Homegrown CFL talent Get to know Canadians in the Grey Cup division finals By: Joshua Frey-Sam Posted: 5:30 PM CST Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 Last Modified: 6:33 PM CST Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 Updates

They are among the brightest homegrown talents playing in the CFL’s division finals this weekend. Get a peek behind the curtains to Canadians Justin Lawrence, Kiondré Smith, Jackson Findlay and Tevaughn Campbell.

Justin Lawrence, Montreal Alouettes

Hometown: Spruce Grove, Alta.

Age: 29

Position: Centre

Height: 6-0

Weight: 305 pounds

Notable: A three-time Grey Cup champion, with three different teams (Calgary, 2018; Toronto, 2022; Montreal, 2023), and a two-time CFL East All-Star

What’s your pre-game hype song… and your guilty pleasure song if you want to admit to blasting it?

There’s always one guy who runs the (music) in the locker room, so I’m usually just kind of vibing to whatever the guys are playing, but if I had one go-to song before a game, it would be 100 Shots by Young Dolph…

It’s kind of weird, but I love listening to T-Pain’s music. I could listen to T-Pain all day long and never get sick of it.

What’s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?

My most unique ability is my ability to get underneath people. Being shorter, I have a little bit better leverage, I’d say. That’s something I bring to the run game… and using my shorter frame to my advantage.

Do you have a hidden talent?

My ability to communicate with people. In my sense, I try to be a glue guy — bring people together. I think I do a really good job with that, connecting with a lot of guys and creating a bond with everyone.

If you weren’t playing football, what would be your dream job?

Football has kind of been my life forever. So, if I weren’t playing football, I would probably be coaching football. And if I weren’t doing football, I would probably be working in the oil field with my family. That’s what we do back home.

What is your favourite pastime during the off-season?

I’m away from home for six months out of the year, so my favourite pastime is just getting together with family and friends on the weekends.

Poutine, butter tarts or Nanaimo bars — what’s the ultimate Canadian snack?

Butter tarts, for sure. Butter tarts are so good. Mix it up, you got raisins in them or you don’t have them — you can kind of change it up a bit.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs. I got a Wiener dog and a Yorkie, so I’m a big dog guy.

Favourite moment of your career?

My first year, when I went to Toronto and I became a full-time starter. Just that grind of getting to the CFL and keeping your foot in the door, and then finally getting your opportunity to seize that. I think that the proudest moment of my career is getting that traction in the CFL and finally becoming a starter.

One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?

My Nintendo Switch. Or the iPad.

If you could play another position — and have the physical ability for it — what would it be?

I’d probably be a linebacker. Linebacker looks like a fun position — run around, cause a little chaos. I feel like it’s what O-linemen do, but in more open space.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give your rookie self — or as a kid dreaming of playing in the CFL?

Just appreciate the process of it. Enjoy every little moment, because I feel like sometimes you’re looking so forward all the time that you forget what’s really happening around you. Just appreciate the moment, appreciate the grind and know that there’s always something worth it if you put hard work into it.

 

Kiondré Smith, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Hometown: Markham, Ont.

Age: 25

Position: Receiver

Height: 6-1

Weight: 180 pounds

Notable: A 2025 East Division All-Star after scoring five touchdowns and setting career highs in receptions (86) and yards (1,126)

What’s your pre-game hype song… and your guilty pleasure song if you want to admit to blasting it?

Smile Body Pretty Face by Ty Dolla $ign and Kodak Black…

Smile Body Pretty Face. You say pre-game hype song, I don’t listen to any rap music, metal music or anything pre-game. It’s all R&B, it’s all slower stuff, so it’s all kind of against the grain, as far as what football players tend to listen to, especially on game day.

What’s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?

Is the ability to wrestle a thing? I was an untrained wrestler throughout high school, and I placed top-three in OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations), so I beat all the best wrestlers in the country as a non-wrestler.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I’m really good at chess. I went to chess camp in elementary school for Grades 3 to 6, and then I just carried on and I kept playing, read some books, practised my openings and got better to the point where I’m 1200-1400 rated on chess.com.

If you weren’t playing football, what would be your dream job?

If I weren’t playing football, I would have stuck with baseball, which is the sport I’ve always been best at. I was a centrefielder and relief pitcher.

What is your favourite pastime during the off-season?

The truth is, romance novels. I’m a big reader. I get through about two books a week, in-season. Out of season, it goes up to three.

Poutine, butter tarts or Nanaimo bars — what’s the ultimate Canadian snack?

I don’t like any of the above. Not even close — they won’t touch my taste buds, I won’t order them. I like BeaverTails.

Cats or dogs?

Dogs. Big dogs, though — like a Great Dane or a German Shepard.

Favourite moment of your career?

(Bombers fans) might not like this one, but my first career touchdown was against Winnipeg, at home, where I caught a post and did a front flip into the end zone. That was my favourite career moment. At every level of playing, from junior football, college football and professional football, my first touchdown of each one was a front flip into the end zone.

One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?

There’s a few things: a book, I can’t go on a road trip without headphones, and if it’s a seven o’clock game I won’t go on the road without my PlayStation.

