Stampeders in CFL’s Week 20: One more boot at McMahon, but Paredes wants his farewell to run through Grey Cup

René Paredes wants more than one more home game in his CFL swan-song season.

The veteran kicker wants at least two — and a championship ring to go with them.

But such a sweet so-long on his road to retirement can’t happen without a win Saturday and some help in final weeks of the Canadian Football League’s regular schedule.

“Hopefully, we’ll be playing here at the end of the year,” said Paredes, taking a long look around him at McMahon Stadium while referring to the Grey Cup game that is slated for the ol’ football stadium Nov. 15.

“I mean … it’s going well right now,” continued the 41-year-old hall-of-famer-to-be. “We’ve won three games (in the last four). You know … three weeks ago, we were completely out of the playoffs. The guys are bought in, and we’re motivated to make a push.”

Paredes announcing just a few days back that it’s his final year should add fuel to their fire.

After all, the Stampeders need to repay their kicker for having put them back in the playoff race with his career-best 62-yard field-goal at the final whistle of what amounted to a must-win over the Ottawa Redblacks four weeks ago.

So why not with a win Saturday over the visiting BC Lions at McMahon (5 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary AM 770) to hopefully extend his incredible 15-season career by at least one more game?

Of course, both Paredes and the Stampeders would love to win a few more in succession to slot themselves into the home-field CFL finale come mid-November.

“That’s the goal,” Paredes told reporters. “Finish 1-0 every week.”

It’s what the Stamps were doing for three straight weeks — before last Saturday’s 33-28 stumble to the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers — to get them back in the playoff picture and re-igniting their dreams of reaching the home-field Grey Cup.

And, of course, it’s injected much more meaning in to this — at least regular-season — farewell game for Paredes.

No matter what happens, says the native of Caracas, Venezuela, he’s hanging up his cleats when this football campaign ends, even if he hits another 62-yarder — or any other celebratory field-goal — to lift the team to great success.

“Before that (kick to beat Ottawa), I already had made my decision,” said Paredes, looking back on one of his biggest highlights. “There are no regrets for now. Just focus on the rest of the season, and all the ‘thank-you’s will come after.”

So likely will the tears, although he admits to having to hold them at bay in talking about his pending retirement.

“Hanging it by a thread,” Paredes said.

Just like the Stampeders’ playoff hopes.

WHAT DO THE STAMPS HAVE TO DO SATURDAY?

They have to win.

But they also need help from a few CFL rivals in order complete a late-season bid to make the playoffs.
With a victory Saturday over the visiting Lions (10-6), the Stamps would finish the regular season with a 9-9 record.

Currently both the Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders boast 8-8 marks. And only two of the Stamps, Bombers and Riders can capture post-season slots.

The Stamps, who hold the season-series tiebreaker over the Riders but not the Bombers, punch their ticket to the playoffs with a win Saturday and either:

• One loss by the Bombers (@ Edmonton Elks, @ Lions)
• Or two losses by the Roughriders (vs. Montreal Alouettes, vs. Elks)

But first thing’s first …

They need to come away triumphant from Saturday’s tilt.

“Yeah, it would have been nicer if it would have clinched last week and it would be less pressure,” Paredes said. “But like I said, I’ve been in many situations in my career, and this (good-bye) won’t change my my job.

“It’s been a crazy week,” continued Paredes. “Trying not to think about it too much, but I know it’s gonna be an emotional day on Saturday. You know … I’m trying not to focus too much on it and just do my job one kick at a time and finish the regular season strong. Hopefully with a win, so we could have a chance to play a couple more games.”

As fate might have it, Paredes’ first career field-goal for the Stamps came against the Lions back in 2011.

“It was 50 (yards),” added Paredes, with a smile. “Why do you think I’m still here?”

WHO ELSE IS RETIRING AFTER THE SEASON?

Longtime equipment manager George ‘Geo’ Hopkins is also hanging up his gear after the year.
And he’s been at it a lot longer than the venerable Paredes.

Try a whopping 55 years.

“Why not?” said Hopkins, who is set to work his 1,094th Stamps game on Saturday. “It was time. I mean … 55 years is a nice round number in some respects, right? And I just figured with the Grey Cup being here and everything, that it was time.”

He was serenaded and hoisted on shoulders by players following Thursday’s practice.

