Former Bison Kienan LaFrance makes U of M coach proud with Grey Cup win

University of Manitoba Bisons' football coach Brian Dobie was overjoyed to see his former running back hoist the Grey Cup overhead Sunday night.

"He was a big player in that game, he was a big part of Ottawa's drive in that game," Dobie said of former Bison Kienan LaFrance.

"He certainly did his part … in helping earn his teammates a Grey Cup ring for sure, really proud of him."

LaFrance and the Redblacks beat the Calgary Stampeders Sunday night in Toronto as Ottawa came out on top in overtime 39-33.

"It's been quite the journey, it's been quite the road and it feels pretty good," LaFrance told CBC News.

The running back helped propel his team to victory with a few key runs in his second consecutive Grey Cup appearance.

• RECAP | Redblacks pull off huge upset to win 104th Grey Cup in OT

The Stampeders were favoured to win, but Dobie had his fingers crossed for LaFrance and former Bison assistant Bob Dyce, who is now the special teams co-ordinator for the Redblacks.

We're all family and that's one of the biggest reasons we came together so well: the cohesion on the sidelines and the family in the locker room.- Kienan LaFrance

"I was a happy coach watching a couple of ex-Bisons win a Grey Cup," Dobie said. "That was one of the best Grey Cup games I've ever seen, no doubt one of the great Grey Cup games in history."

LaFrance said the support from his family in the stands made the win that much more special.

"It was amazing. My mom is my biggest supporter … just to be able to share that moment with her, she's very proud of me," he said.

Ottawa rode a comfortable 27-7 lead into halftime, but stress on the Ottawa bench mounted in the final tense moments of overtime.

"We never lost faith," LaFrance said. "We knew we were going to win and we trust in each other. We're all family and that's one of the biggest reasons we came together so well: the cohesion on the sidelines and the family in the locker room."

Dobie said the five-foot-10, 210-pound player has exceeded expectations since he went to the Redblacks 45th overall in the sixth round of the 2015 CFL draft.

"He didn't do this the easy way," Dobie said. "He was a guy who was almost overlooked in the draft. He was taken very late in the draft. Those guys, most of them don't get a chance…. He persevered and got through it."

While LaFrance's talent always stood out, Dobie said the 25-year-old initially found himself slotted behind two stars in former Bisons Anthony Coombs and Nic Demski. Coombs is now a running back with the Toronto Argonauts, while Demski is a wide receiver with with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

"He knew he was a great player, we knew he was, we just happened to have two unbelievable super stars that unfortunately for him were just ahead of him," Dobie recalled. 

"[He] never complained, never walked into my office, just worked and every chance he got he made the best of. The year before he left our program he too became an allstar as a Bison running back and look where he is today."

Despite rushing for 42 yards, the most of any running back in the game Sunday, LaFrance wishes he had "done a little bit more." 

That attitude and commitment to hard work made an impression on Dobie early on during. Dobie said LaFrance's humility came through Monday morning when the two exchanged texts about the game.

"You can just feel Kienan's sense of pride and how ecstatic he is in what he and his teammates have accomplished," Dobie said. "When he gets that ring we'll bring him back to IGF into our locker-room with the boys and there will be a lot of picture taking and hugging and all that good stuff."

Dobie said a happy byproduct of having someone like LaFrance succeed at the professional level is that it helps attract young talents to his program in Manitoba.

Dobie is on a recruiting trip right now in Montreal and is already taking advantage of the positive exposure.

"My last message to [one new recruit] this morning was, 'Looking forward to our meeting tonight. My goal is to make you the next Kienan LaFrance," Dobie said.