'It still hurts,' says Stampeder who fumbled ball in 4th quarter of Grey Cup loss

Calgary Stampeders receiver Kamar Jorden says he knows he might always be remembered for his late-game fumble in Sunday's snowy Grey Cup loss to Toronto  — but hopes to learn from it and move on as a player.

"I feel like you got to embrace it, you can't hide from it," he said at the team's season-end press conference Tuesday in Calgary.

Toronto's Cassius Vaughn scooped up the ball fumbled by Jorden and returned it 110 yards for a touchdown. Declan Cross's two-point convert tied the game at 24-24.

The Argonauts went on to a stunning 27-24 win over Calgary, scoring a field goal with 53 seconds left.

Jorden said he has read all the coverage — good and bad — and reviewed the tapes, and he's taken heart in messages of support from family, friends and fans.

"It helps a little bit, but you know, it still hurts," he said. "I'm just going to move on as well as I can."

Jorden said he's not going to let the unlucky play weigh him down forever.

"The sooner I can sort of look at it in its eye, and kind of learn from it and grow from it, it'll be the best situation for me," he said.

"I don't have no doubt in myself as an athlete, as a football player, as a receiver, to be able to go out and make plays, and put my team in a position to win.

"It was just a bad draw. But, you know, it happens."

Jorden added he's going to deal with it and grow with it.

The native of Pennsylvania said he's hopeful he'll be back with the Stampeders next season.

"This team gave me an opportunity when nobody else did," he said. "I want to give Calgary a championship."

Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson said Jorden's fumble was one of several plays he'd like to have back from Sunday's game.

"That was a big play," he said. "But it wasn't just that one play."

Marquay McDaniel, who broke ranks after Sunday's game by criticizing Jorden for his fumble — he called it a stupid play — didn't walk back his comments but said the media has made too much of it.

"I wasn't taking a shot," he said. "I hold myself to the same standard."

McDaniel said he's glad he didn't say more than he did after the game.

"I did a good job of holding back," he said.

The 33-year-old slotback said he still lives and breathes football, but he's coming off a year that was hard on his body.

"You just don't know how many chances you get."

QB stands by call

After the Argos went ahead on a 32-yard field goal, Stamps quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell had a chance at redemption as the Stampeders moved the ball to Toronto's 25-yard line.

But instead of going for a tie and forcing overtime, he threw his first and only interception of the game, essentially handing victory to the Argonauts.

He stood by that call Tuesday.

"I feel bad for the guys. I just missed the throw," he said.

Mitchell also said Jorden's earlier fumble shouldn't be remembered as the play that lost the game.

"We still had a chance to win that game," he said. "He doesn't need to be taking the blame for it."