MONTREAL – When Redha Kramdi isn’t delivering the type of hellish hits he’s become known for on the football field, you can usually catch him smiling about something.
Those two instances aren’t always mutually exclusive, mind you, as Kramdi, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers strongside linebacker, enjoys fewer things than delivering a crushingly clean hit on an opponent.
His joy for life extends well beyond the sport, and while football has afforded him most of what he has today, and he’s grateful for that, you get the feeling Kramdi would take great pleasure in whatever he chose to do.
JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Redha Kramdi can usually be seen with a smile on his face, whether he’s crushing opponents on the field or relaxing off of it.
“There’s nothing to be sad about,” said Kramdi to the Free Press on Friday. “We’re alive. We’re breathing. I got a roof over my head, food to eat. And I get to play football for a living. I should be thankful every morning. There’s no reason not to smile.”
It’s a perspective on life that Kramdi said gets from his parents. Family has been the one constant for him, providing the kind of loving and supportive environment that’s made him truly appreciate each day.
Kramdi describes his mother, Fatima, as a real jokester, always looking to have a good time and laugh in whatever she’s doing. As for his father, Madani, Kramdi said it’s his wisdom he appreciates most, having travelled the world and facing his share of adversity.
The two immigrated to Canada from Algeria, Kramdi’s father arriving in Quebec when he was in his early 30s, with his mother arriving a couple of years later. His father grew up poor in Algiers, a young boy at the time of the war for independence (1952-62), with both his father and one of his brothers killed before it was over.
“You could get work back home, but you wouldn’t be able to have a good enough job to provide for the family, even to this day in Algeria,” Kramdi said. “To be able to come here, have a job as a cook and be able to provide for his family, for him, that was his dream.”
Both of his parents worked multiple jobs, with Kramdi’s father working days and his mother working nights, to provide for he and his brother Sami, as well as their two sisters, Nesrine and Aya.
Kramdi grew up in a rough neighbourhood in the southwest area of Montreal, where it wasn’t unusual to get caught up in drugs or the gang lifestyle. His parents showered him with love and to keep him out of trouble, they pushed him to play sports.
“We saw what we saw, but we knew the difference between good and bad because we had we had that kind of love at home,” Kramdi said. “Others weren’t as lucky. A lot of people didn’t finish school, but that was important for us.”
Kramdi said he played a lot of basketball growing up, but he often fouled out of games. Football was the perfect blend of skill and the physicality Kramdi still craves.
It wasn’t until Grade 10 that Kramdi started playing the game, shifting from the arts school he was attending to École secondaire Dalbé-Viau, where they had a football program. His parents had one condition, that if he was going to play football, he had to keep his grades up.
With an average in the high-80s, Kramdi was accepted to the University of Montreal, where he played for the Carabins. It was his first or second year there that he realized he could play football professionally and started to set his sights on a career in the CFL.
Kramdi hasn’t finished his degree in Business Administration, including a specialization in IT. He needs just five or six credits, which he’s picking away at by taking classes over the offseason.
His hard work on the football field eventually paid off in 2021, as Kramdi was selected by the Bombers with the 16th overall pick. Playing mostly special teams in his first three seasons, Kramdi is in his first year as a starter and is making waves across the league.
“His potential is very high. This year, we’ve seen a glimpse of what he can become as a dominant, essential player in this league,” Bombers veteran linebacker Shayne Gauthier said. “I’m sure he’s going to be considered as an all-star this year. He might not have the best statistics or as many tackles or interceptions as others, but he’s always in the right place at the right time, and people definitely know that on other teams, too.”
Having grown up nearby, Saturday’s game against the Alouettes is shaping up to be a special one. Kramdi said he has around 30 friends in family coming, including his mother and father, in what will be his mom’s first time seeing him play live.
There will be one person missing, though Kramdi knows his late brother Sami, who died suddenly a short time after he was drafted, will be watching over him. Kramdi said his brother was his biggest fan and that no one took more joy in his successes in life, something he’s now taken forward in his own life, the importance of giving his family the time and attention they deserve.
“The part I’m most excited about is taking pictures with the whole family after the game,” Kramdi said. “And my mom, as long as she’s in the stands having fun with my family, my siblings and my friends, laughing and smiling, that’s all that matters, for real.”
Jef.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca
X: @jeffkhamilton
Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer
Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.
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