Meet Riley Wilson, an 11-year-old Calgary Stampeders season-ticket holder.

The Grade 6 student from Chestermere Lake Middle School dug into his own pocket – drawing from the money he earned delivering magazines – to secure his seat in Section O at McMahon Stadium for the 2017 season.

For Riley, there’s nothing complicated about his motivation for making the investment.

“I like football,” he says matter-of-factly. “I like playing football and I like watching football.”

As for informing his parents he insisted on paying for the ticket himself . . .

“I wanted to pay for my own ticket because it makes me feel important,” says Riley. “And because it helps out my mother and father.”

Riley was introduced to the Stamps’ season-ticket holder club in 2016 thanks to a Christmas gift from his parents. His mother Michelle accompanied him for the PinkPower game on Oct. 15 against the Montreal Alouettes but otherwise it was Riley and his dad taking in the action at McMahon.

“Riley just loved it,” says Michelle. “The section where the seats were located were just like a community. They brought Riley cookies and they helped him get player autographs after the game.”

“I just love watching the games and seeing the Stamps score touchdowns,” adds Riley.

When asked if there was anything else about the game-day experience he enjoyed, he replied with a laugh: “The World’s Fastest Cow.”

Riley, as it turns out, runs half-marathons and could probably give the cow a good run for its money. But for the member of the Chestermere Chiefs peewee team, it’s mostly about the football.

“When he was playing atom football, his team earned the right to play a game at McMahon,” says Michelle. “They played a game, visited the locker room . . . that’s when Riley’s passion for the Stampeders started.”

And thanks to his personal financial commitment, that passion will continue to burn in 2017 and hopefully for many years to come.