by Kyle Wells [email protected] With his second Grey Cup win under his belt, BC Lions offensive lineman Jesse Newman said he is going to bring the coveted trophy to Powell River for everyone to see.
The Lions won the Grey Cup against Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday, November 27 in Vancouver by a score of 34 to 23.
Tensions were rising toward the end of the game, said Newman, when the Blue Bombers started to turn it on, scoring two touchdowns that cut BC’s lead from 22 to just eight points. BC returned with a field goal, however, and Newman said that as the clock ran down the team started to realize time for a Blue Bombers’ comeback had run out.
“It got a little scary there toward the end,” said Newman, “but man, it’s such a great feeling to walk out in the middle of the field knowing you won it all.”
As a rookie, Newman won the Grey Cup with Calgary Stampeders in 2008. At that time, he said he didn’t have a proper concept of how hard it is to go all the way and win the Grey Cup.
“Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t really appreciate it or realize how hard of a goal that was to reach,” said Newman. “You don’t win the Grey Cup every year, it’s a very hard thing to do. This year just meant so much more to me.”
Newman’s mom and her fiancé attended the game from Powell River, as did Newman’s father and sister from Vancouver. Newman said it’s a special feeling to be able to play such an important game knowing that your family is there with you.
Unfortunately, Newman had to spend the better part of the game on the sidelines after colliding with Blue Bombers’ Bryant Turner early in the game. The hit gave Newman the worst stinger (a pinched neck nerve) he’s had in his career. He said it was a shame he couldn’t get back in the game but the fact that his team won and his injury isn’t serious lessened the disappointment.
“Obviously the goal is to win the Grey Cup,” said Newman, “but if I can finish the season healthy and happy, that’s more important. And this year I got all three of them.”
The Lions had a rough start to the season, losing their first five games, but came back to finish 11-7. Newman said it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause behind their turnaround but said the team knew they were underachieving from the start especially for a team with real depth and talent.
When Newman won the cup in 2008 he took it to Victoria on his day with the trophy to share the win with his former teammates from Victoria Rebels of the Canadian Junior Football League. This time around Newman said the cup is definitely coming to Powell River. He said he’s not sure yet when that’s going to happen but he’s looking forward to bringing it back home and sharing it with his friends, family and community.
Interested readers should watch for more information about Newman’s visit with the Grey Cup in the Peak.
