He’s the longest tenured Stampeder on the roster.

11 years and counting for Brandon Smith.

The old head in the room was the backbone of the defensive secondary, playing in 17 of 18 regular season games while recording three interceptions, a sack, and 56 defensive tackles.

“I’m excited to play another season and the chance to defend the Grey Cup championship in our home city played a big role in my decision to return,” said Smith. “The body is feeling good and I’m still having fun, so I’m ready to keep it going. I love the organization, the coaching staff, my teammates, the fans and the city and I can’t wait to get back on the field.”

For the sixth time in his career, Smith suited up for a Grey Cup game and managed to bring home his third championship in Red & White.

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The 34-year old was kept around not just because of his play-making abilities, but for the standards he set for the rest of the defence.

“Brandon doesn’t draw attention to himself and he may have been underappreciated by others over the years, but we’ve always recognized how much he has meant to the Stampeders defence,” said Stampeders president and general manager John Hufnagel. “He plays the boundary half position and is usually matched up with the opponents’ best receiver. Brandon has maintained a very high level of play throughout his long career and his performance and consistency were again important factors in our Grey Cup win last year.”

Smith signed back on with the Stampeders before the start of free agency and will be patrolling the secondary for the twelfth straight year.

Check out some of our favourite Brandon Smith photos from this past season!