William Stanback believes the balance of power has shifted in the CFL and his new team could be the beneficiary.
The Ottawa Redblacks’ new running back was predictably positive about the franchise’s prospects in a recent training camp interview with TSN 1200, but in so doing made some bold proclamations about the strength of the East Division.
“I think we can take on anybody. Earlier in my career, the West was always stronger. Everyone looked at that. You can look at the power rankings and the wins and everything, but I just really feel like the East has a lot of great players and it’ll be tough for West teams to beat East teams,” Stanback asserted.
“And if we’re talking about the East only, I think we can be the best team in the East. I’m not just saying that just because I’m a part of this club now, but I truly feel that. A bunch of these guys that I played against, I know what they can do.”
The Redblacks were 9-8-1 last season, finishing third in the East and returning to the postseason for the first time since 2018. But unlike years past, the crossover never seemed like a viable threat to them as that record was tied with the second seed in the West. Collectively, East teams posted a 22-16 record against the once-dominant West as Montreal, Toronto, and Ottawa all won twice as many inter-divisional matchups as they lost.
Stanback spent the first five seasons of his CFL career in the East when it was anything but dominant, but took a foray out West in 2024 with the B.C. Lions. That team managed to post a winning record against the East despite stumbling to a 9-9 finish marred by locker room strife. After recording 1,175 rushing yards, 413 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns, the 30-year-old was unceremonious cast aside ahead of free agency.
He’s been thrilled with his experience since landing in Ottawa and praised the team’s training camp culture, throwing a little shade on his former club in the process.
“This has been electrifying. Everyone’s flying around. The energy has been at an all-time high. You could tell the camaraderie that we have in the locker room already,” Stanback remarked. “Me personally, coming here from B.C. and everything, I was familiar with it from my years in Montreal, so I was super excited to join the team and get with the guys and get the ball rolling.”
The move to Ottawa had plenty of exciting elements, including a reunion with his former Montreal teammate Eugene Lewis. He’s also built a fast friendship with quarterback Dru Brown, who reached out to him as soon as he was signed and helped him get set up with accommodations.
However, the thing that has Stanback the most optimistic about joining the Redblacks has nothing to do with the potentially high-powered offence he’s joining.
“This defence, I used to tell people when they used to ask me, ‘What was the hardest hitting team or the toughest team to run against?’ I used to say the Ottawa Redblacks D-line,” he stated. “I say that to them every single day that I’m appreciative to be a part of this team now because you guys ain’t got to tackle me no more. Kudos to those guys on defence. Those guys are going to help us in the long run, for sure.”
The Redblacks will open the 2025 regular season on Thursday, June 5 when they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders for an inter-divisional matchup.
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