After playing 12 seasons, he played what was scheduled to be his last game on November 11, 2016 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
With the playoffs looming, the Calgary Stampeders needed a player who could take over if Aaron Crawford, responsible for the long shifts, was injured. Cory Greenwood is usually the replacement for this position, but his name has been added to the list of six injured matches.
I spoke with the coach [Mark ]Killam, the special teams coordinator asks if he needs someone in the position ahead of the playoffs. They gave me tests and gave me a contract for the coaching team
, says the player who played 181 matches.
The protocol surrounding COVID-19 worked for Randy Chevrier, who turned 45 in June. Before joining a CFL team, a player must spend five days in isolation, leaving little room for the team to maneuver in the event a player is injured during a playoff match.
Two offers to return
Randy Chevrier knows his value as a specialist in long feuds and has always hoped that one day he would be called up.
He played his last season with the Stampeders in 2015. Without a contract for the 2016 season, he continued training at home before getting a call from the Riders who needed him for the last three games of the season.
His phone didn’t ring again until he got a call from the Eastern Division team earlier this season.
I would have liked to accept this team’s offer, but with my job with the Calgary City Fire Department, it was very complicated.
, He said.
To be able to put him under contract, Stampeders had to negotiate with Chevrier’s employer, and the negotiations were pretty easy, according to the manager involved.
rare commodity
Good specialists in long cuts are very rare and this explains the interest of some teams in the 45-year-old.
He explains that it is an art to be practiced. It is more mental art than physical art. Many players can give up, but they lack the necessary mental approach. Discounting is the process in which you have to be perfect.
According to Chevrier, it’s very difficult to just focus on the next match, forgetting about the last one that may have gone wrong.
Earlier this season the Edmonton Elks also needed a long throw specialist and hired Martin Bédard, also a retired player.
The term of the loan is up to 50 years
Randy Chevrier never stopped training in anticipation of an opportunity like this being presented to him.
He knows he probably won’t be playing a game with the Stampeders, but just being back on the field, the changing room and some of his teammates still with the team makes him happy.
After the season, he will continue to train in the same manner and plans to do so until he is 50 years old.
I’ve said many times that I want to be like Roger Raynson, a former Edmonton teammate. He had retired, but the following season the team called him up and won another Gray Cup. I’ll have Roger Renson inside me until I’m 50
He says smiling.
Randy Scheffer’s priority now is his job at the Calgary City Fire Department. He doesn’t intend to quit his job to join a roster for a full season, but says he’ll always be willing to help the team for a short while or into the playoffs.
Natalie Sinclair is a contributor at Vaughantoday.ca, covering a wide range of topics including local news, politics, business, technology, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, accurate reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and issues that matter to their communities. Her work highlights timely developments, relevant stories, and practical insights in a professional and reader-friendly manner.