Nov. 18, 2020

OL
6’6 | 293lbs
29 Years old
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Minor Football: Toronto Jr. Argos
College: Iowa Hawkeyes Football
CFL: Ottawa Redblacks

Nolan MacMillan is a current CFL offensive lineman for the Ottawa Redblacks. He was the first player ever to be drafted by the Redblacks, taken ninth overall in the 2013 CFL draft. He grew up in Toronto where he played his summer football with the Toronto Jr. Argos. He then played four years of Division I Football in the NCAA for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Here is our conversation with Nolan as we tackle varying topics ranging from weightlifting regiments, to winning a Grey Cup, to his favourite pre-game meal.

1.)  YOUR BEST MOMENT OR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT PLAYING YOUR MINOR FOOTBALL IN TORONTO AND BEING A JR. ARGO?
A:  I felt very supported and encouraged to be a part of the team.  I was welcomed, and it really made me feel comfortable and maximized my ability to focus on being the best football player I could be.  I could tell the organization wanted us to win as a team and wanted me to succeed.

2.)  WHO WERE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES GROWING UP?
A: My biggest influences growing up were my family. I really looked up to my Grandfather and always wanted to make my family proud.

3.)  HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED LIFTING PROPER WEIGHTS IN THE WEIGHT ROOM?
A: When I was in grade 10, I started lifting weights in the weight room with some teammates.  We operated under the guidance of their older brother who also played football.  I started looking up workout routines from Joe Defranco. https://www.defrancostraining.com/westside-for-skinny-bastards-part3/

4.)  WITH YOUR ABUNDANT KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME, IF YOU COULD PICK ONE POSITION OTHER THAN OL, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU HAVE FUN PLAYING?
A: I think playing TE would be fun because you still get to block and play physical but there is also the option of being involved with the passing game.  I really like watching TEs who play a complete game and have fun doing it like Gronk and George Kittle

5.)  DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS OTHER THAN FOOTBALL IN HS OR DURING YOUR YOUTH?  HOW IMPORTANT WERE THEY TO YOUR OVERALL DEVELOPMENT AS AN ATHLETE?
A: Growing up I played hockey, always as a defenceman. In high school I also competed in the field events of shot put and discus.  I think hockey really helped me as an olineman both with my lateral movements as well as already being comfortable moving backwards (backwards skating and taking a pass set). Moving backwards is an unnatural thing and I think this helped me a lot.

6.)  HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE/ADJUSTMENT WAS PLAYING OL WITH AMERICAN FOOTBALL RULES (NCAA) COMPARED TO PLAYING CANADIAN RULES (CFL).
A:  I found when I came back from NCAA to the CFL the 1 yard spacing off the ball took some getting used to.  I had become used to things happening right away and I initially would miss my fits in the run game.  It took me a while to learn the right amount of patience and anticipation to work out the yard off the ball.

7.)  WHAT WAS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING TIME WHERE YOU WERE FACED WITH ADVERSITY EITHER ON OR OFF THE FIELD IN YOUR COLLEGIATE CAREER?
A:  Dealing with injuries has been a consistent challenge for me during my career.  It is very difficult to overcome an injury both while it is healing by feeling isolated from the team as well as building your confidence back up to go out and perform at the level that is expected and required.

8.)  YOU WERE THE OTTAWA REDBLACKS FIRST EVER DRAFT PICK IN THEIR TEAM HISTORY.  HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?  DID YOU FEEL ANY ADDED PRESSURE BEING A #1 ROUND DRAFT PICK?
A:  I was proud that Ottawa picked me in the first round.  My first year was the team’s first year as they were an expansion team.  This really helped ease some of the pressure off my rookie year since everyone was new to the team and expectations overall for the team’s performance were relatively low.  Still it was a big change to be around full grown men who played football to provide for their families and I wanted to live up to the expectations of being a first round pick. 

9.)  AFTER BEING IN THE LEAGUE FOR OVER 7 YEARS NOW, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT THE CFL?
A:  I enjoy the process of the team coming together and each team forming its own unique identity every year.  I have been very lucky to play on some really great teams over my career and with some really great men and teammates.  Going through the season with its ups and downs with your teammates is a really unique experience and something I am very grateful to have experienced. (winning makes it a lot more enjoyable and memorable). 

10)  WHAT IS THE STRONGEST PART OF YOUR GAME?  AND WITH THE GAME ALWAYS CHANGING AND EVOLVING, WHAT PART OF YOUR GAME ARE YOU CONSTANTLY IMPROVING ON?
A:  I am a very athletic olineman who is competitive and wants to physically dominate the opponent.  I have worked a lot on my pass set since coming back to Canada from the NCAA, that is something that is always evolving. As you get older and more experienced anticipating what the opponent is going to do and trying to influence them is something that I have started to work on. Seeing the bigger picture of what the defence might be trying to do before it happens.

