Moton Hopkins has been an asset for the Redblacks off the field as well as on.

With a smile that can light up a room, Moton Hopkins for the past three seasons has been a terrific ambassador for the Ottawa Redblacks. A team-first guy, he’s also the sort of presence you need in a locker room. For what he does in the community, for how he treats RNation, he’s become a fan favourite. And he’s also a pretty good football player. ...
“He’s a good football player, he’s a quality person, he’s a great leader and he embodies everything we want in a Redblack,” said general manager Marcel Desjardins.
“There was a point where the team was saying it wasn’t sure which direction it wanted to go,” said Hopkins. “So I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, whether there would still be an option to come back. I’m happy it ended up working out.”
Along the way, the fan base let its feelings be known with plenty of support on social media.
“For me, that was huge,” said Hopkins, who is spending his first winter in Ottawa. “There’s nothing like being wanted, especially by the fan base and the community. That helped me get through the process, having people say, ‘Hey Moton, we want you back, we appreciate you,’ then tweeting the team and telling them to bring me back.”
What he does in the community is important to Hopkins. “I’ve always taken the stance that if I can talk to somebody, smile, take a photo with them, make their day better, then I should do it,” he said. “I like talking to kids, help them understand that they should stay active.”
Hopkins played in 11 regular-season games in 2016. In 35 games over three seasons, he has 50 tackles, eight sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Before landing in Ottawa, Hopkins, a six-year CFL veteran, also played in Winnipeg and Montreal. Finishing his MBA online last month is a step toward looking at his future.
“I just don’t know which direction I want to go in — whether it be football or business,” he said. “I’m trying to find a way to blend the two. I’m definitely at the age where I have to consider what’s next. “It will be tough moving on. You get locked into it, you get used to that football lifestyle and the mentality of being an athlete so, yes, it is a bit nerve wracking to know that’s going to change.”
Soon enough it will be time to get back out on a football field, something Hopkins is looking forward to. “You start to get that edge,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for so long, my body’s almost on a clock now. You start to think, ‘OK, it’s time to get back out there, hit and run around. It’s crazy how quick the off-season has already gone.” ...
“We’re basically maxed out, our roster is full,” said Redblacks GM Marcel Desjardins on Thursday. “It doesn’t mean we can’t cut guys to add guys, but I don’t anticipate that to be the case too often. I’m not saying it won’t happen.”

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