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56TORONTO — Football in Canada is on the rise.
It takes only one look at the stats leaderboards to see Canadians at or near the top in almost every statistical category.
BC Lions receiver Justin McInnis leads the league in receiving yards and touchdowns. Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira is second in rushing while defensive back Tyrell Ford leads the league in interceptions. That’s not to mention guys like Tre Ford and Nathan Rourke who have brilliant futures ahead of them as quarterbacks.
But talent like that doesn’t spring out of nowhere.
“I think one of the things that’s happening in Canada now is the resurgence of grassroots football,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie in a conversation with Donnovan Bennett and Henoc Muamba in this week’s The Waggle Podcast. “You cannot deny that flag football is having a remarkably positive effect. And the good news is that it’s boys and girls playing football, learning their passion for the game.
“The thing I love about our game is you can’t play by yourself. That ball does not bounce off a wall back into your hand very conveniently. You have to play it with somebody and we think about it as the ultimate team game, but I think everything good starts at the grassroots level.”
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Muamba himself is an example of a talented Canadian player who rose to the top of the league during his playing days. The linebacker was named Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017 before being named the 109th Grey Cup Most Valuable Player and Canadian after helping the Toronto Argonauts win the championship against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Last years’ Grey Cup also featured a heroic moment by a National player when Montreal Alouettes receiver Tyson Philpot caught the game-winning touchdown on his way to being named the game’s Most Valuable Canadian.
The CFL isn’t the only league that has taken notice, with the National Football League down south also employing several talented players from up north.
“There is something remarkable happening here and, and I think the Canadian talent has just risen to the fore and it’s not just evidenced in our league. We’ve got what is it now 27 or 28 Canadians playing in the NFL,” said Ambrosie. “Canadians are good football players. They’re, in fact, great football players. I happen to be looking at one right now who was a strong evidence of that. Canadians are remarkably good football players and they live it week in and week out, and they put on a show for football fans. So I think it’s our time. Canadians and the Canadian Football League are showing evidence of of just how strong the players are, how strong the league is.”
It’s not only the Canadian players putting on a weekly show for football fans across the country.
There’s a lot of reasons why the CFL has continued to excite fans across the country. Close games, come-from-behind wins, and high-scoring affairs are weekly occurrences that are consequences of a league that invests in the growth of its teams and players. But at the end of the day, it’s a true testament to the talent on the field, be it from Canada or anywhere else in the world.
“It’s really just been a truly great time for a league,” said Ambrosie who talked about the raise in attendance, social media numbers and TV ratings. “Let’s start with the fact that the talent is remarkable, and they play a brand of football that is truly fun, fast and entertaining.”