50TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: Glenn McCausland, University of Toronto (1993)

50^TH VANIER CUP INTERVIEW SERIES: 1993

A conversation with...

Glenn McCausland, receiver & kick returner, University of Toronto Varsity Blues

In Vanier Cup XXIX, at SkyDome, the hometown Toronto Varsity Blues held off a late charge by the Calgary Dinosaurs to prevail 37-34 and claim the second national title in program history, almost three decades after their historic win in the inaugural Canadian College Bowl in 1965. Glenn McCausland, a 5-foot-6, 165-pound wide receiver from Toronto, electrified the partisan crowd with an 81-yard touchdown off a punt return early in the fourth quarter and was named game MVP after he racked up 209 all-purpose yards in the win.     

What is your major memory of the entire Vanier Cup week and the overall experience?

The Vanier Cup was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. After beating Western in the Yates Cup and taking care of Concordia in the Churchill Bowl, I think we had a quiet confidence going into the Vanier Cup. We had so many players who were capable of carrying our team and anything less than a win would have been disappointing.

The overall experience was something I will never forget, from the journey of the regular season, to the playoffs, beating Western in London, winning all three games at the SkyDome, playing in front of over 20,000 people, the blocked field goal, to the raising of the Vanier Cup, the championship ring... it was amazing.

(Note: In 1993, Toronto and Western Ontario posted identical 6-1 records in the regular season but the Mustangs merited first place in the OUAA standings thanks to a 37-15 head-to-head win over the Varsity Blues. After opening the playoffs with a 27-20 defeat of Laurier, the Blues avenged their lone conference loss with a 24-16 victory against Western in the Yates Cup, their first of three wins in three weeks at SkyDome. Toronto then defeated Concordia 26-16 in the Churchill Bowl to advance to the Vanier Cup)

What is your one major lasting memory of the actual game?

The players on the sideline holding hands in the dying seconds of the game and hoping that Calgary would miss a game-tying, 22-yard field goal. Once they did miss, it was such a relief and just the true jubilation that followed, to the sound of “We Are The Champions” by Queen playing throughout SkyDome.

What do you remember as the key play of the game?

It was obviously the second-last play of the game where defensive lineman John Raposo blocked a 22-yard field goal attempt to seal the victory. We were ahead 37-34 and much of the momentum was going Calgary’s way. If he had not blocked the field goal, the game would have went into overtime and I’m not sure that we would have prevailed.

(Note: After allowing a touchdown six minutes into the opening quarter, the Blues led for most of the game and were up 37-21 midway through the fourth quarter before Calgary cut the lead to three points with three minutes remaining in regulation, setting the table for one of the most dramatic finishes in Vanier Cup history)   

What was your personal greatest play or moment?

My greatest play was an 81-yard punt return for a TD that is still a Vanier Cup record.

(Note: McCausland’s spectacular return 28 seconds into the fourth quarter made it 30-21 Toronto. The speedster finished the contest with 209- all-purpose yards, including 126 yards on nine punt returns, 28 on two kickoff returns, 35 on a pair of runs and 30 on three receptions)

Did anything unusual or out of the ordinary happen during the game or during Vanier week?

The thing that stands out for me is that it was almost a certainty that we were going to win as we were up by 16 late in the game. Calgary never gave up and had a chance to win the game on the last drive. Our defence was able to stop them from scoring the late touchdown and then it happened, “The Play” that is most likely one of the most significant plays in U of T football history - John Raposo’s blocked field goal.

How did you or the team react to the stadium and the crowd?

There were approximately 20,000 people at the game and I’m sure most of us were overwhelmed and probably would describe the whole experience as surreal. However, once the game started, our focus heightened and the crowd was not a factor at all. 

What are your memories of the post-game celebrations on the field and/or in the dressing room?

I remember the champagne, the many exchanges of congratulations and the sense of accomplishment.  For myself personally, I accepted the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy, but the true MVP of that game was John Raposo.

At the time, how did winning the Vanier Cup change your everyday life?

The Vanier Cup changed my life because it gave me a sense that anything was possible. We overcame many obstacles as a team that year including, at one point, not knowing if we were going to have a team at U of T. Then we beat Western in London. In the five years I played with the Varsity Blues, we had never beaten Western and we had also been blown out in a game at London earlier that year. After beating them in the Yates Cup, I think everyone started to believe that we could win it all.

How often do you reminisce?

I think back to the game when I am around the current team or if I see one of my teammates, coaches or other alumni. I often participate in the Varsity Blues annual Golf Tourney and this usually brings back many memories.

MORE ABOUT GLENN McCAUSLAND:

In September 1992, McCausland set an OUAA and CIAU record by returning three kicks for touchdowns in one game. In 1993, he was an OUAA second team all-star and the GEO player of the game in the Blues’ exciting homecoming win over Laurier. In the playoffs, he earned the Dalt White Trophy as Yates Cup MVP and received the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as MVP of the Vanier Cup.

McCausland amassed 2,307 all-purpose yards in 12 games during the 1993 season, including 246 in the Yates Cup and 209 in the Vanier Cup. He scored four touchdowns on kick returns that fall and set a Vanier Cup record with an 81-yard punt return for a TD. Thanks in large part to that magical season, he was selected by Ottawa in the third round of the 1994 CFL college draft.