Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ linebacker Devin Veresuk could hear his name called at the CFL Awards banquet on Thursday night, but he isn’t looking forward to it.
“To be honest, I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be in Winnipeg right now, because I don’t think I should be here for an award,” the Most Outstanding Rookie finalist admitted to 3DownNation. “I think I should be here for the team, and I think we should be competing for the Grey Cup. That’s how I feel.”
The Tiger-Cats aren’t in Winnipeg this week after suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the East Final, falling 19-16 on a walk-off field goal. Veresuk feels the pain of the loss more than most, having been at the centre of what many consider to be the deciding play.
With 55 seconds remaining, Montreal was pinned at its own 50-yard line on second-and-ten. Quarterback Davis Alexander hit receiver Charleston Rambo short across the middle and it looked as if he would be stopped short, but Veresuk over-pursued and was caught grasping at air. Rambo ran for 19 yards, allowing the Alouettes to set up the game-winner.
“It’s about as bad as it gets,” the linebacker shared. “I don’t want to pick on myself here, but when you miss the tackle with a minute left in the game, second-and-ten, it sucks. And then you go online and you see all the things that people are saying — it’s not fun.”
“One play doesn’t determine a game, so you just keep telling yourself that, and you just fuel the fire for next year. That’s really all it is.”
Every athlete has a different strategy for dealing with a game-deciding mistake. Particularly after a season-ending play, many elect not to view the tape in the immediate aftermath, letting the wound heal before evaluating their performance.
Veresuk has taken a distinctly different approach, replaying the moment over and over in his own head and on video.
“On the flight today to Winnipeg, when I was pretty bored, I had the whole game clip downloaded on my phone. I probably played it about eight times on the way up here,” he said. “That just says something about how many times I’ve replayed it over the last week. It’s been a lot.”
The second-overall pick in the 2025 CFL Draft had an exceptional rookie season, collecting 66 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, two sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and two defensive touchdowns. Before his late-game miss, he made six tackles and a pivotal red zone sack in his playoff debut.
However, the University of Windsor product feels disappointment more acutely than most first-year players because of how he arrived in Hamilton. Veresuk was the first draft pick made by general manager Ted Goveia after he joined the Ticats’ organization, and the only first-round pick that the longtime CFL scout made before tragically passing away from cancer midway through the season.
“I carry that on me and I put that on my shoulders. I was Ted’s first-ever draft pick as a GM — that means something,” he said. “I took that with me to practice every day, and I took it with me to game-day every week, and I sure as hell took it with me throughout the playoffs. It meant the world to me, and I just want to do whatever I can to prove Ted right.”
Even though Hamilton came up short, Veresuk’s rise to prominence has already added to Goveia’s legacy. On Thursday night, either he or Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval will be crowned the CFL’s top rookie, capping one of the best campaigns ever by a defensive player straight out of U Sports.
Even though he’d rather have made the trip for other reasons, Veresuk isn’t ungrateful for the recognition.
“It means a lot. If you’d come talk to me 12 months ago, I don’t think I’d be in this position,” he said. “I think it’s a representation of myself, and not only myself, but my coaches and my teammates putting me in position, and coaching me to be in the spots that I was this year. It’s the utmost honour.”
That honour is bittersweet because of one play that did not live up to the standard he’s set for himself. However, he does not discuss the play with an air of dejection or resignation. Rather, his focus on it is backed by a steely resolve to get better.
“I don’t necessarily think that’s a thing that you move on from. I think that’s just a thing that fuels you and keeps you moving forward,” Veresuk stated. “Honestly, the longer I hold on to it, the better — and if I hold on to it for six months from now, then I think I’ll be in pretty damn good shape.”
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats finished first in the East Division standings in 2025 with an 11-7 record, though the team lost the East Final to the Montreal Alouettes. Bo Levi Mitchell led the CFL with 5,296 passing yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions after starting all 18 regular-season games, earning the East Division’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player.
The Tiger-Cats ranked third in net offence, eighth in net defence, and first with a turnover differential of plus-ten. The club’s leading rusher was Greg Bell with 1,038 yards, leading receiver was Kenny Lawler with 1,443 yards, and leading tackler was Stavros Katsantonis with 69 tackles. Hamilton ranked fourth in attendance with average crowds of 22,858, which was a 3.9 percent increase from the previous year.
J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league's Global initiative.
