MontrealAlouettes.com
It’s not surprising that Bear Woods is “Mr. October” for the Alouettes and the CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the 2nd straight month.
What will surprise you is Montreal’s leading tackler on special teams for October, who is so sure in his saddle that he claims to be a finer hand at calf-roping than Montreal’s famous “Cowboy goalie” Carey Price of the Canadiens.
It may further surprise you to learn that Bryn Roy’s cowboy wisdom not only helps lasso the likes of Chad Owens, but may even help the Als steer-wrestle their way into home-field advantage in the East Final.
Roy is a 26-year-old native of Dalemead, Alberta who was raised on rodeo life by his World Champ and Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame father Mark. Bryn thinks bringing down the Argos’ “Flyin’ Hawaiian” is actually easier than what will someday be Roy’s second career, steer wrestling. 
“You crawl off your horse, grab the steer by the horns, twist his head over your lap and knock him off his feet,” explains Roy, sounding very much like a man who would run toward, not away, from the Bulls of Pamplona.
“You hook a horn with your right arm and hook his nose (the steer’s, not Chad’s) in your left arm,” says the 6’1″, 225-pound linebacker turned fullback, who has racked up 6 of his career-high 9 special teams tackles over the last three weeks alone. That pace over a full season would lead the nation.
“It’s a hustle game just like the art of tackling, technique driven. When all fours are up, the clock stops—I’d like to use some of those moves on Chad,” he chuckles.
No, the 5th Round pick in 2012 may not be as vital to his club’s postseason shot as other newcomers like Jonathon Crompton, or the returners he’s blocking for, James Rodgers and Chris Rainey, but who else has contributed to team bonding by keeping a coil of rope at his locker stall for some impromptu lassoing of teammates or their water bottles?
Who else would challenge veteran Kyries Hebert to a mechanical bull-riding showdown at a party thrown by team owner, Robert Wetenhall, and win?
“I had to show him (Hebert) who’s the boss on the bull,” says the former Texas A&M-Commerce Lion. “And yes I have roped bottles out of guys’ hands and roped their feet too!”
Maybe this team-bonding thing via “City Slickers” can pay off.
“We have a real connection, emotion and respect in the room and that’s what’s led to us coming together,” explains the good-guy cowboy who does team-roping in the offseason and has a brother named Denver.
“Don’t say ‘woah’ in a mud hole ,” says the product of home-schooling, until he hit high school in Alberta and won a provincial championship on a team that included the Stampeders’ Anthony Parker.
“We overcame some things,” Roy says matter-of-factly about the recent 7-1 record after the 1-7 start had fans wondering who might get taken out behind the barn.
“You can overcome anything if you put your nose to the grindstone and keep kickin’.”
“I’ve been bucked off a few times on young horses, kicked by steers, catching a horn to the chin…being around livestock you’re never out of the danger zone, but you learn to avoid the worst. Of course I’ve had my share of rope burn.”
Just 2 weeks ago in Toronto, the Als prevented Owens from burning them on offence or special teams. His 7 catches for 77 yards, while limiting his longest catch to only 14 yards, was one of the best defensive performances against the former MOP this year. His 12.3 on 6 punt returns was also below his season average.
| 2014 CFL Playoffs |
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It is a “win and you’re in” matchup in Montreal as the Argos and Als fight to clinch a playoff spot. For everything Grey Cup playoffs visit CFL.ca’s playoff page. |
Not bad for a team ranked only 7th and 5th in kickoff and punt coverage while racking up a CFL-leading 66 special teams penalties (more than the Als’ offence or defence).
“We were struggling with penalties, myself included,” confesses Roy. “We’ve been focusing on preventing those dumb penalties. We feel real good about our cover units now and we’re fortunate to have the returners we do.“
“Those seconds flying down field are a very comparable rush to steer-wrestling…it seems like forever and then you realize it was four seconds. You need to blow-up a guy and find the returner. Get a hold of him and knock him off his feet like a steer.”
You’d think the Stampeders might have had the lead on grabbing this homegrown cowboy. In fact, Calgary was the first team to call and tip off @RoyBoy403, as he’s known on twitter. The Argos called soon after, as did every team but the Alouettes.
So this Sunday, watch for the cowboy on special teams to crank up Whiskey Myers on his iPod (“Calm Before the Storm”) then flash “The Lucky Lion” if he wrestles Owens to the ground. It’s a holdover from college days in Texas. You cross your middle and index fingers while making the shape of an L with your thumb.
He may not be able to stop pucks like Price, but he says “I’ll be on me” if they ever meet at Carey’s preferred Fort Williams, B.C. rodeo. A rodeo that Bryn’s Dad has competed at and won often.
Should the Als continue their run of the table and find themselves in B.C. come late November, they may even have a fashion consultant.
Black cowboy hats? That’s soooooo Calgary.
For the record, Bryn likes his cowboy hats like his Cup. Grey.
