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They aren’t looking for sympathy. They aren’t begging for winter driving tips. They aren’t madly searching YouTube for videos on the most efficient method to shovel a driveway.
But CFL players — those born-and-raised in the southern United States — admit that a brutal blast of Canadian winter can hit harder than a high-speed collision with Bo Lokombo, Tyrice Beverette or Adarius Pickett.
The numbers explain why.
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In Miami, FL, meteorologists are predicting a high of 28C on Friday. Meanwhile, in Regina, the forecast calls for a whopping high that day of -22C.
With winter walloping the prairies this week, we decided to check in with some CFL players from the south who spend at least part of their off-season north of the 49th parallel.
Here are their stories:
LB Derrick Moncrief was born in Alabama lives in Saskatchewan in the off-season (photo courtesy of Derrick Moncrief)
DERRICK MONCRIEF, EDMONTON ELKS
It’s hard for anyone in Alabama to fully appreciate the wonders of a Canadian winter without experiencing them firsthand.
So says Moncrief, an Edmonton Elks linebacker who makes Regina his off-season home.
“I just tell them it’s like Antarctica almost out here,” says Moncrief, who was born in Prattville, AL. “On the prairies, everything’s flat. There’s no trees. It’s nothing but fields and stuff like that.
“So that wind — it just takes your breath away.”
When he first arrived in Canada, Moncrief couldn’t understand how people even functioned in blizzard conditions.
“Man, if I was in Alabama, they would shut the streets down,” he said. “Everybody would be off work. The schools would close. But here, everyone just operates like it’s a normal day.”
After seven seasons in the CFL, Moncrief has learned to operate like normal, even when the temperature dips below -30 C.
“I’ve adjusted,” he said. “But some days, it just hits you in the bones.”
Especially when it comes time to shovel— one of Moncrief’s household responsibilities.
“I can’t let my wife go out there,” he said. “We’ve got baby No. 2 on the way. I’ve got to make sure the driveway is good — the sidewalk is good. I’ve got neighbours who, sometimes when it gets a little too crazy, they’ll take care of the snow for me.
“But mostly I love to do it. It’s kind of therapeutic to me. I guess this Canadian-Saskatchewan thing is kind of growing on me now.”
That’s good for Moncrief, because his one-year-old daughter Minnie is on the move.
“She likes to be outside, but I try to tell her that we can’t be outside too much,” he said. “Maybe build a snowman for about 10 minutes and then back in the house.”
WR Marken Michel says winter is the best time of the year for fashion (photo courtesy of Marken Michel)
Michel was born in Orlando, FL — home to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. But the Stampeder receiver chooses to spend his winters in Calgary, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
“I’ve never been skiing or snowboarding, so those are things I’ve been wanting to try,” he said. “I’ve never ice skated before, either.”
But the lure of a Canadian winter, for Michel, is not about outdoor activities.
“To me, the best time for fashion is the winter,” he said. “You really get to put layers on and put some nice pieces on. So I think my favourite part about when it starts to get cold is fashion.”
Michel, 31, puts a lot of thought into his winter wardrobe.
“Just simple, cool coats and very nice black pants,” he said. “I guess I sometimes go for more of a comfort look, but you can also spice it up a little bit.”
When it comes to football, many receivers complain about the nightmares of catching the ball in freezing temperatures. But Michel simply sees it as part of the job.
“Trying to keep our hands warm is super, super tough,” he says. “Especially for me. My mother is anemic…My red blood cells are, like, a little less.
“So I get cold very quickly, and my fingertips are the hardest thing to keep warm. On the sideline, I just try to keep moving, just to get my body warm. Once my fingers get warm, I’m good.”
Michel lives in downtown Calgary, and he often encounters people experiencing homelessness on the streets.
“I know it’s cold out there,” he said. “I was thinking of just a small gesture like making chicken noodle soup and passing it out to keep them warm.
“I’ve never made chicken noodle soup, but I do cook. And now, if I taste it and it’s not to my liking, I’ll find a different way to get better chicken noodle soup.”
WR Shawn Bane Jr. talked to Hall about the snow in Regina during winter (photo courtesy of Shawn Bane Jr.)
We caught Bane Jr. just as he was about to head out to run an errand this week in Regina.
“What are those things called? Longjohns?” he said, when asked to describe his attire. “I’ve got longjohns on top and bottom. I don’t have wool socks yet. I’m not sure if I need to invest in them. So regular socks, and I definitely have sweatpants and a shirt over the long johns. And then a hoodie.”
Bane Jr. is heading home to Sarasota, FL this weekend, with a planned return date of February. So he’s holding off on buying a proper winter coat — for now.
“I think this will suffice,” he said. “I’m not outside long. I’m just going to park as close as I can and get in and out. So yeah, I guess that’s the cheat code.”
The Roughrider receiver needs all the cheat codes he can get when it comes to braving the cold and navigating the mountains of snow in the Queen City.
“Oh my goodness gracious,” he said. “It’s ridiculous. They have some piles that are taller than cars. Yeah, it’s brutal. It’s crazy.”
Bane Jr. played his college ball at Northwest Missouri State. At age 19, he saw snow for the first time.
“I ran outside,” he said. “I ate it. I did snow angels. All the cliché stuff.”
Then he learned about the realities of life in a winter climate.
“After it snows, your car is dirty,” he said. “The roads are dirty. Like you’ve got to put out salt. You’ve got to shovel things. So I was like, ‘Ah, this is what snow does.’
“At home, it rains, the heat just evaporates it, and we’re good. And obviously that also happens here, eventually, as it warms up.”
Eventually being the operative word.