Overcoming the odds

VANCOUVER -- There are many paths players take to the Canadian Football League, but in the case of fullback Michel-Pierre Pontbriand and running back Nick FitzGibbon, the journey began in Austria and it has led them to the 2011 Grey Cup.

In Pontbriand's case, it took five years.

Both players were members of Canada's initial entry in the 2011 International Federation of American Senior World Football, in which a hodge-podge of players came together for the tournament in Austria in July and won a silver medal.

Pontbriand, Canada's special teams captain, recorded five receptions for 45 yards, including a two-yard touchdown catch, in the tournament.

He had been out of football for five years prior to the tournament, his last game playing for Laval's 2006 Vanier-Cup winning team. He won three Cups in five years at Laval.

Following his university career, he began teaching physical education at a high school in Quebec City. Canadian Football League teams had no interest in him at that point.

"I like kids, I like coaching them, so it's very, very important to share my knowledge with them," Pontbriand said on Thursday. "When I got the call to play football with two friends of mine from Laval (with Team Canada), I was proud to play again. It was something good for me."

The Canadians lost 50-7 to the American team in the final. Pontbriand was asked by the coaching staff after the tournament if he wanted to continue playing professional football and he replied only if it could be in the CFL.

The interest in him was serious and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed him as a free agent a few weeks later. He became a 27-year-old rookie at the professional level -- an incredible story that was compared in some ways to pitcher Jim Morris, who made his professional debut for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999 at age 35.

"After my career in college, I developed another passion of coaching, of working with growing kids. I thought my career, playing football, was over," he said. "I love football. I'm an addict of football. When (the Bombers) said they were serious with me and wanted to put in a great situation -- to give me a great opportunity -- I took it. I'm just living a dream since my first day in Winnipeg."

He played nine regular-season games and totaled only two catches for 45 yards, but one was a 41-yarder against Calgary in the Bombers' season-ending game.

"I was maybe the fifth or sixth option, but (quarterback) Alex Brink saw me and just threw me the ball," he said. "It was a very beautiful throw by Alex and I just had to make the catch. It was very nice."

The catch provided the Bombers with a key first down, and while they scored on the series, they lost the game. They finished first in the East, beat Hamilton 19-3 in the Eastern final and made it to the Grey Cup.

Pontbriand's story is inspiring to say the least.

"I work hard, I've got a good work ethic and I know I can make it happen," he said. There's a lot of good things happening with a great coach (Paul LaPolice), great organization and great teammates. After the season I'm going back to Quebec and will work all winter (at the high school) and share my experience."

FitzGibbon, who was signed a month or so after Pontbriand dressed for the final five games of the regular season, has been playing exclusively on special teams.

He finished his university career at Guelph in 2010. A month or so later, he received the call to be part of Team Canada and became one of the first players announced as part of the squad.

"I was excited to do it right off the bat," FitzGibbon said. "I kind of thought Team Canada was going to be the icing on my career and I get back and get the call to come to the Bombers. I never went to a championship in my university career and then I go to Team Canada and we go to the gold medal game. That was the most exciting moment of my football career.

"Now we're playing in an even bigger championship. In a span of six months, I'm playing in the two biggest football games of my life and I thought my football career was over," Fitzgibbon explained. "The whole thing has been a dream come true. Team Canada was a great experience. We didn't even know it existed because it was the first time it had been done. That was great. Just to play CFL football is a dream come true. To have our team in the Grey Cup, it's amazing. It's hard to believe sometimes."

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.