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Snyder, Edmonton play for Grey Cup on Sunday

CALGARY -- Cole Snyder always dreamed of playing professional football.

For the past two years, the 2019 Southwestern graduate has been living out that dream in the Canadian Football League.

On Sunday, Snyder will reach the league's culmination when his Edmonton Elks take on the Montreal Alouettes in the 113th Grey Cup at McMahon Stadium, home of the Calgary Stampeders. The game, which kicks off at 6 p.m., can be streamed for free on DAZN in the United States.

"It's definitely a unique week with the schedule and all the distractions. There are a ton of different media things going on and people want interviews," Snyder said Wednesday evening from Calgary. "It's really cool to see the hype around the game."

Snyder is a backup quarterback for the Elks and has not attempted a pass this season, but has been Edmonton's short-yardage quarterback, rushing 20 times for 28 yards and five touchdowns.

"I want to be the backup that I would want to have. Whether it's having a great relationship with the other quarterbacks in the room or getting good intel on game day, trying to provide the starter with something that will give him an advantage on the field that he may not be seeing," Snyder said. "It's just having the right attitude and perspective each day at practice."

Cody Fajardo is the Elks' starting quarterback. The 34-year-old University of Nevada product has completed 69.3% of his passes this season for 4,788 yards and 25 touchdowns.

"Cody has been in the league for 12 years and has been to three Grey Cups, including this one," Snyder said. "It's pretty incredible and it's rare sometimes. I'm just soaking it all in."

Montreal and Edmonton played twice during the regular season with each winning on their home fields.

On Saturday, June 20 in Edmonton, the teams went to overtime tied 26-26 after Montreal's Jose Maltos hit a 31-yard field goal at the end of regulation. Maltos then gave the Alouettes a 29-26 lead with a 33-yard field goal in overtime, but Fajardo ran for a 6-yard touchdown later in overtime to give the Elks the win. Snyder's only run in that game went for 2 yards.

"It's unique because it feels like I'm kind of repeating my college career over again. In high school, you are the starter and the big man on campus, then you get to college and you are just fourth or fifth on the depth chart and you have to work your way up," Snyder said of his role. "It's kind of the same thing here, I'm third on the depth chart, but thankfully on game day I still have a role and get to go in there to do the short-yardage stuff, score a touchdown or get a first down whenever my team needs me to."

On Saturday, Aug. 8 in Montreal, the Alouettes outscored Edmonton 10-0 in the third quarter to take a 34-17 lead before cruising to a 48-30 victory. Snyder did not see any time in that game.

"They are a great team, historically great. ... It's going to be a dog fight. We've already played them and we got to see what they're about," Snyder said. "I think it's going to be a great football game. We have the city behind us. We had 40,000 people in the stands, the biggest crowd in Edmonton since 2004 I believe."

The teams arrived in Calgary on Tuesday for this week's festivities. They are sharing McMahon Stadium for practices with the teams rotating time slots each day.

"During free agency last year, we got a lot of really key pieces that, on paper, we knew we would be really talented going into the year. But you never know how the team is going to mesh, come together and battle through adversity. Once training camp happened and throughout the season, we've come together," Snyder said. " ... In pro football, I didn't think teams would be this close. ... It feels like a college or high school team because it's just so much fun to come to the building every day and be with the guys. That is probably the biggest key to our success, honestly."

According to the CFL, last year's broadcast of the 112th Grey Cup on TSN, RDS and CTV averaged a 4.03 million average minute audience, representing a 12% gain over 2024. A total of 10 million fans tuned in with a peak audience of 5.01 million -- an 11% increase from the year prior, as the Saskatchewan Roughriders closed out their fifth Grey Cup championship.

"This is our Super Bowl, essentially. Playing in the Grey Cup is what you do it for, and it's the pinnacle of the season," Snyder said. "I didn't know too much about the CFL before I got up here. Just to be a part of this game in my second season is pretty incredible."

Snyder signed a two-year contract with the Elks prior to last season and will be a free agent after Sunday's game. But that isn't a concern to him for now; his focus is on Sunday's CFL championship game.

"We've had a lot of success using tempo and going fast, so we just leave the personnel we have out there. ... If I come in, we sub personnel and bring the big guys in," Snyder said. " ... If my number gets called, you don't really have much time to think about it. You get an adrenaline rush, call the play and get it done. You don't have too much time to be nervous.

"The friendships and bonds that I've built with some of the guys on this team are probably bonds that will last a lifetime," he added, "especially after going to a championship game and hopefully walking away with a victory."