I always like the couple of days after a championship to reflect back on what we saw.
During the celebratory moments with the confetti raining down, everything, rightfully so, is about emotion.
We’re thrilled for Trevor Harris and we’re excited for the future of Davis Alexander as we’re all doing the time math to figure out just how many hours of sleep we can get before the Monday alarm.
112th GREY CUP
» Riders take down Alouettes to win 112th Grey Cup
» 3 Grey Cup MVPs that weren’t named MVP
» Landry’s takeaways from the 112th Grey Cup
» Trevor Harris named the Most Valuable Player of the 112th Grey Cup
» Samuel Emilus named the Most Valuable Canadian of the 112th Grey Cup
One of my biggest takeaways from the 112th Grey Cup is just how many candidates there were for Most Valuable Player. Don’t worry, I’m not going to launch into some sort of “they picked the wrong MVP” rant. Harris was the correct choice. As was pointed out by CFL.ca’s Kristina Costabile, there were a handful of Saskatchewan Roughriders who stood out on Sunday.
The fact that you can make a case for so many different players just shows how this Grey Cup is the living embodiment of the reality that football is a team game.
There was one name though that also deserves to be mentioned: cornerback Tevaughn Campbell.
I don’t think we can tell the story of the Grey Cup without putting a spotlight on Campbell. He was not perfect, but he also was right in the middle of the most important point that led to the Riders’ 25-17 victory.
Here are the three moments that stood out.
THE TOUGH TIMES
Near the end of the third quarter, with Saskatchewan up 25-7, Campbell was looking to put the game away with a possible interception return touchdown. Covering Tyson Philpot one-on-one in space is never an easy assignment as Tevaughn found out.
The newly minted 2025 All-CFL defender attempted to jump the route, going for the pick, but instead missed on the pass and the tackle, allowing Philpot to convert a second-and-five into a 22-yard gain.
Two plays later, Tevaughn was called for a pass interference penalty on Tyler Snead, grabbing Montreal’s top receiver as he attempted to double-move his way into the end zone. Snead had the advantage at the moment. It’s one of those plays that saves a touchdown, but you hope you don’t get caught.
THE INTERCEPTION
ANOTHER ALL-CFL STANDOUT SHOWING OUT!
Tevaughn Campbell snags the @sskroughriders interception!
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Can you really blame Tevaughn for going for that pick after intercepting Davis Alexander earlier in the quarter?
This particular play laughs in the face of the cliché that defensive backs can’t catch as Campbell leaped as high as he could to bring down the errant pass. A combination of being in the right place at the right time and elite athleticism was on full display as Campbell smartly left his man to swoop in for the turnover.
The interception would lead to the final points Saskatchewan would score all night, as the ensuing field goal gave them a 25-7 lead. No one knew at the time just how important that 48-yard Brett Lauther kick would be.
THE FORCED FUMBLE
I think it is so important to focus on all that went right on the Shea Patterson fumble rather than fixate on just the mistake. If not for the existence of Tommy Stevens, Patterson would be viewed as one of the game’s best short-yardage quarterbacks.
Let’s go back to the play that will always be first in mind when looking back at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
It felt inevitable that Montreal was about to score with just over three minutes left. I imagine millions of people were thinking the Grey Cup was about to be tied with the Alouettes trailing 25-17. Patterson had already scored in the exact same scenario in the game’s opening touchdown. All the momentum was with Montreal until it wasn’t.
As the ball was snapped, Campbell took on fullback Jacob Mason and, despite the 20-pound difference, managed to not only stand him up at the point of attack, but also push him back into Patterson. It is that contact that forced the ball loose right into the hands of Marcus Sayles. In that split second, on the edge of the line, Tevaughn turned a sure touchdown into the biggest defensive play of the game.
To reiterate, Trevor Harris is the rightful owner of the 2025 Grey Cup MVP. His long journey in the CFL has finally been rewarded with the highest honour. But how about the story of this Saskatchewan cornerback! Campbell had not suited up in the CFL since 2018 with the Montreal Alouettes, having spent the past six seasons in the NFL. In his first year back, he made the All-CFL team and spearheaded the most important moment of the Roughriders’ season.