McGough's red and silver linings playbook

Medicine Hat native Connor McGough is anxious to start his first season with the Stampeders, but can't until the health crisis ends.

Lethbridge — The ball is still very much up in the air when it comes to if and when the CFL season will start.

But for newly-signed Calgary Stampeders defensive end Connor McGough, finally being on a team close to his hometown Medicine Hat, it’s hard waiting to get back on the field.

McGough said it’s better to focus on what we can control and following what the government and health officials say.

“In Calgary Mayor Nenshi has postponed all activities until July and then in Quebec you have it postpone until September," McGough said,  "so there’s a lot of uncertainties (surrounding a possible start date for the CFL season), but those are all things that we can’t control.”

Even though the start date remains unclear, McGough is still excited to be closer to home.

McGough played for the Hamilton Tiger Cats for the past four seasons before signing a two year deal to play for the Stamps back in February.

McGough said he enjoyed playing for the Tiger Cats, but his family and friends weren’t able to see him in action as much.

Now that he’s signed with the Stamps, only hours from Medicine Hat,  his family can be in the stands for most - if not all - his home games, a prospect McGough says is exciting.

“There’s a sense of pride having a Medicine Hat kid play in a close city that has a CFL team so it’s pretty cool to have my parents, friends, my grandma and stuff (able to see me play)," he said.

"It’s just going to be very special.”

In the meantime, McGough said the best thing everyone can do is go for walks or doing at-home exercises like push-ups. But in McGough’s red and silver linings playbook, the most important thing is to keep a positive mindset, especially at times like these.

“As long as we do our part and stay positive and focused on what we’re supposed be doing. I feel like at the end of the day, we’re all going to come together," he said. "This is just gonna be a small blip in our timeline and it’s going to show a testament to us as a people what we can do it when you come together and fight COVID-19.”

McGough said he’s has been using his time to tackle his post-secondary studies, and keeping up with his training exercises at home, But he looks forward to his first game as a Stampeder and having his loved ones cheer him on.