WINNING A CUP WILL KIND OF EASE THE PAIN.

who became a full-time educator in 1977. “I didn’t think I was done playing. I thought the Riders were a team that could get back there. You’re young. I don’t know if it affects you in the same way when you’re 25 or 26.

“But ’09, I knew that the chances to go to the Grey Cup were few and far between, and to lose it like that just was gutwrenching. We’d really become the big green machine in terms of our fans, and our fan base was so strong. To see the pain it caused our fans, and everyone, was horrible. So that one probably hurt more when I think about it, which is funny to say.”

The Roughriders reached the Grey Cup game in four of Hopson’s 10 seasons as the president-CEO, twice winning it all. Despite the highlights, the defeats tend to resonate.

“There are lots of games we like to remember but, unfortunately, we probably remember the bad ones more than some of the good days,” Hopson laments.

“(Former Roughriders head coach) Kenny Miller and I used to talk about this. Kenny said, ‘You know, the victories are great and you love the championships, but once they’re over you kind of put them aside and move on to try and do it again.’ The hard losses, they stay with you. I really believe that.

“I love the fact that we won in ’07, and that was tremendous, and then winning in ’13 at home is the ultimate. But, unfortunately, I would still put ’76 as one in there that I think about.