TORONTO – Henry Burris has spent a career playing the ‘no respect’ card – whether it has been real or imagined – and using it to fuel him to what is already a slam dunk hall of fame career.

He’s going to have to find a new shtick.

Burris was simply spectacular in Sunday’s 104^th Grey Cup, leading the Ottawa REDBLACKS to a 39-33 overtime victory over the powerhouse Calgary Stampeders in front of 33,421 at BMO Field in a championship that was everything the Canadian Football League is all about.

The 41-year-old quarterback was brilliant, completing 35 of 46 passes for 461 yards and three touchdowns against one interception, while rushing for two more in being named the game’s MVP after voting was done by The Football Reporters of Canada.

All this after limping off the field in the warm up and after getting treatment in the Ottawa dressing room and then appearing after the coin toss in a Lazarus act that will surely be the stuff of legend.

“Man, I feel almost like Willis Reed with the New York Knicks when he hurt his leg and all of a sudden he limped back out on the court and helped lead his team to victory,” explained Burris. “It was a crazy situation… everything was fine and as I’m jogging back to the huddle to meet the guys all of a sudden I felt a crunch, a pop and my knee felt like it went unstable, buckled on me or something like that. When I felt it pop I couldn’t extend my leg fully. When it happened I was like, please don’t tell me this is happening right now.”

Burris said the medical staff then adjusted his brace and gave him some ‘happy pills’ so he wouldn’t feel so much pain. What he did after that was remarkable, becoming the oldest QB to lead a team to a Grey Cup win – Damon Allen was 61 days younger when he led the Toronto Argonauts to victory in 2004 while his 461 yards was the fourth-highest total in the championship’s history.

Burris also said he wasn’t ready yet to make a decision on whether this was his last game or not.

“Hank, he killed it today,” added REDBLACKS running back and Winnipeg product Kienan Lafrance. “Everyone was a part of it and I’m just glad to be a part of it.

“You always see in Hank’s career that he’s going to do what he’s got to do to be able to play.”

The victory caps an incredible run for the REDBLACKS franchise which, three years into the rebirth of the Canadian Football League in the nation’s capital, has made two appearances in the Grey Cup –winning one – and is playing host to the game next year.

It also marked the first championship for an Ottawa franchise in 40 years, dating back to the Rough Riders win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders – and the iconic Tom Clements-to-Tony Gabriel TD – in 1976.

“I’m extremely proud of all of the REDBLACKS, our whole organization, the fans… it’s really second to none,” said head coach Rick Campbell. “When I had the opportunity to interview I’m glad my instincts were correct. I thought Ottawa could be something special and it is in every sense of the word. It’s a special place and we want to be around long term and do well.”

Ottawa entered the game as nine-point underdogs and stacked up against the Stamps and all their regular season dominance and individual awards, this looked to be a massive lopsided matchup. But the REDBLACKS opened up a 10-0 lead on their first two offensive possessions, and had a 20-point advantage at 27-7 into the third quarter.

And then the Stamps rallied, scoring a TD on a 19-yard run by DaVaris Daniels with 1:38 and then – after scooping up an onside kick – were actually in position to win the game late, driving the ball to the Ottawa eight-yard line. Bulldozer Jerome Messam lumbered for six yards on first down and then, in a call that will have armchair QBs tsk-tsk-tsking for months, chose to run third-string pivot Andrew Buckley on second and two from the two only to see him stopped by Abdul Kanneh, forcing them to settle for a field goal to send the game to OT.

Burris connected with Ernest Jackson for the only score in OT as the REDBLACKS defence, which had been a botheration to Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell all night long, slammed the door shut on the league’s most dangerous offence.

“Our D-line, we were able to pass rush four guys and get some pressure on him,” said Campbell. “That makes a huge difference because that way you can play some coverage stuff and mix things up a little bit. Obviously they’re a good team and made some plays but when it came down to it our guys rose to the occasion and got it done.”

Asked afterwards if he hoped his performance would put to rest the criticism of him, Burris said:

“I hope so. Really, what else can they say I can’t do… the ‘Good Hank/Bad Hank’… I mean, what’s bad about winning a championship with an organization that’s only been in existence for three years?”

104^th GREY CUP

REDBLACKS     10    |    10    |    7    |    6    |    6    |    39

STAMPEDERS  7    |    0    |    10    |    16    |    0    |    33

Attendance: 33,421

THE BIG STAT

525: Net offence for the REDBLACKS, including 461 yards through the air.

FYI

Sunday’s game was the third time a Grey Cup had gone into OT, after Kenny Ploen led the Bombers to a win in the 1961 and Montreal edged Edmonton in 2005… Andrew Buckley’s fourth-quarter TD was the first by a Canadian QB in the Grey Cup since Russ Jackson in 1968… This was the highest scoring Grey Cup since 1996 when Toronto beat Edmonton 43-37.

TOP CANUCK

Ottawa slotback Brad Sinopoli was named the top Canadian after pulling in six passes for 94 yards and a TD.

NUMBERS GAME

266: Henry Burris’ passing totals in the first half.

852: Combined passing yards for both teams, a Grey Cup record.

15: Second-down conversions by Ottawa, on 17 attempts, in the first half. All told, they finished 22 of 28 (79 per cent).

5: Touchdowns scored by Canadians on Sunday: Sinopoli, Patrick Lavoie for Ottawa, Messam, Lemar Durand and Buckley for Calgary.