Calgary Stampeders in CFL's Week 16: Rene Paredes has gone from hurt to historic

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeSportsFootballCFLCalgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders in CFL's Week 16: Rene Paredes has gone from hurt to historic 'Probably my best kick in my career,' said Rene Paredes, of his historic 62-yarder Author of the article: By Todd Saelhof Published Sep 23, 2026 6 minute read Join the conversation Calgary Stampeders kicker René Paredes is lifted up by his team after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Ottawa Redblacks at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. Gavin Young/Postmedia Article content Turns out the ol’ kicker still has plenty of leg left in him. Article content That’s after René Paredes spent much of his 41st year doing something unfamiliar … Article content Article content Waiting. Article content The Calgary Stampeders kicker injured his groin on the first day of training camp, began the season on the six-game injured list and watched rookie Jude McAtamney handle a job Paredes had owned for 15 years. For a player who says he has never been injured during his career, the wait was brutal. Article content Article content He wondered whether his body would cooperate. Jude McAtamney was kicking well. Retirement — something he does not talk about — suddenly felt inevitable. Article content Noon News Roundup Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Throughout his career, availability was part of Paredes’ identity. He arrived in Calgary in 2011 and helped the Stampeders win Grey Cups in 2014 and 2018. This season forced him to prove he could come back before deciding whether to return for another year. Article content Paredes kept working and told Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson he was ready. The Red and White finally restored him to the lineup in Week 13. Four games later, he supplied one of the wildest finishes in franchise history, crushing a 62-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to beat the Ottawa Redblacks in last Saturday’s 40-38 win at McMahon Stadium — the first of a home-and-home set that continues this Saturday in the nation’s capital (1 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary 770 AM). Article content To celebrate that kick, the normally restrained veteran let loose. He…