OTTAWA GAVE ME A CHANCE WHEN NO ONE ELSE DID

By Steve Warne

Faces: Based on that draft day story on the porch, it sounds like your dad was a great support too.

Dedmon: Yeah, he is. He works his tail off. He’s actually retiring and I’m so happy for him. He works at the shipyard back home and he’s been working there since he was 18 years old. So, I’ve always known hard work from him and my mother and I don’t want to ever let them down. So that’s what I’m always thinking about before every kickoff – all the people back home who got me to this position. I want to do what I can so they know I appreciate everything they’ve done.

Do you hope to get more involved at the receiver position this season?

Coach (Paul) LaPolice tried to use me (at receiver) a little bit, but he didn’t use me as much as I would have hoped. He’s a great man. I learned a lot of lessons from him, like off the field. But as soon as he got fired (in October), receivers coach Alex Suber and QB coach Will Arndt were like, ‘Yo, we’re gonna get you in there. We know what you can do.’ Everybody in our organization knows I can play receiver. I’m just waiting for that opportunity to show what I got.

We’ll definitely see this year. I’m really excited about the core group of guys. I’m sitting here as all the signings pop up in the news and I’m fist pumping. I’m excited. I saw what our new OC (Offensive coordinator Khari Jones) did in Montreal, so I’m like, ‘Yo, we can really turn this thing around.’

I know last year was Flip the Script, all that kind of thing. But I’m not trying to flip the script. I’m trying to take over. That’s what I keep trying to explain to everybody. We’re trying to have no let-up. We’ve been laughed at for the last three years. Think about those two Winnipeg games last year – you lose by a touchdown and they’re in the Grey Cup. You know what I mean?

And then obviously quarterback Jeremiah Masoli going down, that was a lot on everybody. That’s the heart and soul. And when you remove the heart and soul... we’re fighting, we’re crawling to get back. But he’s been there. And when I got back (from Miami), Masoli was right there by my side working with me. We were throwing the ball like 100-150 times at practice. Just me and him trying to play catch and get our timing together.

You signed briefly with the Miami Dolphins last year. Do you feel like they gave you a serious look before letting you go?

It was a frustrating experience, I can tell you that. Just knowing that you can play with those guys. (Denver Broncos linebacker) Alex Singleton played up here and said the same thing in an interview recently. There are only a few things that change this league from that league. It’s like two or three guys. I wanted the chance to actually show what I had. They were respectful with everything but they felt they couldn’t give me the opportunity that I needed.

No one expected them to get Tyreek Hill or Cedrick Wilson or all these guys that they ended up getting? Where do I fit in that role? And I understood right away that I have to start preparing myself for what could possibly happen.

Like, I wish Hamlin the best. But we all go into this knowing the potential that anything could happen. So there’s no fear. There’s never any fear.

Who was your favourite NFL team and favourite player growing up?

I used to be a Chiefs fan back in the day when they had Priest Holmes, Dante Hall, Trent Green. I just loved how explosive they were. Dante Hall is my favourite player ever. The Human Joystick! Just the way he would go around the field, and just do whatever he wanted. He was like Reggie Bush before Reggie Bush. And then when I got older it was more Devin Hester. My dad’s a huge Cowboys fan, so there was a lot of Deion Sanders to talk in our house too. So I was like, you know what? I’m gonna put a mix of everybody in my game and try to be me.

You must have been pumped to have your old Tribe teammate Will Kiely show up as a teammate in Ottawa last year?

Will is my guy. It’s actually so funny. We had classes together in college. I used to drive him around. He had a buzz cut then and now he has a full beard with long hair. It’s crazy how things work. Will actually got hurt in training camp up in Ottawa while I was down in Miami. He was like, bro, I don’t know if they’re gonna call me back.

And then I ended up getting cut in Miami, so we talked on the phone. I’m like, ‘Bro, I’m going back. So just let me know what your thing is. And then a week later he calls to tell me he’s on his way to Ottawa. That’s how it is though. William and Mary is in the CAA (Colonial Athletic Conference) and if you look around the CFL, there are a lot of CAA guys – especially ones who’ve been in Ottawa for a while: R.J. Harris, Jacob Ruby, Dino Boyd, Deshawn Stevens, Sherrod Baltimore. We all played in the same conference in college and had a lot of battles.

What’s it like being a returner, sprinting toward twelve angry men who want to clobber you?

Actually, it’s kind of crazy, but I’m more at peace back there than anything. I’m a little psycho. That’s what a guy in the room said. I’m catching the ball and running into oncoming traffic 10 times a game. You know what I mean? So yeah, it’s a little crazy.

I had somebody ask me, ‘Did the Damar Hamlin situation change my mindset on football?’ And I’m like, ‘Nah, not really.’

Let’s close with some off-the-page questions. What’s your most prized possession?

My parents actually gave me this watch when I graduated high school, a Michael Kors gold watch, and in that moment, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. That’s dope.’

But now as I’m older, I go into my jewelry box and I have the CFL ring that they gave me and my conference ring from college. And I’m always just looking at that and I just think about everything that they went through, all the sacrifices and stuff to get me to where I am.

What non-football thing are you most passionate about?

Fashion. I love fashion. I love shoes. Right now, I actually like thrift shopping. I go once a week with my guy out here, Brendan. And we’re actually trying to start a podcast about stuff like that. There’s a lot of stuff out here in Ottawa that people don’t really check out.

Now that the new season is underway, what message would you have for REDBLACKS fans?

Believe in the change. It’s that simple. They changed the regime up front and we believe in them. You see it with everybody that signed back early before free agency even took off. And then you see Masoli restructuring his contract in order to get more people in here. So, let’s just keep the ball rolling. Honestly, I’m just excited about everything.

DeVonte Dedmon may be one of the league’s most dangerous return men but, in hindsight, his return to Ottawa was never really in danger.