The Ottawa REDBLACKS added linebacker Shaydon Philip to the roster yesterday but rather than copy the press release here, I prefer to post a portion of a Toronto Sun article from January of 2021. Philip had just signed with Calgary and the article, written by Gerry Moddejonge, provides more information about his background than the release does.
...Calgary picking a young Edmonton prospect provides yet another spark to the smoldering rivalry between the province’s two Canadian Football League teams. But that all took a backseat when the opportunity of a lifetime that arose for Philip.
Especially after having the whole process of making the transfer to the pros interrupted by COVID-19 the way it was last year.
“I got invited to the national combine, so I went through the process of interviewing with teams. It was weird doing it over Zoom,” recalled Philip, who played a total of three seasons with the University of Alberta Golden Bears. “It all happened really quickly because I was practising with the Bears still and then, all of a sudden, we were told we couldn’t go to the facilities anymore. The national combine got cancelled and I was getting Zoom calls from teams.”
No combine meant no chance to show teams exactly what he was capable of, live and in person, which contributed to Philip getting passed over in May’s CFL draft.
“The day after the draft is when my agent said Calgary was interested and we were going to get a contract signed up. And then the league just shut down,” said Philip, who kept at his craft not knowing if sheer circumstances had led to him getting passed by. “My agent contacted me last week and said, ‘Hey, you still want to play football?”
While the answer is obvious, there was a time when Philip had to ask if football still wanted him.
After two seasons following an upward trajectory in the Bears secondary, Philip found himself backpedalling through life, suddenly on the outside looking in at the Canada West Conference.
“I had gotten into some trouble just being a stupid, young kid,” he said. “And when that happened — sports was my world; I did my school, I had my friends, but sports was my No. 1, my safe zone — I honestly didn’t know, I thought I was going to quit football. I was just going to get my degree and move on.
“But the (Edmonton) Huskies convinced me to come play (junior), and that was a huge turning point in my life. I was so grateful for everyone at the Huskies and what they did for me, because I was ready to quit and I had so much fun that year.”
Back on track, Philip returned to the Bears in 2019 to try and turn football into a career, global pandemic or not.
“This has been my dream since I was a kid, since minor football in St. Albert,” Philip said. “So, I kept my head up, did my best to stay in shape and just keep positive about it. And just keep waiting and waiting."
“I’m so thankful and blessed that it actually came about. Now, I’ve got to take the next step, go into camp and try and make the roster.”
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