It may not have been the prettiest catch of his career, but the touchdown Lemar Durant scored in his first ever Grey Cup game on Sunday is one he will not soon forget.
The Calgary Stampeder and former Centennial Centaur said Wednesday that while he was still disappointed that his team lost after coming from behind to tie the game and force overtime, he was starting to take stock in some of the things the squad was able to accomplish.
“I will always get back to thinking about it and what we could have done differently and what I could have done differently,” he told The Tri-City News. “I am starting to let it go a bit.”
After going 15-2 in the regular season and beating the BC Lions in the Western Conference Championship — a game where Durant scored two touchdowns — there are a lot of positives for the 24-year-old wide receiver to focus on.
His touchdown on Sunday was one of the highlights of the game and came 10 minutes into the second half when his club was in desperate need of some points.
Durant said even he was surprised to see the ball in his hands after he hauled in a pass from quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell before barrel-rolling across the turf at BMO Field in Toronto. When he popped back up on his feet he started running and said he didn’t expect to see anyone chasing him.
“When I caught it I fell and when I rolled over I didn’t feel anybody touch me,” he said. “When I got up and ran I just hoped for the best.”
After a review, the touchdown was good and closed the point gap to 27-17 for the Ottawa Redblacks. However, it also helped spark the Calgary offence, who was eventually able to tie the game and force overtime.
For those watching at home, the 104th Grey Cup was an instant classic. Despite his disappointment over the Stamps showing on the scoreboard, Durant said even from the field he could tell that football fans were getting a good show.
“The way we came back and recovered the onside kick,” he added. “I feel like it has to be one of the top Grey Cup games.”
Durant has been a fixture in the local football scene since his days as a student at Centennial secondary in Coquitlam, where he quickly earned the attention of university scouts.
He switched to quarterback during his senior year in 2009, where he scored 16 touchdowns, seven touchdown passes and ran for 985 yards in seven regular-season games. His performance was enough to be named Coquitlam sports hall of fame high school athlete of the year and he also received provincial MVP honours.
After high school, he had a stint with the University of Nevada in Reno, but an injury kept him off the field during his first year of post secondary.
Eventually, he returned to the Lower Mainland and started playing with the Simon Fraser University Clan football team. He was chosen 18th overall in the second round of the 2015 CFL draft by the Calgary Stampeders.
Durant is expected to return to the Tri-Cities in the coming weeks, where he spends his off-season.
He said he will focus on recuperating physically and mentally before getting back into his training regiment and preparing to do it all over again in the spring.
If he is home in time, he added that he hopes to reach out to some of the players on his former team, the Centaurs, which had a bounce back year and made its first trip to the post season since Durant was on the roster.
“I’d like to go there and talk to the team,” he said. “I want to show some support. They did have a good season and it seems like the program is getting back on track.”
But bringing the Grey Cup home with him will have to wait for another year.
Durant said the things he has learned in his 15 regular-season games and two post-season appearances in 2016 have helped his game immensely and he is eager to get back on the field.
“There were so many highs and lows,” he said. “Now being through it, next year it will help you stay more level.”
@TriCityNews
