The Edmonton Eskimos Expect You To Win
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
EDMONTON - The Edmonton Eskimos football team are winners of the 93rd Grey Cup football championship. In an exciting nail biting finish that left most fans on the edge of their seats or standing, the Edmonton Eskimos needed overtime to defeat the Montreal Alouettes 38-35 at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, on November 27. This is the thirteenth championship in the Eskimos’ history and their second title in three years to proudly bring back to the City of Edmonton – otherwise known as “The City of Champions.”
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| LIAM LOFTUS, Number 18 with the Edmonton Eskimos (L), with his teammate Kelly Wiltshire, Number 31 (R), holding the coveted Grey Cup Trophy after their win in Vancouver. |
William Loftus is number 18 on the Edmonton Eskimos football team where he plays defensive back. He is called “Will” by his team mates and Liam in the Irish community. (Liam is the Irish for William) which is kind of reminiscent of the Orange and the Green song.
But, I guess in this case, it’s the green and gold, which are the Edmonton Eskimos team colours. But, in any case, it doesn’t matter which side claims him, because he has a new name now called, “winner” of the Grey Cup and soon to be a recipient of the coveted Grey Cup ring.
I recently spoke with Liam about his football career, his Irish background and winning the Grey Cup. He spoke about the pressure and emotion of being a part of the big game. “The Grey Cup game was an emotional roller coaster, it was they score, we score, our emotions were going up and down...we gotta win this game, hey, what’s going on here.
“Sure there’s pressure, and it’s good to have pressure, but sometimes people put pressure on themselves when it’s not really needed. Pressure is good for you, you love playing in front of people, you love the roar of the crowd, and when your team scores a touchdown, it’s a wonderful feeling. Finally, it was over and we had won, we were the Grey Cup champs,” said Liam.
Liam Loftus has moved around a little bit between the United States and Canada. His father Patrick is from Howth, County Dublin, and Liam lived in Ireland for a year and has been back several times to visit.
His mother Alice was born in Louisiana, and they lived in Los Angeles for awhile. He went to high school in Fresno, California, before finally moving back to his birthplace, Vancouver. Liam and his wife Renita have two daughters, Anyiah and Savanni, and now make their home in Delta, British Columbia.
Liam played seven years with the Montreal Alouettes and this was his first year with the Edmonton Eskimos. He is now signed for another three years with the club. Liam said the club expects a lot from the players, and it’s good to have that pressure.
He said, “the Eskimos is an organization that expects you to win, but they also give you everything to work with. As a player, you’ve got to come out and give it everything you’ve got...they’re a great organization.”
Loftus started out playing soccer when he was five years old and said, “you know, soccer is a lot of fun and it’s key to all athletics. It’s a real team game and it teaches you how to be a good team player. It works on your condition as well as your speed.
“You’re never too young to get into sports. I played hockey and baseball and my parents encouraged me to go after my dreams. I played football at John Oliver High School in Vancouver and it just went from there, and I was able to take it to the next level.”
There’s more to Liam Loftus than being a professional football player, and this becomes obvious when he speaks with passion and dedication about his off-season charity work.
He is the youth recreation co-ordinator for Pathfinder Youth Centre Society, an organization that works with underprivileged kids. What they do is teach kids who have dropped out of school a trade.
They teach construction, drywall, and that sort of thing, so that these kids can go out and find a job and earn a living. The society provides training for various trades and when the kids have completed the courses, the society will help them to find a job.
Loftus said, “we feel that if they have the training in construction, they will always be able to find work. It’s something that they can use all their lives and it gives these kids great self-esteem.”
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For more information about the Edmonton Eskimos football club, visit: www.esks.com.
[Special thanks to Mary Flynn for suggesting the interview with William (Liam) Loftus and also thanks to Patricia and Kevin McGloin for all their help.]
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