There aren’t many Saskatchewan Roughriders kickers who can claim they’re Grey Cup champions like Luca Congi can.
Congi was a key cog on the team that won it all in 2007. He then cemented his status as one of the great kickers in Riders history by connecting on 166 of 210 field goals (79.1 percent) and all 235 convert attempts over 87 games and six years wearing green and white. He signed a one-day contract in June 2016 to retire as a Roughrider.
Voice of the Roughriders Dave Thomas recently checked in with Congi to chat about his earning his stripes as a Rider, the magic behind the 2007 Grey Cup team, and how he’d like to be remembered.
Here’s their conversation:
Dave Thomas: We’re pleased to be joined by Luca Congi, the 12th overall pick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2006. Does that seem like yesterday, Luca?
Luca Congi: (Laughs.) You know, it’s wild. Please ask me about my career, and it’s always crazy when I say to them how long ago it was when I played. But it does feel like yesterday. A lot of great memories. A lot of great friendships. I can almost still feel what it feels like to be at Taylor Field, or now Mosaic.
DT: Do you have a “welcome to Mosaic” moment when you arrived and had to deal with the wind for the first time?
LC: Um, listen. The first training camp was certainly surprising. You had to adjust, for sure. I think one of my “welcome moments” was the first preseason game and I hit about a 50-yard field goal. It was like, “OK. I belong. I can play here, and I can play with these guys.”
DT: You were going into a group that had a new quarterback in Kerry Joseph in 2006, some established vets, but a team that definitely seemed to be on the upswing. What was it like walking into that dressing room and joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2006, a year before you reached the ultimate goal?
LC: You hit it in the head. There was tremendous leadership in that locker room. As a rookie coming in, you’re just trying to play your role. You’re trying to, first of all, make it, fit in, and contribute in a positive way. But there were just so many great leaders, great Riders – historic Riders, quite frankly – on that team that made me feel welcome, gave me confidence. I fed off their confidence. Guys like (Jeremy) O’Day, Geno (Gene Makowsky), the list goes on of the greats that were part of that locker room. What a great privilege to be a part of that team and a part of that group, specifically.
DT: When I talk to some of your teammates from 2006, prior to 2007 they said that they knew there was something unique about the group, but they have a hard time placing their finger on it. Can you put your finger on what was so unique about that group that started in ’06 and built to ’07?
LC: Honestly, it was like a family. They are right. We had something unique. It was a culture. We just liked hanging out. (Laughs.) I don’t know how to explain it. We liked talking ball. We liked hanging out. It wasn’t a group that was like everyone disperse and go home. We would go and play games after – video games, board games. We’d hang out for dinner and lunch and go work out together and watch film together. It was everything. It was very much a family atmosphere. There was genuine love for each other. We wanted everyone to succeed and do well and have each other’s backs. You can’t place value on that. It was tremendous. That is why I may not talk to the guys on a day-to-day basis anymore, but sure as hell, if I see them, it’s like, “Let’s go catch up and grab a drink” or whatever. It’s just that family mentality. That doesn’t go away.
DT: In 2007, you win the Grey Cup. When did you know that your team was special and your team had an opportunity to achieve that goal?
LC: I don’t know if everyone remembers that year, but we were called the Cardiac Kids. There were a lot of games during that season that, no matter how much we were down throughout the game, we just had confidence that we were going to be able to win that game. And we did that quite often. There was just a confidence in the group that we were going to rise to the occasion when the moment called for it. And we did, more often than not. I go back to that culture aspect, having each other’s backs. We just felt confident, whether the odds were against us or not, that we were the better team and we were going to win. And we did. It was a tremendous opportunity. We did it in Toronto, so my family got to be there and see it, which was great. All around, it was such a good moment.
DT: Do you have kicks that were memorable from that season that stand out?
LC: Certainly. In the Grey Cup, I had a 45-yard field goal that I hit that just felt electric. At BC Place in the West Final, I went 4-for-4 in that game. That game for me was just so iconic – the atmosphere, the crowd. It was just so electric. It wasn’t so much about my kicks in a game, it was the atmosphere and being a part of it that was so special.
DT: Would Grey Cup 2007 be the ultimate game for you as far as historical reference?
LC: That’s a good question. Yeah. We won the Grey Cup, so it’s definitely up there. BC Place (for the 2007 semifinal) was definitely another one. Those are certainly the ones that jump out and come to mind.
DT: It jumps off the page at me that when you came to the CFL from Simon Fraser University, you were doing both punting and kicking duties. That doesn’t happen much anymore. How difficult or easy was that?
LC: It was definitely a little more challenging, for sure. They are different styles of kicks. Kicking is one of those things were it’s consistent, repetitive movement. The reality is, between field goals and punting, they are different movements. Some guys have done (both) very well. I was more naturally a field-goal kicker, and that’s why predominantly in my career I did field-goal kicking. I did punting my first year and then I was off and on punting after that. More often, it was more field goals. But it’s a different technique.
DT: One more question before you go. When you look back in totality of your CFL career, what stands out and what do you hope to be remembered for?
LC: Great teammate. For me, it was always about winning and doing what I can to help my team win. Often times, guys will remember me for my work ethic and what I would do to prepare for games, which was probably overboard. (Laughs.) Honestly, my mentality was if folks saw how a kicker was training and preparing themselves, then it would translate (to others) and lead by example. Hopefully, I did that. Also, for the most part, consistent. Every time I tried to bring my best to the field and help my team win. The memories with Riderville and Rider Nation were fantastic. I gave my all every time that I stepped onto that field. Hopefully, that’s what I’m remembered for.
