Balls and a helmet sit on the turf during Hamilton Tiger-Cats practice on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019. Three former members of the local Parkside Pythons team – Aaron Crawford and Connor McGough for Hamilton and Asotui Tavita Eli for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers – will suit up in this weekend's Grey Cup game in Calgary.
One way or another, the Grey Cup will be lifted by someone with Medicine Hat roots on Sunday.
Hatters Aaron Crawford and Connor McGough of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats will go up against rookie Asotui Tavita Eli and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL championship game at McMahon Stadium in Calgary.
All three were Parkside Pythons at one point, with Crawford and McGough going on to Crescent Heights while Eli moved to Hawaii for high school and university.
For Crawford, it’s a second chance at the big prize, his first having been thwarted in 2014’s final. And he’s much more aware how rare the chance is in this, the long snapper’s seventh pro season.
“The first time I went to the Grey Cup, you kind of imagine yourself in scenarios where you do something that impacts the game, that kind of stuff,” he said Wednesday evening. “You have those kind of dreams. Now that I’m a little more mature, I realize how rare Grey Cup appearances are, I’ve seen guys retire after 10, 11 years with no ring.
“The dream kind of shifts. You picture holding the trophy up, it’s not so much about me making the plays, it’s about getting that win with these guys and being bonded for life.”
McGough is in his third season. The defensive end will have friends and family hoping to see if the trophy will spend a day or two in the Gas City in the next year.
“One hundred per cent,” he said when asked if the Cup would be in town if the Ticats manage a win. “Obviously there’s a lot of hype going around, it’s fast-paced, but keeping away from distractions and staying in the hotel, there’s a lot of stuff going on but I’m just worried about the game and getting a win.”
Eli, who didn’t respond to an interview request from the News, played in five regular season games as a rookie centre for Winnipeg, having been drafted 34th overall this past spring. But the 6-foot-4, 326-pounder of Samoan descent did suit up in both the Bombers’ playoff wins over Calgary and Saskatchewan.
McGough actually helped coach Eli with the Pythons, while Crawford’s family has stayed in touch with Eli’s over the years.
“Football’s come a long way in Med Hat, you’ve got to tip your hat to guys that have gone on and come back and started contributing,” said Crawford. “When you have a coach like Lloyd Bray and those kind of guys who have passed the high school level and come back, now you look around and every team’s got at least somebody who’s been to university, had a pro tryout.
“That’s how you bring the quality of your product up.”
McGough echoed those thoughts.
“It’s awesome for Medicine Hat, it shows there’s talent there, that no matter the town you come from you can still play professional football; (whether it’s) university football, junior football and still get to where you want to be.”
Whoever wins won’t mark a first for Medicine Hat. Dan Federkeil was a key part of the 2014 Calgary Stampeders’ win, while Redcliff’s Nate Coehoorn starred with the Edmonton Eskimos’ 2015 championship team. Both are now retired, something Crawford, now 33 years old and recovered from ACL surgery two years ago, is getting questions about this week.
“Those questions start to surface but as far as I’m concerned, I’m going to grind every off-season, I wouldn’t be able to stop until I see somebody that can do my job for this team better, then I can step down,” he said.
“But at the same time I’m not going out without a fight.”
The week before the big game is typically a busy one for players, with a lot more media presence bearing down on them as well as a lot more interest from friends and family.
McGough is glad the big game is in Calgary so more of them can make the three-hour drive. Crawford is embracing it, but then again he always has friends he tries to catch up with when the team is in Calgary so in many ways it’s not that unusual.
“The only real changes are external,” he said. “Like today, there’s cameras everywhere at practice, videoing and flashes and that kind of stuff so we’re more under a magnifying glass, you might say.
“It’s nice to meet up with those guys, there’s people I graduated from Crescent Heights with who live in Calgary now, when I touched down (from the plane flight) I opened up the phone, turned on the cell data and it was a nice little welcome home from a bunch of people I hadn’t heard from in a bit.
“It didn’t have any negative effect for me hearing from people I haven’t heard from in a long time. It was a positive thing, having a reason to say hey, find out what they’re doing. It’s nice.”
Even nicer would be celebrating a championship with them. So the message around the Ticats clubhouse is save the partying for afterwards.
“Everyone knows I’m just here to play football,” said McGough. “You can celebrate as a champion forever, right? Put in the time now and stay focused, we’re not happy just to be here.”
