Saskatchewan Roughriders offensive linemen Jeremy O'Day, middle, and Gene Makowsky hoist the Grey Cup after beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 23-19 to win the 95th Grey Cup in Toronto on Sunday. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Savouring every puff of his cigar in the Saskatchewan Roughriders' dressing room, it is evident Jeremy O'Day enjoyed his role in this, his second Grey Cup victory.

But it was a different story in 1997 when O'Day, one of five rookie Canadians on the Toronto Argonauts' roster, watched mostly from the sidelines at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium as Toronto defeated Saskatchewan 47-23.

"It [winning a Cup] was a very special thing for me to do in my first year, but I walked away from that year thinking that I didn't have much of a part in that championship," he told CBCSports.ca, following Sunday night's 23-19 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 95th Canadian Football League championship in Toronto.

"This year, being a starter, being out there fighting with my team for the whole game … it doesn't get any better than this."

A six-foot-three, 295-pound centre, O'Day recalled stepping on the field in that 1997 title game for four plays and being flagged on one of them, "so it wasn't the best experience in the world for me.

"We had a great team that year [led by quarterback Doug Flutie]," added O'Day, who spent two seasons with Toronto before signing with the Roughriders in 1999. "I was a rookie who didn't know what to expect. I thought I'd have a whole hand of [Grey Cup] rings by now, but after tonight [Sunday night], I got No. 2."

O'Day, recently named a CFL all-star for the second consecutive season, came up huge late in Sunday's third quarter with Winnipeg clinging to a 14-13 lead.

On third-and-one at the Blue Bombers' 11-yard line, Saskatchewan quarterback Kerry Joseph kept the ball and found room between right guard Mike Abou-Mechrek and O'Day. The officials initially ruled Joseph didn't get sufficient yardage for the first down, but the call was overturned after video review.

Tough defence to handle

"We had to fire off [the line of scrimmage] as hard as we could," O'Day, 33, said of his linemates. "[The Blue Bombers] have made a name for themselves stopping people third-and-one. They do a great job stacking the middle, but Kerry did a good job of keeping his legs moving and got just enough for the first down."

A few plays later, the Roughriders went ahead 16-14 on a Luca Congi 12-yard field goal.

O'Day was in tough from the outset, assigned to block defensive tackles Doug Brown and Jerome Haywood, who failed to register a quarterback sack, but combined for 12 tackles and a forced fumble.

Joseph, who was sacked twice in the game, hit the Rogers Centre turf hard five times after throwing a pass before the start of the second quarter.

O'Day said the Winnipeg defence, which he believes didn't get enough credit for its efforts in the regular season, came to play in the most important game.

"They're one of the best defences in the league," said O'Day, who was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and grew up in Kitchener, Ont. "The front four plays hard. Doug Brown and Jerome Haywood, they're a load.

"It was a boxing match. They came out and hit us in the face, and we hit them in the face. It was a battle the whole game. Fortunately, our defence was unbelievable and able to hold [the Blue Bombers] off by making some big turnovers and putting us in a position to win."

A West all-star in each of the last four seasons, O'Day played an integral role off the field during Grey Cup week. He drew from his previous Cup experience, telling his teammates what to expect and encouraging them to stay focused.

Riders keep emotions, focus in check

"The Grey Cup is a special week and we had to focus on playing the game instead of celebrating the festivities," he said. "The emotion is so high leading into the game. We said it early in the week, 'If we focus, do what we're supposed to do, then we'll have six months to celebrate instead of one week.'"

Saskatchewan general manager Eric Tillman told CBCSports.ca that his team's dressing room is full of people like O'Day.

"We have good talent, not great talent, but we have great character," he said. "In an era where it's about style, this team is a lot more about substance. It's character. It's work ethic, and Jeremy certainly reflects that.

"He's a natural leader. He's a good person. He's a guy that when things go wrong, he's one of the first ones to take responsibility. And he's one of the first to give credit to others when they go well."

Things couldn't be better right now for O'Day, who was excited to return to Regina, where he lives year round with his wife Dana and their three children - Tyson, 3, Brooklyn, 18 months and three-month-old Alyssa.

"We've gotta busy household," said O'Day. "My wife was able to bring [Alyssa to Toronto] and I can't wait to see my [other] babies."

And O'Day's plans when he gets to have the Grey Cup for a day during the off-season?

"I'm going to go to every one of my family members' houses," he said. "I'm going to take it everywhere I know, and show as many people as I can because they deserve it."

The feeling, no doubt, is mutual.