Becoming A Cornerstone
By: Justin Boone
“You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.”
-James A. Froude
In 1999, Nautyn McKay-Loescher was a senior at Central Tech High School in his hometown of Toronto. He had spent the last two years as a starter on the senior varsity all-star team despite being underage and was quickly beginning to realize there was a future for him playing on the end of a defensive line.
Growing up near Regent Park, he spent the better part of his childhood studying the likes of Junior Seau and Lawrence Taylor, taking notice of the subtleties in their games, the intensity with which they played, how they engaged blockers, and how they took quarterbacks to the turf.
Nautyn was seventeen years old, fielding phone calls from some of the NCAA’s biggest programs, trying to balance school with his development as a football player and all the while he was preparing to become a father. He was faced with the daunting task of raising a child, while still in the process of becoming a man himself.
“It was hard. I wasn’t prepared in terms of being mature enough, not so much to take care of a kid, it’s one thing to take care of a child, it’s another thing to nurture a child and I don’t think I was ready for it yet. But I had good parents and they helped out a lot and his mother is a great mother,” he said, as he recalled one of the more difficult times in his life.
In Cree, the name Nautyn translates to “calm water,” and with the events around him becoming increasingly hectic, the young defensive end remained untroubled, accepting a football scholarship to University of Alabama and welcoming his son Markcus into the world.
Thrust into parenthood at a time when he was still wet behind the ears, Nautyn had little time to enjoy being a dad, for nine months later Division I football beckoned, and he set sail for the Southern United States.
From A Distance
Having a storied football program like Alabama show interest in you at all is an honour to any high schooler, but in 2000, Nautyn McKay-Loescher became the first Canadian to suit up for the Crimson Tide. It was the dawn of four years in which he harassed quarterbacks across the SEC.
Every sack was bittersweet for the Canuck who was making good on his football destiny, but missing the precious early years of his son’s life.
Inspiration is a curious thing. Coming from humble beginnings in Toronto, Nautyn used athletics to propel himself to a place he would have never been able to arrive at otherwise. He was not lacking in motivation, and now, as he found himself absent from his son’s life, he had another reason to succeed. When Markcus would be old enough to understand, he would be proud his father attended a prominent Division I school. Not only that, but he would be able to say his dad was a professional football player.
In his remaining years at Alabama, Nautyn made enough of an impression on pro scouts to be signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent coming out of college. Despite his hard work, and injury shortened his stay in Indy and put the career he spent his whole life trying to achieve in jeopardy.
It was at that moment he found a new steadying force, someone that he instantly connected with, a woman who was there for him in a tough time and has always been there for him since, his wife Nikell.
The pair moved to British Columbia later that year, a return to Canada and a chance to catch on with the B.C. Lions who had drafted him 12th overall in the 2004 Canadian College Draft.
Playing behind all-star defensive end Brent Johnson, Nautyn was able to learn the CFL game and develop into a significant contributor for the Lions. In 2006, he had six sacks and helped bring home a Grey Cup Championship in only his second year in the league.
Following the win, he entered the free agent market sporting an impressive new ring. The man they call Chief was in charge of his destiny, with every team in the CFL bidding for his services.
But after six years living away from Southern Ontario, Nautyn knew exactly where he wanted to be. It was about so much more than a free agent contract.
“I realized I needed to be that cornerstone in Markcus’ life. To give him a place where he could come and hang out, as well as be a good role model for him.”
On February 16, 2007 Nautyn signed on to anchor the Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive line. He brought a pass rushing presence the team has been without for the last couple of seasons and finally in a starting role, he has shown he belongs among the league’s sack leaders.
“Coming to Hamilton I’ve been very fortunate. I’m playing on a great D-Line right now. We work really well together,” said Nautyn. “Now that I’m a starter, I feel more of a leadership role being planted on me. I try to lead by example by playing hard on the field and making playing, but it comes with way more pressure especially coming in as a new face to an organization trying to rebuild.”
The Chief of the House
Being so close to his hometown, Nautyn has begun to relive his childhood; now able to do many of the things he didn’t have the chance to in his youth.
“I had a great upbringing but we didn’t have a lot of money so we had to make due with playing tag and stuff. With my kids, we take them to Playdium or Chucky Cheese. Things I never got to do. I had never been anywhere like that until I took my kids there a couple years ago.”
“When I was younger, all I wanted to do was jump into the ball pit,” Nautyn admitted. “Unfortunately I don’t fit under the maximum height restrictions on there now.”
It’s been seven years since he left Canada to pursue his dreams. Now he’s back, and living them. He has matured to become the foundation for his family and the Ticats defensive line, and a journey that began with a boy leaving all that he held dear, has come full circle and seen a man return.
“I figure that I’m 25 now, so when I’m 45 my kids will be off to college and my friends will be just starting to have kids or they’ll have like 6 or 7 year olds and be going through it all, while I will have already been through it. I hope to enjoy my forties like they’re enjoying their twenties.”
