Sherritt adds Grey Cup to championship collection

It's been quite a 10 year run for former Eastern Washington University linebacker J.C. Sherritt.

Sherritt capped things Sunday, Nov. 29 in Winnipeg, Man., where, as a member of the Edmonton Eskimos, he will now have his name inscribed on Canada's famed Grey Cup, much as hockey players do with the Stanley Cup.

Edmonton's 26-20 victory over the Ottawa RedBlacks completed a stellar season for the Eskimos, a great comeback for Sherritt, and a decade in which he's won a state high school football championship in 2005 at Pullman, the 2010 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision crown at EWU and now Canada's top football prize.

"It's been really cool to find a way to the top at all three levels," Sherritt said.

After being a key player for the Eagles in their title run in 2010 where he was voted the FCS's top defensive player in winning the Buck Buchannan Award, Sherritt burst on the Canadian Football League scene in a big way.

Following his signing by the Eskimos in April 2011, Sherritt was an immediate impact player at middle linebacker. He was voted the Western Conference Rookie of the Year and the CFL's Defensive MVP.

But then Sherritt, who played basically healthy for his final two years at Eastern, was bitten by the injury bug.

"These last two years have been tough not being able to walk out there with your teammates," Sherritt said. "In this business, if you can't stay on the field your job security gets into high question."

Luck plays a part in it because Sherritt said he prepares himself as well as anyone in the off-season.

"My third year I go to pick a ball, I just barely miss it and a wide receiver comes in and shatters my hand," Sherritt said. "One inch and I tip that ball instead of getting my hand broken," as was the case in 2013.

That came on the heels of having his foot injured in 2012 when a 300-pound lineman fell on it. "Just those two plays cost me 25 games," he said.

But that was largely forgotten in 2015 as Sherritt played on an Eskimos team that won its first Grey Cup in 10 years. Along the way they exercised some demons against the hated Calgary Stampeders where former Eagle teammate Bo Levi Mitchell is quarterback. Mitchell guided Calgary to the 2014 Grey Cup and was the game's offensive MVP.

"We had to watch Calgary beat us 13 times in a row before we got the better of them this year," Sherritt said. That came on Sept. 12 when the Eskimos prevailed 27-16, a game where Sherritt was second on the team with six tackles.

"It's a pretty funny situation up here because Edmonton and Calgary hate each other, that is a huge rivalry," Sherritt said.

In facing and chasing Mitchell there were mixed emotions.

"There's nobody else I'd rather beat, but if I'm not going to win it I hope he wins it," Sherritt said. "I might be the only person in the city of Edmonton who can say that."

Nothing will beat the Grey Cup feeling but to get to go through a whole season healthy - start every game - has been awesome, Sherritt said.

"To battle through those (injuries) and finally put a full healthy year in, bring this city a championship and be a part of the championship it's made it all worth it," he said.

Perhaps the most bitter-sweet part of the win was Sherritt not being able to have former EWU teammate, quarterback Matt Nichols, share in the joy.

Nichols was traded to Winnipeg Sept. 2 and Sherritt said, "It was very tough not being able to win that game with him, but it is a business first and foremost."

When Sherritt is not north of the 49th parallel during the football season he is in Spokane where he rents a room from another former teammate, Greg Peach, who also now plays in Winnipeg.

"We all train together in the offseason," Sherritt said. Nichols is nine blocks away in the Northwest part of town, near Joe Albi Stadium.

As is the tradition with hockey where Stanley Cup winning players get to bring the cup home for a day, so it is with the Grey Cup. Sherritt plans to bring it to Spokane, and most likely, Cheney.

"We'll all be back at Eastern Washington University soon and I get to bring the Grey Cup with me for a day or two," Sherritt said.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.