If you could play another position — and have the physical ability for it — what would it be?

I’d stay exactly as I am and play DB (defensive back). I played DB my whole life; I just happen to not be allowed to play two positions here.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give your rookie self — or as a kid dreaming of playing in the CFL?

Build up an image of yourself and then live up to it. Every single day, make a conscious effort to live up to the way you see yourself and the things you told yourself you were going to be able to do. No matter what, you create that image for yourself, and wherever you set that bar is where you’ll be able to reach. So don’t aim low.

 

Jackson Findlay, B.C. Lions

Hometown: North Vancouver

Age: 21

Position: Defensive back

Height: 6-2

Weight: 207 pounds

Notable: A 2025 second-round draft pick of the Lions, Findlay quickly became a full-time starter and made an impact as a rookie, recording 26 defensive tackles, 12 more on special teams and four interceptions

What’s your pre-game hype song… and your guilty pleasure song if you want to admit to blasting it?

I listen to an AC/DC playlist on shuffle, but I got one of their songs that is kind of my go-to, which is Beating Around the Bush…

I got a couple of playlists where I got some guilty pleasure songs like Pink Pony Club (by Chappell Roan).

What’s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?

I have a pretty good power clean. My max power clean was 330 (pounds), so pretty proud of that.

Do you have a hidden talent?

Yes, and my teammates have actually discovered it. I like to paint, specifically shoes and cleats. So I’ve been painting some cleats for them throughout this year.

If you weren’t playing football, what would be your dream job?

I’d like to go into oncology — the study of cancer. I finished my undergrad last year, but I’d have to go back to school for that.

What is your favourite pastime during the off-season?

Usually, my off-season was summer, but now it’s kind of flipped around, but I’d still say probably golf. That’s super fun, and I think back in B.C., we can kind of play all year round, which is nice.

Poutine, butter tarts or Nanaimo bars — what’s the ultimate Canadian snack?

I would go butter tarts there. I really love those maple syrup sticks — they pour it in the snow, it freezes up, and you make little popsicle sticks out of it (maple taffy). I’d put that in my No. 2.

Cats or dogs?

I have a cat. I’d still put dogs, though.

Favourite moment of your career?

My favourite moment was from university, in my third year, 2023, when we won our Yates Cup (winner of the Ontario University Athletics conference). We were kind of underdogs going throughout those playoffs, into that game, and ended up pulling it off against Laurier. That was a pretty cool experience.

One thing you can’t go on a road trip without?

Snacks. A good assortment of them, whether that be chips, crackers, pepperoni sticks, definitely fruit and maybe some juice.

If you could play another position — and have the physical ability for it — what would it be?

If I could throw a ball, I’d take QB (quarterback). Unfortunately, I can’t throw a ball.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give your rookie self — or as a kid dreaming of playing in the CFL?

Dream big. These dreams, they might seem far away as a kid or as a young player, but put your mind to it, work hard and you can achieve what might not seem achievable at the moment. Achieve those little goals going up to it, and eventually you’ll get some opportunities — just seize those opportunities.

 

Tevaughn Campbell, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Hometown: Scarborough, Ont.

Age: 32

Position: Defensive back

Height: 6-0

Weight: 195 pounds

Notable: In his return to the CFL after spending six years in the NFL, Campbell was named to the All-CFL Team after being tied for the league lead with six interceptions (returning one for a touchdown) and registering 18 defensive tackles.

What’s your pre-game hype song… and your guilty pleasure song if you want to admit to blasting it?

I don’t really have a specific pre-game hype song. I’m kind of unorthodox. I’m not really the rah-rah listening type. I can listen to R&B, gospel, rap — it doesn’t matter…

I like Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

What’s your most impressive physical ability (can be strength or athleticism)?

Probably my speed. I ran a 4.36 (second) 40-yard dash.

Do you have a hidden talent?

I can draw a little. I could draw cartoons, but I do like drawing Marvel characters or people in the army with guns, stuff like that.

If you weren’t playing football, what would be your dream job?

An actor.

What is your favourite pastime during the off-season?

Just hanging out with my kids. Just being a dad, really. I have three kids — my son is turning 10 this month, my daughter is four, and my other son is six months.

Poutine, butter tarts or Nanaimo bars — what’s the ultimate Canadian snack?

Probably poutine over the other two, for sure.

Cats or dogs?

Cats. They are the superior animal — the king of the jungle.

Favourite moment of your career?

I’ve just enjoyed my career as a whole, in its entirety. Getting a pick-six is definitely pretty fun, though. Technically, I had three (this year), but one of them was taken away. The other one was on a two-point conversion, so they didn’t count as a six.

If you could play another position — and have the physical ability for it — what would it be?

Receiver or punter. I’m a pretty good punter. Whatever people tell you, don’t believe them — I’m good at punting. I’m working up to 50 yards.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give your rookie self — or as a kid dreaming of playing in the CFL?

Believe in yourself. A lot of people might not believe in you, but just believe in yourself. It’s all you need at the end of the day.

 

 

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca