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Longtime Calgary Dinos wide receiver 'dreamt of this for a long time'
Published May 07, 2026 • Last updated 6 minutes ago • 5 minute read
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Receiver Matt Sibley catches a pass during the Calgary Stampeders rookie camp at McMahon Stadium on Wednesday May 6, 2026. Gavin Young/Postmedia Gavin Young/Postmedia
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Matt Sibley says he has “all the jerseys” of the Calgary Stampeders.
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But the official one now hanging in his locker at McMahon Stadium is the one that excites the Calgarian most …
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For good reason, of course.
“I’ve dreamt of this for a long time,” admitted a smiling Sibley, after becoming a draft pick last week of his favourite football team.
“Yeah … I’m a huge Stamps fan,” continued the 22-year-old wide receiver. “My family had season tickets — I think the first game I went to I was only like a month old or something. It was a big family tradition. So been coming to Stamps games since I was a little kid. And I’ve got all the jerseys, and … yeah … I’ve spent a lot of time at McMahon Stadium.”
Sibley now has the opportunity to spend his career here after being plucked by the Stampeders in the third round of the 2026 CFL Draft.
The longtime Calgary Dinos star hopes it leads to following in the cleats of the many offensive weapons he grew up rooting for with the Red and White.
“I was a big Ken-Yon Rambo fan — huge,” Sibley said. “I’ve always watched him. I feel like I’ve always kind of tried to model my game similar to him.
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“And Nik Lewis … I was a huge fan. I think we play a bit differently. To be honest, he’s got a few pounds on me, but those two guys are two guys I always watched.
“And obviously, Jon Cornish and Jabari Arthur — my receivers coach of the Dinos — watched them a ton.”
Along the way, he’s picked up a few things from his idols, and those skills have caught the eyes of everyone along the way.
Especially his ability to catch the ball.
He’s already impressing through two days during the three-day Stamps rookie camp at McMahon.
“Once the ball’s in the air, it’s my football,” Sibley said. “That’s something that I’ve always taken pride in, and it’s something I’ve developed, especially at my time at U of C over the past few years.”
Indeed, the arts student and 2023-24 U SPORTS academic all-Canadian spent the last four seasons with the Dinos, hauling in 105 catches for 1,302 yards and seven touchdowns.
“I think I’m deceptive in my route running — I’m a true route runner,” continued Sibley. “In my eyes. I feel I can get open anywhere on the field.
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“I have good hands and good speed, and I’m good with the ball my hands. So I think it’s just getting that separation.”
He’s not too shabby on special teams, either.
The former Ernest Manning High School star and Okanagan Sun junior football standout has 100 punt returns for 808 yards and 27 kick returns for 585 yards.
“This kid’s an explosive football player,” said Dwayne Cameron, the Stampeders director of Canadian scouting. “He’s fast, twitchy — he runs sub 4.6. Not the biggest guy at 5-foot-10-and-a-half and 190 pounds. So he’s got to go out there and be tough and gritty and make his mark and try and make this roster as a receiver.”
“He’s growing,” continued Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson. “He’s getting better each and every year. He’s strong. He’s willing to get in the weight room. You know … he’s just not the biggest man, but every level he’s competed at, he’s done well.
“And he had to do the hard road — go to the regional combine and then to the national combine, and he just kept excelling. I’ve got faith that he’ll be a good football player in the pros, as well. It takes some time, probably, but he’s out here.”
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Sibley admits the last few weeks have ignited “the highest highs of emotions,” and he knows there’s business at hand to become a Canadian Football League fixture on the field.
“It’s all business now … yeah,” Sibley said. “The team meetings were a wake-up call for sure. That’s a lot of info — they’re definitely testing the mind. And it’s fun, it’s a lot of learning, and a lot of just development that I’m going to go through.
“And I’m all for it. I’m ready to grind.”
The Stamps hope to see that happen from the hometown kid.
“The local connection is just a bonus for us,” Dickenson said. “I mean … we’re going to draft the best player, but for him to be from Calgary and obviously, I think he bleeds red.
“It’s a cool story. But he’s out here to earn his spot and compete. And I trust that he knows what to do, as well, as he’s a good athlete.”
If his work ethic matches his excitement — Cameron said he was the most thrilled of all the selections on draft night — then becoming a CFL talent shouldn’t be a problem.
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“It was cool getting the call,” Sibley said. “But it was really real once I saw the helmet. I think walking into the locker room and seeing the white horse that I’ve dreamt of for so long was like, ‘OK … here we go.’ And actually putting it on, seeing myself and seeing my face in that helmet was pretty special. So that’s when it really kicked in.
“I really want to give back to this community and be a part of Calgary and be a role model for the next generation. And so for me to crack this roster and be in front of the eyes of the youth in Calgary is special.
“I really I want to represent,” added Sibley, who is a flag football coach in the city. “I want to have that last name on the back of the jersey and have the youth look up to somebody that they can see that you can be a hometown kid, a Canadian kid that can get the job done in the CFL.”
SHORT YARDAGE
Rookie camp concludes Friday, with the 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. session at McMahon … Main camp opens Sunday on the Stamps home turf … The Stamps’ first pre-season game goes Monday, May 18, at McMahon (1 p.m.) … The second and final pre-season contest for the club is slated for Friday, May 29, against the host Edmonton Elks (7 p.m.).
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM
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