Montrealer Scott Macdonell soaks in Grey Cup experience

Growing up in Montreal's Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, Scott Macdonell would often spend fall afternoons with his dad playing catch in the park.

It's going to be incredible. I think this is the pinnacle of Canadian football.- Montrealer Scott Macdonnel

He says it's the earliest memory of playing football that he can recall and, while he didn't know it at the time, it was the beginning of a path that would eventually lead him to the most storied football game in Canada.

All in a Weekend Montreal6:46Football Mom at the Grey Cup

Ottawa Redblacks wide receiver Scott Macdonell is fortunate enough to have both parents with him this weekend at his team faces the Edmonton Eskmos in the 103rd Grey Cup game.

Those games of catch with Dad turned into a shot to play university football for the Queen's Gaels and then led to Macdonell being drafted into the CFL.

Now, in only his second season with the Ottawa RedBlacks, the 24-year-old has a chance to win the Grey Cup. 

"It's going to be incredible. I think this is the pinnacle of Canadian football. Having watched the Grey Cup before, I consider myself extremely lucky that I get to play in it. It's something not everybody gets a chance to do and just being here this week you can feel it," Macdonell told the CBC by phone from Winnipeg.

Beating the odds

Macdonell and the RedBlacks weren't supposed be in this position. Ottawa was an expansion team that only won two games a year ago, and most CFL analysts didn't give them much of a chance to win this season.

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But Macdonell and his teammates didn't listen to those analysts. 

They went 12 - 6 in the regular season, won the Eastern Conference with a thrilling late fourth-quarter touchdown pass and now find themselves a game away from bringing the Grey Cup back to Ottawa for the first time since 1976.

"We had talent, we just needed to get more of it and a little more time together," Macdonell said. "You can go from the bottom to the top (of our organization) and you'll find quality individuals all over the team and I really think that that is what makes our success so imminent."

Perhaps it's due to the fact that people have been doubting the RedBlacks all season, but for Macdonell and his teammates, confidence heading into the big game isn't in short supply.  

"If we bring our A game and they bring their A game, we're going to win because our A game is better than everybody else," Macdonell said.

Odds-makers disagree. Most have Edmonton favoured to win by at least a touchdown, but that is probably just how the Ottawa players like it.

Macdonell says the message from the coaching staff  to the players heading into the game is keep doing what got them to the Grey Cup game in the first place.

"We have a recipe that is working well, so don't mess it up, don't go doing anything different." 

The 103rd Grey Cup between the Ottawa RedBlacks and Eskimos Eskimos kicks off in Winnipeg on Sunday, Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. ET.