Steinhauer's Rookie Season Ends On A High Note

The Saskatchewan Roughriders' Grey Cup win is being celebrated across the province and especially here in Moose Jaw.  Riders' rookie Levi Steinhauer calls the Friendly City home and he capped off his first season in Green & White in the best possible way imaginable.

Steinhauer went from being a Rider fan to actually being a Rider in a matter of seconds after being drafted by the team in the fifth round of the 2013 CFL Draft.  After that he made the team through training camp, earned a heavy dose of playing time and was on the field on Sunday when the team captured their fourth Grey Cup title, and second in his lifetime.

“This is incredible, I can't even put this into words, just look around, you can see the excitement here, this is just unreal,” said Steinhauer just moments after raising the Grey Cup over his head on stage following the team's win.

“That was a once in a lifetime opportunity to lift the Cup in your hometown in your rookie year, I can't even describe it,” he added.

After taking part in that once in a lifetime experience with Rider Nation roaring, Steinhauer rushed off the stage to be with his family that had gathered on the field in anticipation of celebrating their sons' win, as well as their favourite team's win.

“They've been there since the get-go, they're the ones that got me started playing football and did whatever they could to let me play,” said Steinhauer.  “They'd get me to any camp I wanted to go to, anything like that, so for me it's all on them.”

Steinhauer's football career started about 14 years ago he estimated at Elks Field here in Moose Jaw in the minor football program.  From there he went on to star with the Peacock Tornadoes, winning two city titles and a provincial title.  After that he moved onto the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and it wasn't long before he was standing on the stage Sunday celebrating a historic win for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

“As a little kid, I just wanted to play ball and get paid to do it and then when I got here and I knew that the opportunity was to play in this game, we just set our minds to it and you saw what happened,” said Steinhauer, who's the youngest player on the Riders' roster at 22 years old.

“The year for me has been unreal, I can't really put it into words.  To come in as a rookie and play and then to make it to the Grey Cup and play in the Grey Cup, I'm just too excited to put it into words.”

There were no doubt nerves for the local kid playing in front of a national audience in the biggest game of the season, and quite possibly in the franchise history.

“The excitement was through the roof and you just had to kind of just think of it as just another game, so you didn't get too excited or too emotional, but the emotion was there,” Steinhauer said on the win.  “We played a great game, Hamilton played a great game as well, but we just ended up coming out on top.”

So how do you top this rookie season?

“Win another one!”

Steinhauer finished with two special teams tackles in the game and served as long snapper.