Matechuk A Ti-Cat, Suits Up Monday!

CS: Yorkton's Jordan Matechuk, it's been a wild last month or two, you started the season in Winnipeg Blue Bomber camp, then you planned on going to the U of M, and now you've ended up in Hamilton. How did that all work out?

Jordan Matechuk: I had a good training camp with the Bombers, I had an injury, and that held me back a little bit. Basically it came down to, they wanted me on their practice roster but they didn't want to pay me, they said I was a 25 minute from the stadium so they knew I'd still be training at it. So Hamilton got word that I was free, I'd decided to go to the University of Manitoba to prove I could play football, not just long-snap, and while I was at the U of M training camp, the Special Teams Coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats came there and checked me out, watched me, had a workout with me, got me to do the bench press, the 40 (yard dash), all the common football drills. Then I long-snapped for him. It was their bye-week, they had some time, their General Manager (Bob O'Billovich) was out of town, and the General Manager called me a couple days after the workout and told me he'd like me to be a Ti-Cat. So he got ahold of my agent, we talked about a contract, and I signed a 3-year deal with Hamilton. Then they phoned me at 4:00 Wednesday and told me they wanted me to catch a plane at 7:30 that night so I could practice the next day (yesterday, THU) at 9:00 in the morning. I said "Sure!" So I got on the plane, and here I am now in Hamilton, just finished the second practice. I got activated so I get to play in the big Labour Day game against Toronto, it's a pretty big rivalry, it's gonna be a lot of fun, I'll get to play all the special teams, and backing up WILL linebacker too. I'm really looking forward to it, show 'em what I can do.

CS: A 3-year contract's gotta be nice, it's some security, you know where you're going to be for a while, unlike the last few months.

JM: Yeah, being young, Winnipeg thought by not playing me in the second pre-season game, they only gave me limited reps so other teams couldn't take a good look at me, they could keep me as a security blanket in case one of their other guys goes down, just because I'm younger. That's what I was told by some of the players after I was released. So yeah, it's good that I'm out here in Hamilton, it's going to be a lot of fun.

CS: You mentioned that Labour Day Game, it's going to be on TSN, your Mom was actually the one who called with your number, so they'll be watching, that's gotta be neat.

JM: Yeah, Mom's awesome, she's my #1 fan. It's a good way to get introduced into the league, the Labour Day Game, it's all the team's rivalries, and hopefully we win, it's right after their bye-week, so we've gotta take another run at the playoffs, the season's half done now.

CS: Well as a Saskatchewan guy, is it easier playing against Toronto on Labour Day than playing the Riders, had you still been with Winnipeg?

JM: Oh no, we're professional about it, it doesn't really matter who you play, you want to win every play you're on the field. I don't really care who I play I'm still going to play hard to the whistle. The fans out here are great too, so I'm pretty fortunate.

CS: So you didn't mind being a Bomber, I'm sure you were just happy to be anywhere at that point.

JM: Yeah, I just wanted a job, right. Get established, it doesn't matter where I play.

CS: So you just stepped out of the Ti-Cats' locker room, so you were just rubbing shoulder with Casey Printers, guys like that?

JM: Oh yeah, everyone's back at it, getting healthy. Actually we just had two really good practices, the Coach was happy, we strapped on the pads the last couple days, we were going pretty hard. This team's got something to prove, we're a young team, I just hope we bring the noise on Monday.

CS: And nothing's out of reach in that East Division is it?

JM: Yeah it's all up for grabs, so every win's so crucial, especially in the CFL where there's so few teams you go up against. And we beat Toronto last time we played them, so we've got their number this year so far.

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Jordan Matechuk and the Hamilton Tiger Cats host the Toronto Argonauts for their Labour Day Classic this coming Monday, September 1st at Ivor Wynne Stadium. Kick off is 5:30 SK time. Jordan will be wearing #51, playing special teams and backing up at linebacker.