MITCHELL PUTS TEAM WAY AHEAD OF SELF
DRIVEN BY STAMPS’ SUCCESS, NOT AVARICE
Bo Levi Mitchell is equally adept at distributing the football and the wealth.
The Calgary Stampeders quarterback — the CFL’s reigning most outstanding player — is a top- drawer talent who could justifiably demand top dollar.
But he is driven by team success, not avarice.
“I’ ve told my guys from Day 1 that I understand that quarterback’s the highest- paid position,” Mitchell said Tuesday during CFL Week. “I’m going to get paid because of that. But every time I go out to eat with anybody on my team or do anything with my guys, I pay for it.
“Some guys respect it. Some guys have a lot of pride and it’s, ‘ Hey, man, why are you paying for me? Is it because you’re getting paid higher?’ I’m like, ‘ No, man, you don’t understand. It’s because I believe that I am 100-per-cent equal to you. I don’t think I do anything more for this team than you do. I’m one piece of the puzzle and it’s not fair that I get paid that much more than you, but I do, so I want to help out by taking care of some things.’ ”
There is a parallel to the New England Patriots. Their quarterback, Tom Brady, is not even close to being the NFL’s highestpaid quarterback. He is, however, the most accomplished.
“I’m not going to be the guy who goes and asks for $ 550,000 or $ 600,000,” Mitchell said. “I told Dave ( Dickenson, head coach) and Huf ( general manager John Hufnagel) that I don’t want to be the highest- paid quarterback.
“I don’t want to be the highest- paid player in the league, because that handicaps them in what they can do. If I ask for that kind of money, we probably don’t get Quay ( slotback Marquay McDaniel) back. I have so much more of a team- aspect feel to things.”
Mitchell piloted Calgary to the 2014 Grey Cup championship, after which he signed a four- year contract extension. What might happen after the deal expires?
“The one question I always get is, ‘ Why don’t you go to the NFL? Why don’t you take the shot?’
“I would love to. I want to. But I don’t want to do it just to do it. I want to do it because a team wants me and they want me to compete for a job and I’m not just going down there to try out because I had a couple of good years in the CFL.”
At 27, Mitchell is capable of stringing together several great years.
“If I can, I want to be the best player to ever play in the CFL,” the personable passer said. “I’ve told Dave that from Day 1 when I got here.
“If I can stay here and win multiple Grey Cups and set records and attack ( Anthony) Calvillo on the ( all- time passing) yardage and things like that, I want to leave a legacy.
“I’m in a good spot. I love my team. I love my coaches. I don’t see a reason to change it.”
I DON’T WANT TO BE THE HIGHEST-PAID PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE.