Brad Sinopoli just finished his third year with the Stampeders, but his first as a receiver. In his first-ever start, he hauled in five catches for 81 yards including a spectacular one-handed catch for a 42-yard gain against Montreal. 

A quarterback for the Ottawa Gee-Gees, Sinopoli was originally drafted by Calgary in the fourth round (29th overall) of the 2011 CFL Canadian Draft. He spent his first two seasons as a backup quarterback, dressing for his first CFL game on July 1, 2011.

Brad won the 2010 Hec Crighton award as the top player in Canadian university football after leading the nation in all major passing categories. He was one of only two quarterbacks invited to the 2011 CFL Evaluation Camp.

But what do you really know about Brad Sinopoli? We asked him to finish the following sentences to help us get to know him a little bit better.

Playing for the Ottawa Gee-Gees was… unforgettable! I have some of the best memories of my life with those guys that I played with. It’s the first time many of us go through the rigours and challenges of playing football at a high level and to experience that with a group of guys from Day 1 is what creates lifetime bonds. For the rest of my life I’m sure we’ll be reminiscing about our days there.

Getting drafted by the Stampeders was… also unforgettable! Having a dream come true and having the legendary Dave Dickenson call you and tell you they decided to pick you is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. I was just happy I experienced the moment with my family and close friends.  

The last thing I bought online was… a camping hammock. It’s a lot lighter than a tent and you don’t have to worry about dragging along sleeping pads and pillows on your trip.

I have always wanted to… climb Mount Everest. To me it looks like an incredible challenge and it pushes the limits of what the human body is capable of. Although seeing what some people go through to get to the top makes me think you have to be insane to actually go through with it. The day I can afford it is the day I’ll think more about it.

I own a lot of… camping gear. My parents took us camping a lot when I was a child and my dad always took me fishing, so I guess naturally I grew to love getting out in the backcountry.

In the off-season I… go back to school.  Since I was drafted in my fourth year, I was unable to return the following year to complete my degree. So now I’m finishing in the winter semester. 

The last good deed I did was… I bought a homeless man a coffee a little while ago. He requested it only be from Tim Hortons though. He said he’s just trying to win that roll up the rim like everyone else.

My first CFL game was… a great experience at home against Toronto. I was happy to be a part of the team and experience my first game there at home.

Attending the 2011 CFL Combine was… a learning experience.  For most of us that go, it’s the first time we really get put under that much pressure in the interviews and all the drills and testing. It was fun to come together with all the other players around the country as well. I usually follow everything that was going on around the CIS and it was cool to meet those guys and learn a thing or two from them.

Making that catch in the Montreal game last year was… luck haha.  When I was a kid I remember Don Cherry talking about NHL goalies and he had said you gotta be lucky to be good. I have the first part there, just trying to work on the second part now. I used to watch Rock ’Em Sock ’Em religiously as a kid, and then I discovered football.