”I am proud, I am excited, I am nonetheless sort of shocked.”
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As soon as once more, the Gray Cup offered Cory Philpot with myriad feelings.
On Sunday, the previous CFL star was at Tim Hortons Discipline when his son, Tyson, scored the decisive landing within the Montreal Alouettes’ 28-24 upset win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. That got here 29 years after the elder Philpot performed a giant function within the B.C. Lions’ iconic 26-23 title victory over the Baltimore Soccer Membership.
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Tyson Philpot caught Cody Fajardo’s 19-yard landing cross with 15 seconds remaining. Fittingly, Fajardo (290 yards passing three TDs) was named the sport MVP whereas Philpot (six catches, 63 yards, landing) earned high Canadian honours.
“I’m proud, I’m excited, I’m nonetheless sort of shocked,” Cory Philpot mentioned Wednesday by way of phone from his B.C. residence. “I’m not a type of fathers who thought his children would go professional.
“We (as dad and mom) do issues for our children and put issues in entrance of them. Fortuitously my boys believed they may very well be gifted, believed they may succeed and have simply taken it and run with it.”
Philpot had a sense one thing large was in retailer for his son. Tyson’s twin brother Jalen — a second-year receiver with the Calgary Stampeders who’s older by seven minutes — predicted the end result earlier than it occurred.
“I used to be sitting with (Jalen) and we have been speaking concerning the recreation,” Philpot mentioned. “Rapidly, Jalen mentioned, ‘He’s going to win the sport for these guys.’
“When Tyson was operating the submit, Jalen mentioned, ‘Dad, he’s obtained it, he’s about to attain.’ I used to be like, ‘What?’ after which rapidly he scored. It was thrilling, tears have been operating down our faces. We have been simply blown away.”
Street to the Cup
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Unknown to Philpot, his sons spoke privately earlier than the sport, with the older sibling giving the youthful some prophetic recommendation.
“Jalen advised Tyson the sport was going to return right down to a giant play and for him to only exit and do what he needed to do,” Philpot mentioned. “I assumed that was superior, Jalen giving Tyson that little little bit of confidence that he believed in him as properly.”
In Sunday’s post-game celebration, Tyson Philpot mentioned he now had bragging rights over his brother however that reaching his childhood dream along with his household watching, “was so surreal.”
“Jalen was drafted forward of me so it’s a bit of bit bragging rights,” he mentioned. “On the finish of the day, although, he’s so pleased with me and it was the primary time we truly cried collectively.
“I dreamt about this as a younger child. I watched the CFL my entire life and to be on this stage and make an influence like I did is a dream.”
Philpot’s sons adopted him into the CFL in 2022 when each have been first-round draft picks (Jalen fifth general to Calgary, Tyson ninth general to Montreal). The twins performed collegiately at Calgary, incomes Vanier Cup rings in 2019.
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Cory Philpot was a operating again with B.C. (1993-97) and Winnipeg (1999-2000). He helped the Lions win the ’94 Gray Cup, dashing for 109 yards towards Baltimore.
Lui Passaglia’s 38-yard boot on the ultimate play gave B.C. the win after he missed from 37 yards out with 1:02 remaining.
That recreation marked the primary time a non-Canadian franchise had appeared within the Gray Cup. For a lot of, the competition was pegged because the U.S. versus Canada as a result of Baltimore’s roster consisted of People.
Nevertheless, the Alouettes win Sunday drew some very fascinating parallels for Philpot. Baltimore relocated to Montreal after the ’95 season, Cory Philpot was in his second CFL season when he gained a Gray Cup — like his son — and he completed his profession with Winnipeg.
When his sons have been younger, Philpot mentioned they participated in lots of sports activities.
“The boys performed hockey and I assumed they have been going to be hockey gamers,” he mentioned. “They performed basketball, they performed broomball, they performed T-ball.
“We put them into each sport they may probably wish to play in after which someday in Grade 8 they mentioned, ‘Hey Dad, we’re going to stay with soccer,’ and we simply allow them to do their very own factor.”
Philpot, a 53-year-old Florida native, performed collegiately at Ole Miss and has remained closely concerned in B.C. soccer. He’s presently the operations supervisor for the British Columbia Provincial Soccer Affiliation and in ’15 was its first president.
In 2021, Philpot served because the Langley Rams head coach after they captured their first Canadian Bowl title. However he mentioned when one in all his sons achieves one thing in soccer, the opposite normally isn’t far behind which may very well be a great omen for the Stampeders.
“It’s been flowing like that each one of their lives,” he mentioned. “Hopefully we’ll have a 3rd Philpot someplace on that (Gray Cup) trophy within the years to return.”
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