Miller Cote, nearly two, is napping, blissfully unaware he’s about to become a brother.
So when his parents, especially mom Natalie, are afforded the chance to relax for a minute or two . . .
“It’s quiet time around here right now,’’ whispers dad Rob Cote, tiptoeing out to some far-flung corner of the house to take the phone call.
“We’re going to enjoy it.
“Because in a couple of days . . .”
Given the family circumstances, celebrations on Saturday’s contract re-up for the longest-serving Calgary Stampeder weren’t apt to be anything ostentatious.
Nothing involving lampshades, amped-up hip-hop music or scads of back-slapping well-wishers.
“No, nothing too exciting, believe me,’’ reports Cote. “We’re going to the women’s hockey game tonight, the Inferno. That’ll be good. Then I’ll probably start watching TV.
“And wind up with the TV on and my eyes shut.”
Fullback Rob Cote scores a touchdown against Toronto on Oct. 10, 2016 (Photo by Johany Jutras)
At 30, understand, Rob Cote is a one-team guy.
With 178 total games modelling red-and-white apparel, the very idea of wearing another CFL designer label just plain goes against the grain.
“I think it would’ve been more likely that my football days would’ve been behind me than put on a different uniform,’’ he acknowledges.
“This is my home.
“This is where I feel I belong.
“Right now, I’d guess I’d describe myself as ‘happy’ that’s how it’s worked out. When I look back, when it is finally over, I think I’ll be proud.
“Even back playing junior football, there’d be guys coming from this team and that team and I never really understood how that worked.
“I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty loyal person and my career has played out in the only way I believe I really could see it.
“And that’s to always be suiting up for the good guys, in my opinion.”
Rob Cote helped Jerome Messam win the 2016 CFL rushing title (Photo by Canadian Press//Jeff McIntosh)
A mainstay on special teams and bulldozing advance man for, in order of appearance, star tailbacks Joffrey Reynolds, Jon Cornish and now Jerome Messam, the Cochrane-born fullback has served as a team captain the past five seasons.
Off the field, he’s made a quiet impact, too, twice presented the player-voted Presidents’ Ring Award for combining excellence on the football field with leadership, inspiration and motivational skills.
His unstinting efforts in the community, meanwhile, earned him the Herm Harrison Memorial Award.
Put simply: Cote’s a Stampeder.
First, last and always.
Be that as it may, the relative uncertainly of contract negotiations – the CFL free-agency period opened for business Tuesday – dovetailing with the nerves inherent with the pending arrival of a sibling for Miller did, Cote will admit, make for some anxious times lately.
“Life waits for no one, I guess,’’ Cote reflects. “Timing, in anything, is never perfect. I’m just glad I get to stay in Calgary and play another year.
“I’m excited to have this done and excited for the new arrival to our family.
“As the (negotiation) process went on, I was trying to see what my life would look like, ’cause I thought I’d be playing for the Stamps again. But you begin to have doubt when things don’t get finalized after a while. I guess that’s only human nature. There was a fair bit of doubt, to be honest.
“So I guess you just go on faith, trust in everything. They’d kinda been telling me all along that we’d get something done, and we have.”
Readying for his 11th CFL season, he makes no bones about his primary reason for continuing to put himself through the rigours: Championships.
Three Grey Cup appearances and two rings have only whetted the appetite for more, with the bitter taste from the 39-33 OT loss to Ottawa at BMO Field in late November as extra fuel.
“You’re always going to be disappointed. You’re always going to tally up all the ‘What-ifs’ and ‘What could we have done differents,’ ’’ he admits.
“But that kind of stuff, the disappointments, they motivate you as much as anything.”
Back on board, soon to be the father of two, Rob Cote can’t wait for training camp to open.
“I’ve had a better career than I ever could’ve imagined,’’ he acknowledges. “But at this point, I’m being greedy and I want to be back on the football field chasing another championship.
“Doing it in Calgary is something I really wanted to do.
“We see guys coming to our team from across the league because they know there’s as good a chance or better here to win a Grey Cup as anywhere.
“If I’ve learned anything over my years with this organization, it’s this: We’re gonna get another legitimate crack at it.
“That’s why it’s special being a Stampeder.
“And I don’t see next year being any different.”