Everyone loves a Cinderella story, and the Edmonton Elks are writing one of the CFL's best.
A year after finishing last in the West Division with a 7-11 record, and enduring a stretch of 22 consecutive home losses, the Elks are heading to the Grey Cup.
Edmonton completed a remarkable turnaround with a 13-5 regular-season record before knocking off the B.C. Lions 28-16 in the West Final. Now, only the Montreal Alouettes stand between the Elks and a championship.
But how did Edmonton go from the bottom of the West Division to the Grey Cup in just one season?
Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honour quarterback Darian Durant believes the transformation starts at the top.
"You have to start with (general manager) Ed Hervey. You have to start there and just bringing back the foundation," Durant told the SportsCage. "It seems like everywhere he goes, he seems to turn that team into a winner."
Hervey's leadership has been complemented by the energy of coach Mark Kilam, who Durant believes has helped change the culture in Edmonton.
"Then you go to the head coach, the fire, everything that he provides, the spark that he gives that team," Durant said.
While much of the attention has been focused on quarterback Cody Fajardo and the Edmonton offence, Durant believes the biggest part of the Elks' resurgence on the field might be on the other side of the football.
Defensive coordinator J.C. Sherritt has transformed Edmonton's defence into one of the CFL's most formidable units.
"I know everyone would say Cody Fajardo and everything that he's doing, but what doesn't get talked about a lot is this Edmonton defence," Durant said. "They were first in overall points per game. They had the most interceptions in the league. For him to take this group of pretty much a whole bunch of unknown guys and to turn them into the best defence in the league, you have to give J.C. Sherritt a ton of credit for that."
For Durant, Edmonton's success is a reminder that championship teams are built on more than star power. It takes leadership, coaching, and a defence capable of making game-changing plays.
"I start with Ed and then move on down to Coach Kilam and then that defence for sure," he said.
The Elks will look to put the finishing touches on their Cinderella season Sunday when they face Montreal in the Grey Cup. From 22 straight home losses to one win away from a championship, Edmonton's turnaround has already been remarkable.
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