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“You can never imagine it (what winning a first championship would be like),” Greenwood said. “If you’ve never tasted it before, you don’t know what to expect, what kind of feelings are going to come with it.

“You never know how you’re coming to come back from an ACL. It was probably the longest year of my life, it definitely tested me mentally, obviously physically. I just grinded it every day. I’ve waited so long for this … This is my ninth year of pro, there are no words.”

Greenwood captured the Presidents’ Trophy as Canadian university football’s top defensive player in 2009 and was a 2010 first-round pick of the Toronto Argonauts. But Greenwood signed as a free agent with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, playing 48 games over three seasons, registering 34 tackles and one forced fumble on special teams.

After being released in May 2013 by the Chiefs, Greenwood joined the Detroit Lions. After spending that season on injured reserve, Green was let go by Detroit on Aug. 8, 2014.

Greenwood eventually joined the Argos two months later. He registered 103 tackles, seven special-teams tackles and a forced fumble in 22 games over three seasons (22 regular-season games) before signing with Edmonton as a free agent.

Greenwood said recovering from the torn ACL was the hardest experience of his life.

“With my age and stuff, I didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “It definitely tested me mentally, obviously physically.

“It’s tough but that’s pro football. It’s a business, coaches change and so you’ve kind of got to go where you’re wanted. They wanted me here and I’m so grateful.”