It’s been one of the most momentous weeks in Cameron Judge’s life.
First, the 29-year-old and his wife Brittany welcomed son Jax to the family, the couple’s first child.
Then came a phone call the new dad wasn’t expecting; he had been traded by the Calgary Stampeders to the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for talented defensive end Folarin Orimolade.
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“I found out shortly before it became public,” Judge told Argonauts.ca. “My initial response was that I was pretty surprised. But once it all settled down, I was appreciative of the situation that I’m in right now and I’m excited to get out there and get back to playing football.”
Then to cap off an already hectic period, Judge and the Argonauts came to terms on a multi-year contract extension which will keep him in Double Blue until the end of the 2026 season.
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Judge’s first tour of duty in Toronto wasn’t a particularly positive experience. He signed as a free agent in February 2021 but didn’t live up to lofty expectations. The UCLA product suffered a high ankle sprain and was limited to just eight games. It was a frustrating season, one that he’s looking to make up for.
“I’m definitely excited to get some redemption after the first stop,” he said. “All expectations were not met. I’m definitely excited to get out there and make some plays for the fans and let them know they got a good player in return for losing a great player.”
He opted to sign with Calgary as a free agent in 2022, where he got his swagger back and was named a CFL All-Star. In his three seasons with the Stamps, he was named the team’s Most Outstanding Canadian all three years, while this past season he was named Calgary’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Finding his mojo again after the disappointing season in Toronto was big for him. Not only was it a tough year, but it followed the cancelled 2020 season, meaning he hadn’t played as well as he was capable of for two calendar years.
The last three seasons, however, have been vintage Judge. He’s been making tackles, getting to the quarterback, forcing turnovers, and generally being a nightmare to play against. He’s looking forward to not only continuing his outstanding play, but doing so on a contending team, something the Stamps haven’t been for the last two seasons.
“I’m used to being on teams that win, so the last couple of years have been tough mentally,” admitted Judge. “It’s nice to get on a team that’s been very competitive the last few years and I look forward to helping them stay that way.”
The acquisition is a big one for the Boatmen. It gives them the ability to designate one linebacker spot as a National, as the team already has Jack Cassar and the newly acquired Ryder Varga on the roster. American Isaac Darkangelo had an outstanding rookie season for the Boatmen as well.
The club has also made its intentions known publicly that it would like to bring back Wynton McManis and has already brought in other new linebackers to compete for a job.
Needless to say, the club will have more than enough talent in situations when it opts to play in a 3-4 look with an extra linebacker on the field.
Judge is enthusiastic about coming back to Toronto. He has a good relationship with Kevin Eiben and is looking forward to working with him again, and he’s also looking forward to one of the other benefits of being an Argo.
“I remember the meals, definitely, that’s right at the top of my list” he said of the breakfasts and lunches provided at the Argos facility. “Getting a nice breakfast every morning before practice, that’s definitely something I’m excited about.”
He’s also eager to explore the city of Toronto again.
“I’m definitely looking forward to that. I was there right after the Covid year, so there were still some restrictions when I was last living there. I feel like I didn’t get the full experience, so that’s something I’m definitely looking forward to, a re-exploration of the city when it’s up and fully running.”
As much as Judge is looking forward to seeing the city in a new light, the Argos are even more anxious to see him cast aside the 2021 experience in Toronto and perform like he has in the ensuing three seasons.