Spoken into existence.
Jason MacGougan and Dawson Hodge always talked about playing together in the pros.
The long snapper/place kicker duo spent four seasons together at Wilfrid Laurier (2021-24), and now the Yates Cup champions have reunited at Stampeders training camp.
“It’s something we’ve talked about throughout our career at Laurier together,” said MacGougan, “How fun it would be to maybe carry it forward.
“We know each other really well, get along really well, the chemistry is there so it’s awesome to have him here.”
The special-teams pair took the field together for the first time as CFL teammates in last Monday’s pre-season opener.
Hodge went one-for-one on field goal attempts, nailing a 43-yard kick in the fourth quarter to extend the Stampeders lead over the Riders.
After the play, Hodge and MacGougan quickly reunited for a celebration they had originally created in college.
“Jason and I have a bunch of different cellys,” Hodge admitted. “We talked before the game and when we were at Laurier we’d go ‘Okay, if it’s inside 40 yards we do this celly, if it’s inside 40 to 50 we do this, 50-plus we do a different one’ and that’s the one we did in college from 40, 40-plus so we thought we’d roll with it here as well.”
“We made that our second or third year, and thought we’d show them off again,” added MacGougan. “It was a lot of fun and really nostalgic.”
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The journey for the two Golden Hawk alums continues in training camp.
MacGougan enters his second camp in Calgary, this time as the sole long snapper on the roster.
“I came into camp a little bit more confident, obviously having a bit more experience,” he said. “It’s nice to come in and know a lot of the guys, know the system Coach (special-teams coordinator Craig Dickenson) wants to run, so it makes it a lot easier coming in the second time around.”
Meanwhile, Hodge begins his first camp with the Stamps after spending time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts last year before heading back for one final season in Waterloo.
“It’s been nice to be in one place and not moving around all the time,” said Hodge. “I’ve really enjoyed that part of it, making some connections with the guys here. It’s been great.”
The 24-year-old joins veteran Rene Paredes, who is entering his 15th season, as well as global kicker Jude McAtamney who was drafted sixth overall by Calgary in this year’s CFL Global Draft. The Northern Ireland native has prior pro experience with the New York Giants.
As Hodge competes for his spot on the team’s final roster, he’s been able to turn to MacGougan for guidance.
“It’s been great to lean on him,” he said. “It’s kind of like a full-circle moment. We played for four years at Laurier and lived together for three years so it’s been pretty sweet to be back living here and playing with him again.”
The Stampeders have their final pre-season outing against the Edmonton Elks on Friday, May 29 at 7 p.m. MT.