HAMILTON - Otis Floyd isn't hell bent on proving the B.C. Lions wrong for giving up on him.

Released by B.C. following the 2008 campaign, the flamboyant linebacker has settled in nicely as the conscience of a rugged Hamilton defence that allowed the second-fewest points in the CFL this season, helping the Tiger-Cats end a five-year playoff drought and clinching their first home playoff date since 2001.

The Ticats will face the Lions in the East Division semifinal Sunday (1 p.m. ET). Floyd is one of four ex-Lions on Hamilton's defence - the others are linebackers Jamall Johnson and Markeith Knowlton and defensive lineman Matt Kirk - but the always intense linebacker, who is never shy about saying what's on his mind, isn't using revenge as a motivator against his former team.

"I don't hold no grudges," Floyd said Thursday. "It's a business, I've been around a long time and see how the business works and it just was my time to go.

"There's no extra motivation. Everyone over there knows what I can do. I'm going to go out and play my game and not do anything extra. When you try to do anything extra, you all make mistakes so I'm going to go out and play my game."

Both Johnson and Knowlton agree. When asked about facing their former team in a crucial playoff game, each said revenge would be the furthest thing from their minds Sunday.

Hamilton fans are slowly catching playoff fever as the Ticats have sold more than 20,000 tickets for the game - still 9,600 short of a sellout at Ivor Wynne Stadium.

Hamilton (9-9) finished second in the East Division to secure home-field advantage for the conference semifinal. The Lions (8-10) earned the No. 3 seed after posting a better record than third-place Winnipeg (7-11).

The four former Lions anchor a revamped defence whose aggressiveness and rugged play marked a return to old-time Ticats football. Hamilton finished second in the CFL in fewest points allowed (23.8 per game), fewest TD passes (24) and total touchdowns (39).

Johnson, Knowlton and Floyd were a big part of Hamilton's defensive resurgence under new co-ordinator Greg Marshall. Johnson led the CFL in tackles with 109 while Knowlton was third with 93. Floyd, who missed 3 1/2 games, was second on the team in sacks (five) and third in tackles (67).

The Lions flavour to Hamilton's defence shouldn't come as a surprise given that Bob O'Billovich was B.C.'s player-personnel director from 2003 to '07 before becoming the Ticats' GM. When O'Billovich needed veterans with experience and knowledge to solidify his defence, he looked to Knowlton (obtained in a 2008 trade), Floyd, Johnson and Kirk (free agents). All four were part of B.C.'s 2007 Grey Cup-winning squad. Floyd also won a CFL title with Calgary in '01 under current Lions head coach/GM Wally Buono.

In fact, all three linebackers say their familiarity with one another has been a big reason for their success this season.

"We spent a lot of time together on and off the field for many years," Floyd said. "We jell real tight together and that's what you have to do to make a great team."

Knowlton said the former Lions players have brought a new attitude to Hamilton's defence.

"A winning attitude," he said. "When we were together at B.C., we always went to the playoffs and the attitude all the time was to win.

"Here, the veterans have brought the experience … and fire. You can't build a team overnight, and we're still putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but we know each other. You get a new guy who hasn't played and you have to learn what he does. But when you already have that chemistry, it's a big difference."

Johnson, who signed with Hamilton as a free agent two weeks into the season, isn't the least bit surprised that he fit in with Floyd and Knowlton so quickly.

"For me personally it was easy to get in with the guys because some of them I had played with previously with B.C.," he said. "From my first day I was brought in and felt comfortable with everyone in the locker-room and the organization as well."

Floyd is the defence's spiritual leader. On Sunday during Hamilton's 39-17 road win over Winnipeg, which clinched second place for the Ticats and eliminated the Bombers from playoff contention, it was Floyd who slapped the hand of a teammate who was offering to help an opponent up.

Johnson says the Ticats defence feeds off Floyd, who routinely engages in on-field banter with the opposition.

"He (Floyd) is a big leader in our locker-room with his play on the field," Johnson said. "He's also a talker but he backs it up.

"We're 100 per cent behind him."

Hamilton's defence heads into Sunday's game on a nice roll. The unit returned two interceptions for touchdowns against Winnipeg. The week before, they held the Saskatchewan Roughriders, first-place finishers in the West Division, to just six points in a 24-6 victory.

Ticats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille says Floyd, Knowlton and Johnson are the backbone of the club's defence.

"That's the core of our defence right there, those three players," he said. "They've been great for us and a big part of the reason why we are where we are today."

Bellefeuille doesn't believe redemption will be an overwhelming emotion for the four ex-Lions on Sunday and said he doesn't plan on trying to harness their enthusiasm on the field.

"I don't want to control it, that's for sure. Control is just an illusion when it comes to these matters," he said. "I want them to be excited, enthusiastic and want to play.

"You just have to find the right balance where you're still able to do your job, focus on your assignments and not do anything after the whistle that might cause a penalty. Those guys have been playing that way all year. This is their third time playing them so I don't think it will be an issue."