Article content continued

Campbell was born in Spokane, Wash., but spent much of his youth in Edmonton, where his father, Hugh, became a CFL legend as coach and executive of the powerhouse Eskimos teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Campbell has latched on to Canadian culture, including the music. One of his favourite bands is The Tragically Hip.

“I like how tolerant and accepting Canadians are,” said Campbell. “I think that would be a common theme if you talked to players and coaches who have come up here. People get treated the right way.”

Within the Redblacks roster are several Americans who have taken a liking to Canada, there are also plenty of players with Canadian birth certificates, who appreciate what it means to be from this country.

Said defensive back Sherrod Baltimore: “I love Canada. Canada has had a big impact on me, it’s changed my life. I like how diverse the country is – so many people from so many different countries are living here. I also noticed how nice the people here are. The French Canadians (on the team) have been teaching me French. I just love Canada, I can’t thank the country enough.”

Said defensive back Antoine Pruneau: “I have a lot of pride not only coming from Canada, but what I got out of being in the Canadian (college football) programs – (USports) and CEGEP – and all the people that helped me get here. There’s definitely pride in being Canadian and playing this game at a high level. We’re a smaller population, but we match up really well with anybody in this sport.”