11.)  WHAT IS YOUR GAME-DAY MEAL AND ROUTINE?
A:  I would get up around 9am have a big breakfast lots of protein (steak and eggs ideally) and lay down watch some film or read a book to relax.  Lunch I would have something lighter like chicken or fish, rice and vegetables and cook enough to have some left over for closer to game time.  Take a nap after lunch. Wake up and get my stuff together to head to the stadium for 4:30. Have a meeting with the offense, then eat whatever I brought and start warming up and getting dressed for warmups with the team. Hydration starts a few days before game day and is really an everyday thing.

12.)  BESIDES ACTUALLY WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE MOMENT OF THE 104TH GREY CUP?
A: The fact that it was in Toronto meant a lot of my family and friends could be there for it and that really meant a lot because of all the great support I have had in my football career.

13.)  WHAT IS A BRIEF OFF-SEASON ROUTINE IN TERM OF WORKOUTS? 
A: The past 2 off seasons I have been training at Canadian Strength with Sean Young.  The first few weeks of each off season are general GPP (general physical preparedness) workouts which means lots of reps and not much weight as we work on any deficiencies that may have developed over the course of the season.

The majority of the offseason is a 5 day split with Saturday and Sunday off.  We do Monday Upper Body, Tuesday Lower Body, Wednesday Plyometric and core Thursday Upper and Lower, Friday conditioning (strength circuit). 

As we get closer to training camp we focus less on how heavy we are lifting and instead focus on being in peak condition, being functional with our strength as we work through the full range of motions and prepare to get back on the field and stay healthy. 

14.)  KNOWING WHAT YOU KNOW NOW, IF YOU COULD SAY ONE THING, TO YOUR 18-YEAR-OLD SELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A: Believe in yourself and keep improving.  Where you are now is really irrelevant, have big dreams and believe in them and don’t be shy about it.

15.)  HOW IMPORTANT WAS PLAYING SUMMER FOOTBALL TO YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS A FOOTBALL PLAYER?
A: Never having played before high school and not playing much at all in grade 9, summer football really helped bring my game up to speed and take the lessons I had learned on the practice field and implement them in live situations.

16.)  ANY ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE TO A YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYER TRYING TO REACH THE NEXT LEVEL, EITHER U SPORTS OR NCAA?
A: First, make sure you are maximizing your talents in the classroom.  Being a good student and an upstanding citizen really matter.  Set an ambitious goal for what school and team you want to play for and write it down, then do everything to achieve it.  Really have a purpose and an end goal in mind to focus on when you are working out, on the practice field and in a game situation. 

17.) WITH THE MAJORITY OF TACKLE FOOTBALL BEING CANCELLED AT ALL LEVELS WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE PLAYERS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THIS ALONGSIDE OF YOU RIGHT NOW?
A: I would first really encourage you all to keep in touch with your teammates.  Coordinating your routines and even just talking about football or plans and goals can help keep you motivated to do what you can.  Find solutions to workout in a safe way and find resources on line to learn more about your position and more about the game in general.  Everyone is going through this, but not everyone will use this time the same.

18.)  HOW WAS THE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD FROM MINOR FOOTBALL TO COLLEGE, AND FROM COLLEGE TO THE CFL?
A: It was very intimidating to start college football.  It is an intense and competitive setting.  There is a lot to learn and there are a lot of people competing for a limited number of spots.  For university the fact that I was able to stay on top of my course work made it easier for me to focus on football when I needed to.  There is a ton of structure in University so being able to listen to direction and take coaching is absolutely essential.  Being early for everything and making eye contact and forming a good rapport with all the coaches is very very important and will help ease the transition.

For the CFL all the structure that was in place in college is now gone.  It is on you to maintain and push yourself to get better when you’re away from the facility.  The habits I learned at Iowa really helped me through the first couple of seasons as I developed my own routine and figured out how to be a pro.

Basically, look for someone who you want to emulate and figure out how and what they do.  Then adapt this to suit your own personality. 

19.)WHAT DOES LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
A: I am a husband and father now and spending time with my family is always a priority. Since this season has been cancelled I have started working at RBC Dominion Securities as an Investment Advisor. My passion for the competitive atmosphere of finance, relationship building, and working on a team have me very excited as I start out on what will become my next career after football.



Interview conducted by André Brock