New Redblacks defender Murray says close teams are championship teams
Finding a healthy balance between humility and swagger isn’t easy for some athletes.
But, after nine years of professional football, Rico Murray, a 30-year-old hybrid defensive back/ linebacker who signed as a free agent with the Ottawa Redblacks a week ago, figures he has a pretty good handle on it.
“If you don’t find that balance, life has a way of putting you back in your place,” Murray said. “You need to stay grounded and keep that humility.”
Murray had a sniff of life in the NFL. The Ohio native played nine games for the Cincinnati Bengals between 2009 and 2011.
He has moved on, trying to perfect his craft in the CFL. His high motor, work ethic and want to fit in pushes him to be better on and off the field.
“It wasn’t difficult to put the NFL behind me,” Murray said. “I had a childhood dream of playing in the NFL one day. The moment I made it into an NFL training camp and put on a helmet, I accomplished that goal. I had to reset new goals for myself. Once I got to Cincinnati, I didn’t get comfortable or complacent about the situation I was in. It was like, ‘How do I stick around? How do I show these guys I can compete?’ I don’t have any regrets about anything I’ve done through my career. I’ve always given it my all.
“My first couple of years in Cincinnati, it was kind of like that first day in a new school where you’re the new student: I had anxiety, butterflies. Now, I’m a vet, I really don’t get nervous. I’m very sure of my skill set. The thing that more excites me these days (is) seeing my teammates bond. I learned the closer the team is, the more authentic the relationship is, those are the teams that are strongest.
“The only thing that’s guaranteed in life is adversity. I know there’ll be some adverse situations, but I’m excited to get to know my teammates and develop a strong bond so, whatever adverse situations we get into, we’ll be able to work through it with the ultimate goal to be Grey Cup champs.”
Murray figured it was his destiny to wind up in Ottawa, though it sure helped that the Redblacks were willing to pay more than the Toronto Argonauts, the team he won a Grey Cup with at TD Place stadium last November. When CFL free agency began Feb. 13, it quickly became obvious to Murray he would relocate to the 613 area code.
“Montreal showed interest. Toronto wanted me to come back,” Murray said. “But I couldn’t sign in Toronto and take a pay cut. That would have been wrong, that would have been a disservice to my family. It was a business decision, but it was also an opportunity for me to grow as a player. It’s funny, the area code in Ottawa being 613. I’m from Cincinnati, where the area code is 513. My handle name on Twitter is Mr. 513. Somebody was like, ‘Now you can be Mr. 613.’”
An East Division all-star in 2017, Murray had 55 tackles, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and a touchdown. In five CFL seasons, including four with the Hamilton TigerCats, he has 235 defensive tackles, four sacks, 10 interceptions, two touchdowns and two forced fumbles in 68 games.
While he has versatility in where he can play, the 5-11, 203-pound Murray says he isn’t concerned about positions. It’s all about the team, about winning another Grey Cup.
“I’m most comfortable wearing cleats and being on the football field,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where you put me, man. I just want to play ball. Football is the ultimate team sport and I look at myself as the ultimate team player. I’m away from family and friends, but I’ll be developing a whole new bond with a new band of brothers. They’ll be my family for my time in Ottawa.”
Playing in Toronto pushed him ahead, helped him learn how to be a leader, he said.
“I was able to learn from being around guys like S.J. Green, Bear Woods, Ricky Ray … guys who have won Grey Cups,” Murray said.
“It helped me take my game to a new level because I learned how to be a champion. I knew I was a champion, but I didn’t have any validation of that.”
He’s hoping Ottawa, a Grey Cup champion in 2016, can regain that winning feeling.
“This past year was the first time I’d won a championship game at any level,” he said. "My first two seasons in Hamilton, we went to the Grey Cup. We lost in Saskatchewan and it wasn’t close. Then we played out in B.C. versus Calgary … that was a heartbreaker. Those were my close but no cigar moments. Last year was like the third time’s a charm-type of moment.
“I’m ready to bring whatever I can to the table and get us back to the Grey Cup. Two years ago, Ottawa won the Grey Cup, so there are some champions in that locker-room.”