Canadian K Hajrullahu enjoys stellar return to CFL, complete with Grey Cup trip

VANCOUVER — It's a mouthful, but Lirim Hajrullahu's name comes with a compelling story.

The veteran CFL kicker's first name means "release" in Albanian. Hajrullahu was born in Gjilan, Kosovo, and his family emigrated to Canada in 1999 to escape the civil war there.

But on the day Hajrullahu was born (April 24, 1990), Azem Vllasin, a Kosovo-Albanian politician and lawyer, and 13 others were released from jail in Serbia and acquitted of charges levied against them in 1989.

"When I was born, my uncle said, 'It's a great day, it's freedom, they're free so Lirim would fit (as) his name,'" Hajrullahu said. "So I carry that.

"You're not just given a name, there's meaning behind it so for me, that's special."

On Sunday, Hajrullahu will look to get his name engraved on the Grey Cup for a second time when Toronto faces the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at B.C. Place Stadium. In 2017, Hajrullahu had the game-winning boot in the Argos' 27-24 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.

Hajrullahu, 34, isn't one to look too far ahead but he can see himself again kicking the winning field goal Sunday. That's because visualization has long been a big part of his preparation.

"That's how I mentally prepare," Hajrullahu said. "I do my visualization before going to the stadium, when I'm at the stadium, before I go out and kick.

"Every day, especially on game days because that's when I visualize success and going one-for-one. Every kick, every situation is different and so if I can focus on that one play for one kick, that's been our motto this year."

Hajrullahu returned to Toronto this season following an NFL stint (2020-22) with the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina, Washington, and Dallas. He appeared in four games, making four-for-five field goals and all eight converts while recording 17 kickoffs.

Hajrullahu has been stellar this season, hitting on 55-of-61 field goals (90.2 per cent) and 35-of-37 converts (94.6 per cent). On Sept. 28, the five-foot-11, 205-pound kicker booted eight field goals — a club record, and tying the CFL mark — in a 37-31 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

While Hajrullahu — pronounced HIGH-roo-LAH-hoo — has been rock solid, it's been a roller-coaster season for Toronto. It was without starter Chad Kelly for the pre-season and first nine regular-season games while he served a CFL suspension for violating its gender-based violence policy.

When Kelly was reinstated, Toronto had a 5-4 record. After three straight first-place finishes, the Argos (10-8) were second in the East before dispatching Ottawa 58-38 in the division semifinal then advancing to the Grey Cup with a 30-28 win over Montreal last weekend.

But Kelly suffered a serious leg injury versus Montreal, so veteran Nick Arbuckle will make his first Grey Cup start Sunday.

Throughout the season, Toronto has relied heavily upon its defence (CFL-best 48 sacks) and special teams (Hajrullahu and dynamic returner Janarion Grant). This year, Hajrullahu established career highs in field goals tried and made and welcomed the workload.

"As a kicker you strive for those moments, you want to be put in those positions where guys trust you to make those final kicks," he said. "That's one of the main reasons why I was brought here.

"So whether we kick one field goal or eight, I'm preparing the same way, just go one-for-one on every kick."

Hajrullahu is completing his 11th pro season and will play in his third Grey Cup. He was with Hamilton in 2019 when it lost 33-12 to Winnipeg, the Bombers' first of five straight championship appearances.

Hajrullahu began his pro career with Winnipeg in 2014, making the team an undrafted free agent out of Western Ontario.

"Winnipeg gave me an opportunity to be on this stage and because of that I've been able to propel my career and be here," Hajrullahu said. "I'm grateful for that and their trusting me back then … but I'm with Toronto and have to win it for our side."

Getting reacclimated to Canadian football was nowhere near Hajrullahu's biggest challenge this season.

"The tougher thing was getting to know the names again," he chuckled. "I get jokes all the time about being old but for me I take that as an honour because when I first came into the league I just wanted to make the team in Winnipeg.

"I didn't know how long I was going to play so I was prepared in my off-season to do as much as I could to better prepare myself for life after football. This is my third Grey Cup and I've played 11 years as a pro, so it's not really a transition. For me it's more the opportunity I get to play this game and that's what I am grateful for."

And for being allowed to continue establishing relationships that will carry on long after Hajrullahu's playing days are over.

"Every year is special, but meeting new people like John (Argos Australian punter John Haggerty) and Adam (Canadian longsnapper Adam Guillemette) is gratifying," Hajrullahu said. "It's like a full-circle moment when you get to be my age and can be with different people from around the world and younger guys.

"Some days we have an hour before offensive and defensive meetings so we'll go grab a coffee and come back and just provide some sort of experience that we can look back on, that's what the CFL is about. I'm hoping I give them moments that we can look back on 10 years from now and say, 'I really enjoyed that.'"

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.