By Canadian Press

Despite injury scare, Redblacks QB Henry Burris answers the bell at the Grey Cup

Nov 27, 2016 | 3:00 PM

TORONTO — There was drama over the status of Henry Burris immediately prior to Sunday’s Grey Cup but the veteran Redblacks quarterback answered the bell and looked as good as new as Ottawa ran up a 20-7 halftime lead over the Calgary Stampeders.

The 41-year-old Burris completed 20 of 25 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown in the first two quarters as he won the battle of quarterbacks over Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell. 

For a time, it didn’t even look like the 17-year CFL veteran would play.

Burris, who appeared to be wearing a brace on his left leg, left the pre-game warmup early and headed back to the dressing room at BMO Field. He did not come out with the rest of the Redblacks during player introductions.

Trevor Harris, who split the starting job with Burris this season, and third-stringer Danny O’Brien threw on the sideline ahead of kickoff.

Week in Review

Week In Review: Week of March 16

22h ago

Salmon Arm Fraud

Salmon Arm business loses almost $200,000 to fraud

Mar 21, 2026

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Kamloops food system assessment shows a region growing stronger together

Mar 21, 2026

“We’ll see if he’s available but we have two proven winners here for a reason,” Ottawa coach Rick Campbell said of Burris in an interview with TSN immediately prior to the game.

Campbell said they were checking to see if Burris would be available later. 

But Burris was back out on the field throwing with the other quarterbacks after the national anthem. And he led the Redblacks offence out after the Stampeders punted the ball away.

Helped by a coach’s challenge that kept the first Ottawa drive going, Burris scored the game’s first touchdown on a one-yard rush. Burris completed his first four passes of the game. He missed the fifth and sixth attempts but got a reprieve when Calgary’s Jamar Wall was called on pass interference in the endzone on Greg Ellingson.

Burris’ health was further tested in the second quarter when he was sandwiched by all 549 pounds of Micah Johnson and Ja’gared Davis.

But he got back up and completed 14 of his first 17 pass attempts for 116 yards and one TD as Ottawa built a 17-7 lead in the second quarter. A late field goal upped the led to 20-7 after two quarters.

In a halftime interview with TSN, Burris said his left knee felt fine, but acknowledged having “a little bit of a scare.

“What more do I have to go through on this journey,” he asked.

Burris was limited to just eight regular-season appearances after breaking his pinky finger in the season opener.

He was 4-3 as the Redblacks’ No. 1 quarterback but closed strongly, throwing for 300-plus yards in his last three regular-season starts. He threw for 246 yards and two TDs in snowy conditions in the Eastern Final win over Edmonton.

Burris, named the league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2015, won the CFL championship as a Stampeder in 2008 when he was named Grey Cup MVP after throwing for 328 yards and running for 79 more in Calgary’s 22-14 win over Montreal at Olympic Stadium.

He earned another Grey Cup ring with Calgary in 1998 as a backup to Jeff Garcia.

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press