It was something that he was prepared for. After all, he had come off the bench in each of the two previous games to fill in for an injured quarterback.
But when Toronto Argonaut Nick Arbuckle took to the field for the third straight game for an injured QB, Chad Kelly in the Eastern Final in Montreal, he knew this time was different.
“He got up and he was limping, holding his leg,” Arbuckle recalled for Argonauts.ca. “As soon as I saw him put his foot on the ground and his whole foot and ankle kind of turned and you could see there was no structural integrity to his lower leg.”
He knew he had to loosen up quickly to make sure the Argos could hold on through the fourth quarter and advance to the Grey Cup. But his leadership intangibles kicked in and he immediately became concerned about another teammate.
“I had a football in my hand, I tapped JG (receiver Janarion Grant) on the shoulder, and he was obviously in shock, everyone saw the same thing, we had a clear view of what was going on with Chad and we could see him limping, wondering if he’s okay. We just grabbed Janarion and tried to snap him out of what he just saw.
“I just knew I had to warm up and take any time I could to make sure I was ready, to talk to (head coach and offensive coordinator Ryan) Dinwiddie to see what he wanted to do on that drive, and regroup on the sideline afterward.”
All in an elimination playoff game in front of one of the loudest crowds Arbuckle had ever experienced, and he includes games at Auburn and Penn State in that mix.
The Georgia State product was thrust into a leading role in the Montreal game, and he performed well. Now, as the starting quarterback he not only has to deal with the usual daily media requests, but the added national attention focused on Grey Cup week. The requests for his time were numerous, but he didn’t mind it for one second.
“At this time of the year you’re either doing Grey Cup interviews or exit interviews. This is much better than the alternative, and it’s cool. It’s cool that people care so much about the game, that they’re so interested in it that it’s worth the media’s attention, because if people didn’t care about it then there wouldn’t be any coverage.”
There was lots of coverage. Media requests were plentiful, and for obvious reasons. He’s not only the starting quarterback in the Grey Cup, but his journey to this point is remarkable.
He was a backup quarterback in Calgary, playing well enough when given the opportunity that he was considered the next great young quarterback. He was dealt to Ottawa in a deal that involved the Stamps getting the first-overall pick in the 2020 CFL Draft.
But the 2020 season was cancelled and Arbuckle never suited up in red-and-black, at least not then. He signed with the Argos prior to the 2021 campaign, but never found his groove and was dealt to Edmonton for the rights to Chad Kelly and a conditional draft pick that turned into Deionte Knight.
After that it was off to Ottawa in a backup capacity before being signed by the Argos in the early stages of training camp this year. Now, the injury to Kelly has given him a chance to secure a place in CFL history.
It’s a hell of a story, one that makes it virtually impossible to do anything but cheer for the 31-year-old native of Oxnard, California. He’s approached the week both on and off the field with what is perhaps a genetic California cool, and that’s trickled down to the entire team, who have been relaxed, businesslike, and completely focused on the goal of going 1-0 this week.
Arbuckle isn’t surprised by the team’s approach but doesn’t take the credit for that.
“Not at all. I think it comes down from the top, it comes from Dinwiddie. You see it in other teams and other coaches, even coaches that don’t call plays. Your team, whether it’s intentional or not, always takes on the personality and the demeanor of your head coach. Dinwiddie has been incredible this entire week, this entire playoff run, of just keeping us in the moment and not putting too much pressure on what the result needs to be, but just working it day by day and play by play on what we need to execute.”
The Argos final practice of the 2024 season was held on Friday at BC Place, followed by a loose walkthrough on Saturday.
The hay is in the barn. The preparation is complete. There’s just one more sleep before we see if Nick Arbuckle and his teammates can add a 19th championship banner to the south end of BMO Field.