Arbuckle looking to prove himself once again

TORONTO — For a few months, Nick Arbuckle’s life looked a bit different.

There weren’t any cameras or red carpets being rolled out for a Grey Cup Most Outstanding Player, but the quiet-by-nature quarterback didn’t need it.

Following his championship-winning performance over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last November, Arbuckle — a career journeyman — was suddenly a recognizable face in Canada’s largest metropolis.

“I remember taking my daughter for Happy Meals at McDonald’s and somebody coming up and saying something, or going to Starbucks and people saying something,” Arbuckle, who spent last off-season in Toronto, told the Free Press Friday.

It was the little things that held more weight for the product of Camarillo, Calif., a small town about an hour northwest of Los Angeles.

Arbuckle, who won a Grey Cup as a backup to Bo Levi Mitchell in Calgary, hadn’t been celebrated in years — not since his earlier days as a pro when many pegged him to be one of the CFL’s next best quarterback talents.

“We did an assembly with the Grey Cup at my daughter’s school for her show-and-tell day. So every time after that, going to pick her up from school for the entire school year, this last year, all the kids knew me as ‘the football player,’ and so that was pretty cool,” the 31-year-old added, pausing for a moment.

“Other than that, I think everybody moves on, especially in a city like this, where so many things happen, so many other sports teams are playing that’s on people’s minds, that everything we did last year, rightfully so, is part of history now.”

Indeed, life has returned to what it was, and Arbuckle must prove himself again.

He confessed he hasn’t given the Grey Cup much thought since the few weeks of celebration that ensued. He’s still to reminisce on the game — which ended 41-24 and saw him complete 26-of-37 passes for 252 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions — and he hadn’t watched the film back until this week, in preparation of hosting the Bombers at BMO Field on Saturday (6 p.m. CT).

“It existed as a perfect memory in my brain,” he said.

Those thoughts, though stored away, remain vivid.

“The most fun part is being there for an entire week, living with the team. I feel like the level of preparation and camaraderie and everything you build when you are finished practice, and instead of going to your homes, you go back to the hotel room together. And you get to do outings and go shopping and go to restaurants, basically every day of the week,” he said.

“You get to do that on day one or day two, things you don’t really ever get to do unless you’re on the road the day before the game. So that’s the most special thing, just how much you build and how prepared you are, both mentally and emotionally, going in with your team because of just being able to spend the whole week together.”

Arbuckle was confident going into the game, despite only seeing action in five regular-season contests and the second half of the Eastern Final. One of those came in Week 8 against Winnipeg, a game that was forgettable from a production standpoint for the signal-caller but one the Argos won, nonetheless.

“I was like, ‘We beat them already… we’ve done it before, we’re a better team now, and everything’s more comfortable — our team’s healthier.’ So it just felt like it wasn’t this big thing that we had to overcome,” he said.

That was despite most of the country writing Toronto off, entering the game with him at the helm after starter Chad Kelly had sustained a broken fibula the week prior.

Arbuckle remained even-keeled and never felt slighted.

“I understand if I were a media person and a writer, in their shoes, I’d probably be looking at it the same way,” he said.

“I try to do that with all the things, just try to look at things from other people’s perspective. It helps from carrying these negative chips on your shoulders that ultimately can affect your decision-making. And, when you’re a quarterback, you can’t let the outside noise affect you in any kind of way.”

Arbuckle — who remains under centre while Kelly continues to rehab his injury — has maintained that approach in 2025 despite the Boatmen quickly sinking near the bottom of the East Division standings, as the team has battled a slew of injuries while trying to overcome significant turnover at key positions.

“He’s pretty consistent,” said Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie, who also coached Arbuckle with the Stampeders. “I mean, honestly, you go and win a Grey Cup, I think it’s going to build confidence amongst the team and himself. But he’s been the same guy since what I had in Calgary.

“He is a leader. Now, does he have to be the most vocal guy? I think he leads by example.”

That’s always been Arbuckle’s style. He’s not a rah-rah guy. His moments of vocal leadership are few but deliberate.

“We have some other guys on offence who have some leadership qualities, as well,” Dinwiddie added. “Nick has his own way. He’s pretty authentic with it. So I know all the guys trust Nick, and we just got to find ways to win football games and continue to build more confidence.”

At 1-5, Toronto is nearing desperation territory as it welcomes Winnipeg on Saturday night. The Bombers will be looking to right their own wrongs, but Arbuckle is trying to help breathe new life into a season before it’s lost.

“It’s always tough whenever you’re not winning,” Arbuckle said. “I feel like guys still understand the potential that the team has and the length and duration of this season. It’s a marathon, and we have five losses now, and nobody in this league is going to miss the playoffs with five losses.

“Everything we want is still in front of us, and we control our own destiny, but there’s also that sense of urgency where you can’t keep taking losses, or else you’re playing playoff football for two to three straight months going into the playoffs.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam