The news hit Brandon Smith with the murderous force of a Joe Frazier delivered-from-the-shoetops left hook exploding out of the ring lights.
“My first reaction?” replies the veteran DB, like many of us still trying to wrap his head around the idea of a world spinning on its axis without Muhammad Ali. “‘Damn!
“Man, this can’t be happening. This is Ali. This is not possible.
“Damn!
“I’m pretty sure he influenced every athlete in some kind of way. His demeanour, the way he carried himself as a champion.
“You’ve got to admire the determination. As an athlete we can all relate to that: Yeah, you might get knocked down sometimes, you might even get beat sometimes, but it’s how you get up, how you fight back, that’s what separates champions from the rest.
“That first fight with Frazier, he lost. But he came back and won the next one. And the one after that.
“That’s what I take from him.”
Stamps’ equipment manager George Hopkins, something of an icon himself, bumped into The Greatest once. Actually. Literally. During the National Sporting Goods Association’s Super Show in Atlanta.
“It was just above being legal. Forehead to chest. Straight into him. I was talking to Dwayne Mandrusiak, equipment manager for the Edmonton Eskimos, who’s no taller than I am. As I turned, the way I turned, I cut between two of Ali’s security people and, pow!, forehead to chest.
“He looked down and smiled. I looked up and said: ‘Mr. Ali, I apologize’ and the security guard gave me the look of death.
“We talked for like 30 seconds, walked away and the guy gave me the most evil look, like ‘I don’t know how you did that and if I ever see you again you’re dead’ type of thing.”
During a CFL league meetings in Louisville, Ky., Ali’s hometown, Hopkins and his equipment brethren visited the Muhammad Ali Centre, a museum and cultural tribute to the three-time heavyweight champ.
“All nine guys from the nine respective teams were there, of course, and at the end it was like: ‘OK. What do you want to do?’ ‘Ah, let’s pop by the Ali Center for a little bit.’ We were in there for six hours and they kicked us out when it closed.
“He was an entity unto himself. Nobody can compare. Some people have a bit of Ali in their character but nobody is Ali as a whole.”
The day after the fighter’s death at age 74, both Ali the athlete and Ali the social voice resonated with the Stampeder players. His impact both culturally and within the ring ropes were a hot topic for discussion.
“That,’’ emphasized O-lineman Derek Dennis, “is a big-time legend to lose. Someone who had such a great impact on society, not just sports. He transcended boxing and connected with all types of people; one of those figures when it was a hard time to be a black athlete, he stood up and held his ground, spoke his mind, believed his beliefs and walked the walk.
“A lot of younger people don’t understand the historical significance of some of the things Ali did. He stood up and said: Why do I have to go fight a war (Vietnam) I don’t believe in?
“He just stood his ground and was like ‘Well, you gonna take away what I worked hard for, what I love – boxing, my title – that’s alright. When I get a chance to get it back, believe me, I will.’
“And he did – twice.”
Linebacker/strength and condition coach Brent Monson did a little boxing in his time, catching the sweet-science bug from his grandfather Len.
“I saw a lot of Ali’s fights, when I was younger. My grandfather would put ‘em on. I’m a fan. I loved the technique involved – everyone thinks they’re just in there swinging, but there’s a lot of strategy, a lot of timing.
“The training, the drive, the will to win. That all appealed to me. It’s a single-man sport, when you go in that ring it’s one-on-one, no one helping you out.”
Any of Ali’s attributes Monson wishes he’d possessed during his brief, two-bout amateur fight “career”?
“Speed. There’s no substitute for speed. And he was, well, just a little faster than I was.
“The best ever. Loved his quotes – ‘I’m so fast I can turn out the lights and be in bed before it gets dark.’
“A legend.”
For Smith, Ali’s ability to rebound from setbacks is a lesson for all to file away for further use. Football teams, in that sense, are no different than fighters.
“Champions lose sometimes, right? In any sport. The way he bounced back is what mattered. He lost the first fight with Frazier. He came back with a better game plan and won.
“The way he handled the ups and downs of a long, successful career … Impressive.
“He was a man, you know. Didn’t take any …
“He entertained people, made predictions and then went out and back those predictions up. His footwork, the way he moved around the ring so swiftly, it’s an art. A thing of beauty.
“He was the champ and he stood for something. If you stand for something and put everything into it the way he did, you can achieve greatness, you can be an icon both inside your profession and outside.
“You’ve got to respect a person like that.”
The Ali legacy is secure, of course. His achievements, legendary. His scope, unparalleled. His popularity, unrivalled.
Like so many millions of others on Saturday morning, in the brilliant blue sunshine out at McMahon Stadium, Stampeder thoughts were of the man who invented the shuffle.
“One of the greatest athletes to ever walk the earth,’’ says Derek Dennis with flat finality. “Point blank. Period.
“Regardless of sport, regardless of era, regardless of colour. Regardless of anything.
“He was a fighter, in spirit, mind and body. The prototype of what you want to see in a top-notch athlete.
“It’s just unbelievable to see a guy accomplish what he did. On his terms. He’s the standard. The guy we all aspire to be.
“As I said, one of the greatest athletes to ever live. And one of the greatest people to ever live. That’s quite a combination.
“He’ll never be forgotten.”