Photo courtesy: Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Wynton McManis wants to be one key player who helps the Hamilton Tiger-Cats win a Grey Cup for the first time since 1999.
“There’s something that needs more and something to get over the hump. Me and my career, what I think that I can do and the way that I feel to continue to chase greatness, build on things that I’ve done, I feel like Hamilton was the perfect spot,” McManis said.
“Let’s bring a Grey Cup here. Hamilton hasn’t won a Grey Cup recently. I want to be a part of something great, I sense there’s something great that’s brewing here and greatness attracts one another.”
The 31-year-old McManis links back up with former Calgary Stampeders teammate Bo Levi Mitchell. The star linebacker won a Grey Cup with Mitchell in 2018 and the pair plan to be driving forces as the Ticats try to end the longest championship drought in the Canadian Football League, which sits at 25 seasons.
“A lot of love for Bo, a lot of love for what he’s done for the league, a lot of love for what he’s done, even while we were teammates back then. He’s still the same guy that I met seven years ago,” McManis said.
The 35-year-old Mitchell led Hamilton to an 11-7 record last year, clinched first place and hosted the East Final but lost to the Montreal Alouettes on home turf. McManis believes the Tabbies can contend for a Grey Cup. He saw it up-close as the Toronto Argonauts lost the season series with their arch rivals two games to one last year.
“You’re not going to put yourself in a situation to where you think it needs a lot of work and it’s missing a lot. I don’t think the defence was missing very much. That’s why I came to actually add to that and we can bring some excitement, score some points — let’s score points on defence — complimentary football, let’s help the offence out,” McManis said.
“Talking on the phone with Petey, Jamal Peters, some of my players, some short conversations with Bo, understanding that these guys have the same passion that I do. They’re in the same point in their careers that I’m at where everybody’s at this point to where, let’s win, let’s get this done.”
McManis admitted leaving the Argos had been on his mind for a “little bit.” He won two Grey Cups with the Boatmen one in 2022 and the other in 2024, although the six-foot, 220-pounder defender felt Toronto had become too comfortable for him, not in a negative way, but change was needed to provide renewed energy to focus towards his stated goal: chasing greatness.
“We understand what it takes, what it means to be a champion, what it means to be great. I want to put myself around people like that. Making the decision wasn’t easy, but it was something I felt that I needed to do, honestly speaking. I felt like it was something that was needed for me,” McManis said.
Changing from double blue to black and gold definitely feels different for McManis but it’s not completely new to him. He grew up a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and wanted to wear those colours. That’s happened in Canada’s Steel City as the two-time CFL all-star will sport his familiar No. 48. Despite the rivalry with the Argonauts, there’s no extra incentive to play the Double Blue.
“I don’t think Toronto should be the only team in the league that’s worried about what’s coming,” McManis said confidently.
Even though McManis has a new team, there’s not a major move for his family, which would usually coming along with joining a new professional franchise. His wife was “all-in” on the idea and his son’s already saying Tiger-Cats instead of Argos. The family has a house and lives in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area.
“To not have to move your family, that’s big. It’s not far from here. We won’t have to drive far. Shorter than the drive to Toronto. It happened to be a plus, something that was thought about on the back end that contributed, but that was not my main reason to come here,” McManis said.
That main reason was to be the reason the Tiger-Cats win a Grey Cup for the first time in a quarter-century.