Ottawa Redblacks quarterback Nick Arbuckle has eyes on a future in Ottawa

The newest Ottawa Redblacks quarterback is very excited to be an Ottawa Redblacks quarterback, although this contract in Ottawa isn’t the only thing Nick is focused on heading into the remainder of 2020. Arbuckle and his wife Zakiyyah Shabazz are expecting a baby girl this coming May, and Nick is extremely excited about the arrival of the baby that he’s added a piece to his wardrobe to say so.

Today the Ottawa Redblacks had a press conference in which Nick Arbuckle announced his future with the Ottawa Redblacks, but the ribbon found on the right of his chest stole the show. The ribbon has written on it “Daddy to be” and Arbuckle explains at the podium, “My wife has her belly to indicate she’s going to be a mom, so I felt like I needed something too.” With the ribbon, Arbuckle shows his excitement in being a father, but found in his voice was his excitement to become the next starting quarterback here in Ottawa.

Arbuckle’s rights were traded to the Ottawa Redblacks in early January, and they agreed upon a contract just last week. The contract brings him to Ottawa for two seasons, although he wants to be here more than just 2 years. He explains, “Moving full time to Ottawa is in the conversations with my wife and I, it will definitely be a different off-season next year compared to previous ones because we did move back to the states the last off-season, but what ever seems the most stable, because we’re all about stability” Along with that quote from Nick Arbuckle, he also said while up on the podium that football is the perfect job for him and his future, “In this job, I can have the ability to succeed and be known for football, but I can also see myself spending a lot of family time also and be a good husband and father, so I look forward to raising a family in Ottawa during and hopefully after playing football.”

Arbuckle and Shabazz (Arbuckle’s wife) look to raise a family in Ottawa in the future which follows the contract agreement between both him and the Ottawa Redblacks, but why did he choose Ottawa? Well, he explains his decision in an interview with myself saying, “The city and the people (sold me to play here), it may sound weird but the people I talked to in the city and who had experience in Ottawa sold me to sign here full time. There’s this guy that works valet at the Westin hotel downtown Ottawa, and during my first visit here in January, I got to know him and he was one of the only people I met at the beginning of my visit in Ottawa and he was really warm and welcoming. He is a guy I talked to for several minutes while I was there and he later found out who I was so he was rooting for me to sign. The conversations I’ve had with the people here have really made my decision clear that I signed here in Ottawa.”

It seems like his visit here in Ottawa is what sold him on signing in Ottawa, but before he was able to make those decisions and before his rights were traded to Ottawa, he played a couple games here with the Calgary Stampeders, he explains his favorite part of the trips to Ottawa was winning, although when he looked back onto it he explained, “Whenever we were here, we stayed at the Westin, and it felt like a great downtown environment, and when we are on the road, I’m not one to get out and walk around but when we were in Ottawa it was much different. I personally loved walking around the market and taking a look at the city. Not only is the city so great, but the stadium is one of the coolest in the league with the canal right in the backdrop, you’ve got to love it!”

All in all, Nick Arbuckle is more than excited to be on the home side of TD place this upcoming season, and you fans better be ready to cheer him on! Checkout the video version of our interview below!