For the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Sunday's Grey Cup game is about more than just football. A powerful sentiment is coursing through the team in Winnipeg: they are playing not only for themselves but for an entire province that has been waiting 12 years for this moment.
A Long-Awaited Homecoming
Jorgen Hus, the team's long snapper and its longest-serving member, has been with the Roughriders since 2015. Despite his tenure, the upcoming championship game on Sunday, November 16, 2025, against the Montreal Alouettes will be his first-ever Grey Cup appearance. The team itself hasn't reached this stage since 2013.
"To play for your home province means a lot," Hus expressed during the lead-up to the game at Winnipeg's Princess Auto Stadium. "And then to get to this game just means so much more. We've been trying for so many years, come close, but with this group, never felt better about getting to this game."
The Journey of a Lifetime
The 36-year-old's path to this moment has been a long one. After playing for the University of Regina Rams and Saskatoon Hilltops, he was drafted by Edmonton in 2013. Hus then spent years pursuing an NFL opportunity before making his CFL debut with Saskatchewan in 2015 after requesting a trade.
"It's been a long journey," Hus reflected. "When I was coming back and made the decision to come back to the CFL and give up trying down there at the time, I wanted to play here. This was the only team I wanted to play for... It's where I've always wanted to be. It's where I'm only going to be. It means a lot to play for this team."
A Shared Purpose
Cornerback Tevaughn Campbell has a parallel story. A former Regina Rams player drafted by Calgary in 2015, Campbell also had a six-year stint in the NFL before returning to the CFL this off-season with one clear objective.
"This moment right here," said Campbell, 32. "It's been a decade; a drought. It was just this opportunity to come and win a Grey Cup… That's why I came here. Because I felt like this team is able to go to the Grey Cup and win the Grey Cup."
Although Campbell grew up in Ontario, he considers Regina a second home due to his extensive football history there. He understands deeply what a victory would signify for the people of Saskatchewan.
"I think it would mean the world, man," Campbell said. "Just the fans out there that, you know, yearn for that cup to be in Saskatchewan, I think it just means the world."
As the team prepares for the final showdown, the weight of a province's hopes rests on their shoulders, transforming a championship game into a mission of provincial pride.