“I knew in the off-season that this was going to be my last year,” said Hopkins, who will continue to play a sidelines role — not yet outlined — for the Stamps during games. “So emotional … yeah … for sure.”

“The best part about this job is the people, and there’s been 99% of them have been great people,” continued Hopkins. “There’s been the odd one along the way that I didn’t see eye-to-eye with.

“It makes it really easy to work with people when you can enjoy them and they treat you with respect and they they give you an honest answer to an honest question.”

Hopkins was hired by the Red and White as a ball boy when he was 13 years old in 1972 and has overseen the Red and White’s equipment operations since 1977. A key component on the Stamps’ sideline, he has only missed five games as equipment manager.

In 1995, Hopkins was honoured at the Stampeders’ annual dinner with the Art Evans Memorial Award for his perseverance, contribution and dedication to the team. His name has been displayed on the Stampeders’ Wall of Fame as a builder since 2014, and in 2023, he took home the Canadian Football League’s Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.

And Hopkins has won six Grey Cups with the Red and White.

“He’s been a great equipment manager, great person, great family guy …” said Paredes of Hopkins. “He’s gonna definitely be missed.”

Hopkins was quick to credit Pat Clayton, who he worked alongside for 20 years as the Stamps’ equipment giants, for helping to “establish a culture that’s still very prevalent in the locker room.”

“Geo spends a lot of time here, and he puts a lot into it,” said Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “He’s just he bleeds red more than most.

“For the players, in general, I think it’s the respect factor with this. I think they understand what Geo does for them — and he’ll do anything for him. All he wants back is respect and also honesty. He just wants to make sure ‘I’ll treat you like a man if you make sure you behave like a man.’”

HOW DID PAREDES ARRIVE AT HIS DECISION?

For Paredes, the retirement decision was not sudden, even if the public announcement made it feel as if it was.

Paredes had discussed the finish line with his wife, Melyssa, and the Stampeders for two years, weighing his fitness and battle with Father Time against his competitive fire and still-remarkable skills.

“Yeah … it was pretty easy,” confirmed Paredes of his decision. “I talked about it with my wife, about having a good season and wanting to finish my career strong. I don’t want to come back next year and who knows what happens — another injury, battling through more stuff. I’d rather hang it up on my own.”

A hip injury that kept him out of the first half of this season helped hammer that point home.

“I’m pretty satisfied with my decision,” said Paredes. “I think I could still play another year. But health-wise, I’m feeling it. My plan was I came in this year to finish my career. I did think about coming back next year, but with the danger I had (with the hip injury), that finalized my decision.”

He leaves football with a job waiting — as business development manager at DKI Calgary — and the rest of his life ahead.

Paredes signed with the Stampeders as a free agent in 2011 and never left.

When he announced his retirement last week, he ranked second in franchise history in seasons, games, points, field-goals and converts. He had made 649-of-740 field-goal attempts, an 87.7% success rate, while scoring 2,535 points.

His résumé includes two Grey Cup rings, five championship appearances, five all-CFL selections, six West Division all-star honours and the league’s 2013 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award. That season, he connected on 39 consecutive field goals and made 54-of-57 attempts, numbers that helped turn him into one of football’s all-time reliable kickers.

And pressure never really seemed to faze him.

Across 15 West semifinals or finals, Paredes made 33-of-39 field goals. In five Grey Cups, he was perfect on all 11 field-goal attempts and converted nine of 10 touchdowns.

His 62-yarder against the Redblacks was the 13th walk-off field goal of his career and the longest kick of his decorated career.

For the team, the succession plan was already underway. The Stampeders drafted Irish kicker Jude McAtamney this year in case Paredes opted to retire.

“We’ve been in contact for the better part of the last two years,” Dickenson said. “We had a plan. We drafted Jude.”

Dickenson wants to honour Paredes properly, but the current playoff battle has delayed the farewell for a later, quieter moment.

“I think at the end of the year, I’d like to really do something for the man and also recognize him,” added Dickenson. “But we’re in the middle of a tight battle.

“So for us, it’s just business as usual, understanding that he’s had a good year — one of his best actually — and the standard’s so high with him. Hopefully, let’s make it a memorable year. Try to keep playing into November.”

And onto the Grey Cup.