playing fearlessly. He's not afraid to come up and hit people."