My first game ever as a professional was in the Maritimes making a truly unique experience. Long story short, I was drafted to Hamilton, went to training camp with six others including Luca Congi and Josh Bartel, the kicker and punter from the previous year. So, after camp and pre- season basically the Ticats were going to go with Luca and Josh again obviously, that made sense after all the two guys were the All Stars the year before. But the coaching staff had decided that they were going to have another guy also, just in case as football is a rough sport and anything can happen. I knew that I had a pretty good camp and preseason game in Montreal, so I was confident I had a chance. I was added to what was called the Nine Game Injury List back then. It was basically a way to keep a player around but not on your practice roster where someone else could sign them. You got paid, which was excellent, but you couldn’t play any games for at least nine weeks. So, it was week 13 of the season and Luca, who was a great kicker and a great mentor especially for my first year of professional football, unfortu - nately had a couple of games where he was off. I never really thought anything about it, I knew he would work it out and wasn’t expecting to play. I remember the week, just going in and seeing my name first on the depth chart and having the coaches talk to me that I was getting the start for the Touchdown Atlantic Game in Moncton, New Brunswick. I remember calling my dad, it was a pretty crazy call. It was a whirlwind because it was something that neither of us were expecting, especially 13 weeks into a season. What added to the excitement was being able to play my first regular season game ever in the Maritimes, in front of family, friends and coaches that had helped me get to this point, it was something I’ll never forget that’s for sure. Spotlight: Now we jump ahead, 9 years as Touchdown Atlantic returns to the Maritime region on Saturday, July 16 as your Saskatch- ewan Roughriders take on the Toronto Argo- nauts at Acadia University’s Raymond Field in front 10,000 fans in Nova Scotia’s first-ever Canadian Football League (CFL) regular season contest, what are your feelings about playing a regular season game, in your home province and with all your friends and family in the stands?
I always try to say this, I guess because I didn’t really grow up knowing a lot about the CFL because we did not have a team in the Maritimes, nor a stadium that could host a game without a lot of work to get a venue ready. Having a CFL stadium is so much more than about football and the games that are played there. I feel like it’s exactly what the province and region need, because it is not just about having a CFL team that’s going to have nine home games a year, you’re also going to have a venue that can draw bigger concerts and host bigger festi- vals. Having a multi-sport facility for kids does amazing things to help develop future athletics. I remember when I was a kid, we got to play a game in the Metro Center. I felt like I was playing in the NHL. With a multi-sport facility soccer, football, rugby, lacrosse players and teams would have that same opportunity of playing on the turf where they could have championship games and dream of going pro, and as a kid that is a big deal, at least it was for me and for many others. In Saskatchewan, Mosaic Stadium just hosted the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames for a winter
classic game, which was an amazing success. I could only imagine having Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins versus Nathan MacK- innon and the Colorado Avalanche playing in the Winter Classic or hockey game outdoors here, that would be absolutely amazing and just imagine what they would do for the hospitali- ty industry in the province. Like I said, having a stadium is so much bigger than football and something that I think the province needs, not only for keeping younger people here, but also for the tourism that it would generate. Yes, a stadium is a lot of money and hard to justify especially when we are still recovering from the pandemic. But when you travel, and you see what these stadiums do for other provinc- es, and positive economic spinoff you see the need. Sorry I got off topic, so jumping back, I am very excited to be coming back to Nova Scotia for a regular season game and to be playing on Acadia University’s Raymond Field in Wolfville, where I played the last game of my AUS career against the Axemen. I am looking forward to the opportunity to show my coaches and teammates everything that this province that I’m from has to offer and just how awesome and unique it is. And I’m really looking forward to bringing the CFL game I love to the people of Nova Scotia. Spotlight: Tells us about what you do in the off season to prepare yourself to get back on the field for the start of the season? Last year’s numbers were amazing with you going 40/47, which is 85%, how do you keep your leg and body in shape? “a stadium is a lot of money and hard to justify especial- ly when we are still recover- ing from the pandemic. But when you travel, and you see what these stadiums do for other provinces, and positive economic spinoff you see the need.”
Brett Lauther: Yeah, obviously it’s just some- thing that’s surreal. I feel very fortunate to have played my very first game in Moncton and now to be on a different team nine years later, getting the opportunity to play in the first ever regular season CFL game in Nova Scotia. It’s something that is hard to put into words, really. For a lot of friends, family and coaches that have support- ed me, they have not been able to get out to a game in Saskatchewan or when I have played out East, so it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to, for them to see a game and for CFL fans in general to get to experience the game. I hope that this is a building block for Nova Scotia and the other Maritime provinces to hopefully be taking further steps forward to potentially getting a stadium, a team, and a fan base here. I see a team here being very much like the Sas- katchewan Roughriders. We are not the Regina Rough Riders just like this team isn’t called the Halifax Schooners, it’s called the Atlantic schoo- ners for a reason. It’s more than just Halifax or Nova Scotia, it’s all about representing all Mari- timers and the Atlantic coast.
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MARCH/APRIL 2022 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • MARCH/APRIL 2022
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