Football gave his life purpose

Argos’ Gabriel recalls his gritty Toronto origins

He doesn’t remember how old he was the first time he was homeless.

Or the first time he was starving.

Or the first time he was penniless.

Or the first time he threw a punch in frustration. Although, he thinks it might have been Grade 4.

It all is something of a blur to Jermaine Gabriel, growing up angry in the area known as Chalkfarm, that small stretch of North York highrises not far from Wilson and Jane. He knows what happened, he knows how it happened, he knows where he came from and how he got to the Grey Cup. And along the way this football kid, who refused to give in, will start in the defensive backfield of his hometown Argos Sunday night.

Gabriel had no father to speak of, was brought up by a poor single mom in one of Toronto’s most troubled neighbourhoods. He studied guns and gangs and violence in his own way the way some kids his age studied math and science. And he knew this wasn’t the life he aspired to.

And he took a most unconventional route in winding up with the Argonauts. After playing football at Cedarbrae Collegiate, there was no scholarship offer awaiting Gabriel. He had to find his own way in football. He went to Bishop’s University as a walk-on, made the team, starting playing right away.

The football part worked. The rest didn’t. He was at university and admits now he didn’t buy a single textbook in his two years there. He couldn’t afford any. When there wasn’t team meals to eat, he regularly dined on what he refers to as syrup sandwiches. One piece of bread folded in two. Pancake syrup playing the part of meat and lettuce.

He left Bishop’s after two seasons because he couldn’t pay tuition anymore and was supposed to transfer to St. Mary’s, but just as he arrived in Halifax, the head coach and the athletic director at the university were fired. Turned out, there was no money there for Gabriel either. Instead, he took a job at a mall as a janitor, cleaning tables in a food court.

And this is where football took over, at least the community of football. Somebody familiar with Gabriel and his athletic ability was also familiar with a junior football coach in Calgary. Gabriel wound up playing for the Calgary Colts. He hoped at the time, not knowing the rules, that if he played well enough, the local team, the Stampeders would sign him.

There was only one additional difficulty here. Because he had already played at Bishop’s, he couldn’t go from junior football to the CFL. He had to go through the draft. And with the 17th pick in the 2013 draft, the Argos selected Gabriel, and the celebration began.

“After such a long road, a long journey, to get brought back to Toronto was amazing,” said Gabriel. “As soon as the draft happened, my phone blew up.

“It was such a great feeling to hear all that after all the work I’d done.”

It didn’t come without a cost along the way. Gabriel lost friends, some to prison, some to funeral homes, too many goodbyes for a man so young.

“A lot of kids growing up didn’t have the belief they could get out,” said Gabriel, 27. “It can get to you. They thought there is no way for them. It only takes one to show them the way. “If I can be that guy, great.” The rest has taken care of itself. In his fifth CFL season, Gabriel will play in his first Grey Cup Sunday. And then go home. To the Mississauga home he moved into while preparing for the Eastern Final. His new home. Home and settled, finally.

Jermaine Gabriel