As the Hamilton Tiger-Cats prepare to face the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, linebacker Reggie Stubblefield expresses fond memories of his time with the Alouettes. Stubblefield, who began his Canadian Football League (CFL) career in 2023, played a crucial role in helping Montreal clinch the Grey Cup. However, this weekend, he will don the colors of the Tiger-Cats in the East Division final at Hamilton Stadium, with the winner securing a spot in the Grey Cup set for November 16 at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg.
“I was just with those guys the last two years, so we have a special relationship,” Stubblefield remarked to reporters earlier this week. “We won a championship together, and that”s something you can never take from what we built.”
Standing at five-foot-eleven and weighing 192 pounds, Stubblefield spent two seasons with the Alouettes, amassing 42 tackles, four special-teams tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and one forced fumble over 14 games. After a standout rookie season in 2023, where he started 13 games and earned the Alouettes” nomination as the top rookie, Stubblefield faced a setback in the 2024 season. He suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during Montreal”s first game, despite making four tackles in that match.
In the off-season, he signed a three-year deal with Hamilton as a free agent but did not make his debut until the Ticats” 23-20 victory against Ottawa on July 12, marking a 400-day absence from competitive play. Stubblefield returned with impressive momentum, leading the team in tackles with seven, including one for a loss.
During the regular season with Hamilton, he played in 14 games, recording 56 tackles, three sacks, an interception, and a forced fumble. Stubblefield”s football journey began at Prairie View A&M from 2016 to 2020 before transferring to Kansas State in 2021, where he started six of the 12 games in his final year of eligibility. Following a stint in the XFL, where he was selected by the DC Defenders but later released, he signed with Montreal in March 2023. After initially being among the final cuts, he was re-signed to the practice roster due to injuries in the Alouettes” secondary.
“I just have a lot of respect for everybody in that organization,” he said of the Alouettes. “From GM Danny Maciocia down to coach Jason Maas and defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe. What an amazing thing they”ve built there, the culture they”ve created, and the connection they emphasize. It”s what makes this league great and elevates everyone else around it.”
