Life is about much more than football for Redblacks defensive tackle Moton Hopkins.

Overcoming adversity along the way, including a fractured bone in his wrist just before the CFL season began, is nothing new. But the 29-year-old with the big heart perseveres in his third season with the Redblacks after being snagged in the expansion draft. He previously played in Winnipeg and Montreal.

The Hopkins family moved around a lot, with Moton Sr. in the military — with stops in Florida, Georgia, Alaska and Texas. Moton didn’t give football a shot until he was in eighth grade, when he already weighed 245 lbs.

His younger brother Matthew has severe, non-verbal autism. There’s a close bond between the two.

“A lot of people don’t know what autism is, but they have their opinions,” said Hopkins. “If you haven’t lived through it, it’s tough. But it brings your family close.”

On the field, Hopkins is a beast; off it, he’s anything but.

“I think I have two different personalities,” he said. “I believe in helping others, respecting others. People mix that up. When you play them, they’re the enemy, but they’re still people. Some guys take the game to the point where they want to hurt people. I wasn’t raised like that.”

Hopkins has done off-the-field work with groups like the Friendship Group of Montreal, which provides assistance and support to children with special needs and their families.

How important is your relationship with Matthew?

Hopkins: Me and my other brother Mark helped raise him. He’s kind of like our son. I love that kid to death. You always want to be there for him. We keep an eye out for him and make sure he’s OK. It’s a very special relationship. Matthew is 25, going to be 26. He’s mentally like a child. He won’t be able to live on his own. He can do certain things, he understands some things you tell him, but he can’t talk. He’s special. It’s tough because I’m gone. I don’t know if he really knows why I’m gone or if he’s OK with me leaving. It was really tough when I was trying to decide what college to go to. I didn’t know whether I should stay in Texas, where I could be close, or go to Tulsa, where I ended up. It was a very difficult decision. Special needs people, people with autism, are some of the purest people out there. There’s no fakeness to them. If they’re angry, they’re going to be angry. If they’re sad, they show you they’re sad. You know what you’re getting and I can appreciate that.

What does family mean to you?

Family’s really important. My parents could have told me, ‘We don’t need you to go to school or play ball anywhere, we need you to stay here.’ But they pushed me toward my dreams. They made sacrifices for all three of us.

What do you do away from the football field?

I like to go out to eat, I like to cook and I watch Netflix.

What do you watch on Netflix?

I rewatch the same movies. I watched Prince of Persia the other night. Man on Fire is one of my favourites, I watched that.

Do you go out to the movies?

I saw Tarzan the other day, Jungle Book, too.

Were you into action heroes as a kid?

I was really into Kung-Fu movies. Karate Kid was one of my favourites growing up. I like sci-fi stuff, too. I read all the Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, that kind of stuff.

Any actors you enjoy?

Denzel Washington.

Go-to actresses?

Jennifer Lawrence. Julia Roberts. Sandra Bullock.

Did you watch cartoons as a kid?

All the time. I grew up on Dragonball Z. Me and my brother played Pokemon. I have Pokemon Go on my phone now. A bunch of my teammates make fun of me, but that’s all right.

Why Pokemon?

I don’t have cable at the house, all I have is my Netflix. This is something that keeps me busy. It gets me outside.

What’s the rarest Pokeman you’ve caught?

Dratini.

Favourite athlete as a kid?

Michael Jordan. It wasn’t about his athletic ability, it was that he had to win. That drove him to be great.

Any game-day superstitions?

I always call my parents before I stretch. I’ve done that every game since high school. I try to eat light. I say a prayer before I get out there.

What are go-to foods for you?

Tons of veggies, chicken, I really like everything. I like trying new foods. I love sushi, I love Italian food. We go to The Keg on our away trips the night before (a game).

Were you fussy as a kid?

I wasn’t really fussy, but texture was a big thing for me. Squash, some vegetables were too soft. It took me years to be able to eat oatmeal.

Any fears?

I don’t really like flying, but I wouldn’t say I fear it. My biggest fear would be disappointing my family.

What’s your experience been like in Ottawa?

It hasn’t always been easy, especially the first year, then this year again (when he wound up on the injured list). It’s a great city. The staff, teammates, everybody’s great. It’s been good.

Do you feel like you’ve been received well in the community?

I’ve been in other cities, I’ve played for other teams, when you lose they don’t want to hear you. Ottawa’s been very supportive and optimistic as far as the things we’re doing out there. They’re happy to have football back and we’re happy to be playing for them.

What will you do after football?

Part of me wants to coach, but I’m not sure yet. We’ll see.

THE WORD GAME

Here we go — a little word-association game. First thing that pops into your mind, Moton ...

DONALD TRUMP

Hopklns: Boo

REDBLACKS

Yay

JUSTIN BIEBER

Baby, Baby, Baby

DENZEL WASHINGTON

Man on Fire

JUSTIN TRUDEAU

Canada