Grigsby cherishes chance to play for Grey Cup after release from Bombers

It’s a good thing Nic Grigsby’s first season in the CFL did not go as planned.
After starting the campaign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then going unwanted, the 25-year-old Los Angeles native now finds himself in the 2014 Grey Cup. The rookie running back will suit up for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday against the Calgary Stampeders.
He wound his way to Hamilton after the Blue Bombers released him Oct. 21 after an apparent dispute between the players and management.
“It means a lot (to be in the Grey Cup),” he said after a practice Friday at BC Place Stadium. “I love being able to prove everybody wrong and being able to perform with the wrong kind of adversity. It’s harder for a running back because, running backs, you can’t just come in and just run. It takes time. You’ve gotta get your fits. You gotta get your feel for the game. It takes a lot of patience to be able to come out and perform the way you wanna perform.”
Grigsby helped the Tiger-Cats get into the Grey Cup by rushing for 93 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in their Eastern Final win over Montreal last weekend. During the regular season, he ran for 146 yards and a touchdown for Hamilton on 30 carries.
He also racked up a respectable 744 yards with Winnipeg. But the Bombers decided to release him after he rushed 14 times for only 55 yards against Ottawa, which crushed Winnipeg 42-20. The contest was a must-win affair for the Bombers, who missed the playoffs.
According to reports, Grigsby asked for his release after learning he would be replaced in the next game. But Grigsby contended otherwise – without elaborating – Friday.
“I didn’t fall out of favour,” he said. “It wasn’t about playing time. I’m not even going to get into that. They wanted to do some things that I didn’t agree with. I’m only a player. A player doesn’t run anything. I just do my job. They all decided to do what they wanted to do, and we all got together, me and (general manager) Kyle (Walters) and (coach Mike) O’Shea, and it was the best decision for all of us. They let me go and they opened up a lot of doors for me. I just took my opportunity and ran with it.”
But he could have trouble Sunday against a Stampeders team that ranks first in defence against the run. Hamilton general manager and coach Kent Austin, said the contest will feature extremely complicated offensive and defensive schemes from both clubs.
In other words, Grigsby will have to work extremely hard to gain every yard that he can get. But Austin has no complaints about Grigsby's work ethic.
“He’s helped us a lot, quite a bit,” said Austin. “He’s had close to 100 yards the last couple games, and he had a lot to learn in our offence. He’s come to work every day, he’s prepared hard and he’s played hard, and he’s gotten better each game. I think it’s just because his understanding is better. He’s able to play faster, because there’s a little bit less thinking, and I think you’ve seen that, especially in the last game.”
As with all players, the next game will be Grigsby’s most important contest, and none are more important than this one.
When the 102nd Grey Cup begins, some will likely wonder what might have been if Grigsby had stayed with the Blue Bombers as he expected at the outset of the season.
“I was preparing for a Grey Cup, just like everybody else, with Winnipeg, and we all came out and we started off really hot,” he recalled. “A lot of injuries came up and things started going south down there. Everything happens for a reason.
“Still, at the end of the day, everybody’s goal is to get to a Grey Cup, and I’m here today.”