One down, two to go: Bo Levi Mitchell bids farewell to Calgary as ex-EWU teammates T.J. Lee and Vernon Adams Jr. prepare for CFL semifinal

Nov. 10, 2022 Updated Thu., Nov. 10, 2022 at 7:13 p.m.

By Dave Cook For The Spokesman-Review

As Bo Levi reflects on future, ex-mates reflect on his career

Late in Calgary’s final game of the CFL regular season on Oct. 29, head coach Dave Dickenson, a former standout quarterback at Montana, inserted Bo Levi Mitchell.

In what will most likely prove to be his last home appearance as a Stampeder, the former Eastern Washington quarterback received a warm reception and sendoff from fans in that 36-10 victory over Saskatchewan.

“He received a great round of applause in his last home game,” said Vernon Adams of the quarterback he essentially replaced at EWU. “He’s the two-time MVP and Grey Cup Champion – somebody is going to want him for sure.”

Mitchell said at his final Calgary press conference on Monday he hopes to one day be reunited with Dickenson, who won the Walter Payton Award in 1995 when he led Montana to the national title. Fifteen years later, Mitchell led EWU to the same championship before winning the Payton Award in 2011.

“No matter when that comes, he’d be the first phone call I make,” says Mitchell. “I’d love to coach for him and with him – he’s a guy I’m still learning from and always will. I still haven’t soaked up all the information he knows how to give out – his brain is much bigger than his head is. He’s smart and a guy I want to be around.”

T.J. Lee and Mitchell were teammates on EWU’s 2010 national championship team, but have been on opposite sides of the field since 2014 when Lee joined the British Columbia Lions. In fact, the Stampeders were the opponent for Lee’s CFL debut when he had a pair of interceptions – one for a touchdown – in BC’s 37-13 preseason victory over Calgary on June 20, 2014.

“Bo Levi put my career on track,” said Lee earlier this season. “He threw an interception right to me, and that was my first interception. Ultimately it kept me on the roster, so I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Lee has intercepted Mitchell several times in the last eight seasons in the CFL, but the Stampeders have had the upper hand in scoring and victories.

“Bo was established and is a winning player,” says Lee of his respect for Mitchell, who directed Grey Cup victories in 2014 and 2018, and runner-up finishes three times. “He’s gotten Calgary a lot of wins.”

Former Eagle defensive end Greg Peach, who played at Eastern from 2005-08 and in the CFL from 2009-2015, commented to Mitchell on Instagram after the announcement. He played for three different CFL teams, and in the final five years he was tasked with chasing down Mitchell.

“You were a beast from the first snap,” Peach commented. “What an incredible career. It was a pleasure playing against you and watching you dominate. Hall of Fame is next.”

Mitchell and his wife, Madison, are prepared to leave their home in Calgary for a new adventure. They have two young daughters.

“From two kids, fresh out of EWU, to having two kids of our own,” said Madison in her own Instagram post. “It’s pretty amazing to look at all the memories and friends we’ve made, and so crazy how fast time has flown by. Thank you Calgary for 10 amazing seasons.”

– Dave Cook

With more than 32,000 passing yards in a decade of work on his resume, Bo Levi Mitchell has said farewell to the Calgary Stampeders.

But not goodbye to the Canadian Football League.

The former Eastern Washington University quarterback announced his impending departure on Monday, just one day after coming off the bench to rally his team in what became a 30-16 loss to British Columbia in the CFL’s West Division semifinal.

While Mitchell’s season is over, the B.C. victory means that two former Eagles – starting defensive halfback T.J. Lee III and backup quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. – will be with the Lions on Sunday when they play Winnipeg for the West title. Another former Eagle and CFL stalwart, Ryan Phillips, is the defensive coordinator for the Lions.

The winner earns the right to play on Nov. 20 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan, in the Grey Cup. Winnipeg is the two-time defending champion.

Earlier in the season, Mitchell became Calgary’s all-time leading quarterback and ended his 10-year career with the franchise with 32,541 yards. He lost his starting position at midseason to former UC Davis quarterback Jake Maier, and Mitchell hadn’t thrown a pass since Aug. 20 until the playoff game.

Mitchell finished 8 of 11 for 147 yards on Sunday, and he directed the Stampeders to a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter in relief of Maier. Calgary trailed 20-6 late in the third quarter.

“It was fun to get back out there, but I just wish we could have made it happen there at the end,” Mitchell said at a news conference Monday.

Calgary is committed to Maier for the next two years, which led to Mitchell’s announcement via Instagram earlier on Monday. Mitchell is set to be a free agent in February .

“I will always look back on these days, good or bad, and smile,” Mitchell said in his post. “The tough times made the great ones so sweet! Thank you to all the fans and season ticket holders through the years that supported us. To all my teammates that wore the Red and White, THANK YOU! It will never be lost on me how lucky was to share the field with you!”

The 2011 Walter Payton Award winner at EWU after helping the Eagles win the 2010 NCAA Division I Championship, Mitchell has earned the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player honor twice in his illustrious career. He also led Calgary to a pair of Grey Cup titles and was the game’s MVP in both.

He played in 165 regular-season games for Calgary, and completed 64% of his 3,866 career passing attempts for 32,541 yards, 188 touchdowns and 89 interceptions. Those totals don’t include the 17 playoff games (9-8 record) the Stampeders have played in the past decade with Mitchell on the roster.

Mitchell expects to spend the offseason gauging the interest of others teams in the league. He expects to be with another club next spring when training camps begin.

“Yes, I’m closer to the end of my career than the start,” Mitchell said the week before the playoff game. “But I feel healthy and ready to play a few more years in the league.”

“I want to be a starter and I’ll never accept sitting back and watching somebody else play,” he told reporters at the Monday news conference. “We’ll see what happens, but I’m keeping my head up, staying confident and looking forward to playing football.”

One down, two to go: Bo Levi Mitchell bids farewell to Calgary as ex-EWU teammates T.J. Lee and Vernon Adams Jr. prepare for CFL semifinal

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