"Theres no place like home" -- Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz. The road to the 2012 Grey Cup was not comprised of yellow brick. There were no lions, scarecrows or even tin woodsmen along for the journey. The final ingredient that provided the Toronto Argonauts with enough extra courage and heart to win the championship may have come from what the memorable quartet from movie lore was searching for all along - home. Eleven players on last years championship squad hailed from the Greater Toronto Area, a total of 15 called Southern Ontario home. While some of those players, most notably Ricky Foley, have left for various reasons, four new players on this years active roster are from the GTA. Jonathan Hood and Jermaine Reid are CFL veterans who have found their way into double-blue uniforms, while Shane Herbert and Jermaine Gabriel have the opportunity to take their first pro football snaps in front of family, friends and hometown crowds. Gabriel is a native of Scarborough, in the citys east end. He played in the fall at Cedarbrae Collegiate, while his summers were spent starring with the Toronto Thunder of the Ontario Varsity Football League. He also spent some time coaching at Lester B. Pearson Collegiate. The rookie defensive back is arriving just as his favourite player, long-time defensive star Jordan Younger, is leaving after announcing his retirement on the eve of training camp. Gabriel says that the two have crossed paths in the past. "I used to sit all the way up in the nosebleeds and watch the games growing up as a child,” Gabriel said. “I always used to watch the defensive backs, I watched Younger. I met him at e-camp, he was giving me a couple of pointers when we were doing the drills; it was pretty cool." Meeting your idol is one thing, but lacing up the cleats with your favourite CFL team blows that off the charts. "Its unbelievable, the love I get from everybody. Everyone is always checking up on me asking how Im doing and hows the team doing” Gabriel continued. “I feel like ever since I became an Argo everyone is like, Im going to buy an Argos hat, Im going to buy an Argos jersey and come out to all the games. Ive got a bunch of friends with season tickets now, so its been an unbelievable experience." Gabriels fellow freshman has been through the pro experience before, but like the heroine from the movie, things turned out to be a bad dream. Herbert is also from the east side of Toronto, hailing from Ajax. He played at Pickering High School and for the Pickering Dolphins and Oshawa Hawkeyes before heading to Wilfrid Laurier University, where he was a member of the Golden Hawks. He was signed as a free agent by the boatmen in 2011, but didnt make it through camp before being released. He looks like a completely different player this season. "For the past year Ive been working hard on my speed and strength,” Herbert said. “Jim (General Manager Barker) knows the potential I had and when he saw me at the workout I know I impressed him through my off-season training and my hard work and effort. I was fortunate to get invited back and Im just taking it step by step, day by day." At 61" and 190 pounds, the defensive back has the body type and attitude that Argos defensive coordinator Chris Jones loves. In turn, Herbert loves playing in the system that the DC employs. "Im a more in your face DB. Ive got long arms, Im a more rangy guy so its easier for me to get up in someones face and press a receiver and thats what Chris Jones loves. He loves the taller defenders that dont mind getting physical so I feel like I fit this defence quite well." Herberts favourite player as a kid was Damon Allen and he understands the unique opportunity to wear the same jersey as his idol. "Its an honour actually to play for your home team and to have your family and friends come out to the games and support you." Hood comes over from Hamilton after three seasons in black and gold. He appreciates the colour change and is thrilled to be donning the double blue. "It feels awesome. When I was growing up thats all we saw, we saw the Argos practices, we saw Pinball Clemons and everyone. Its amazing, we used to look up to those guys and now Im that guy, it feels great." The man who lit up stadiums wearing number 31 was idolized by just about everyone who saw him play, but what was it about Clemons that drew the native of Mississauga, west of Toronto, to the running backs style? "He was exciting to watch. He always brought energy,” Hood said. “It didnt matter that he was a smaller guy, it didnt matter who he was up against, he was just go, go, go and he made the best of everything and he won a lot of championships and he had lots of success." Hood graduated from Father Michael Goetz Secondary School and also played for the Etobicoke Eagles before heading to a CIS career at both St. Francis Xavier and Western Ontario. Hes certain that playing at home will be good for a jolt of adrenaline every game. "I definitely think so because you have a lot of family and friends that get more involved in the league,” Hood continued. “Even when I was playing in Hamilton it was close, but not everyone got involved. Now that Im in Toronto everyone is coming to the games. I have to make sure 50 people get tickets, its crazy. So it gives you that boost knowing that the support is there. Support is huge and it just gets you fired up to go and play your best." The other veteran is Reid, who suited up for Hamilton and Edmonton before heading home. His six years of pro football may be a bit of a surprise, seeing as he never played any amateur football aside from at St. Marys Catholic Secondary School in Pickering. He may have come to the game late, but it was certainly a case of love at first contact. "It was probably after the first hit. It was an inside run drill. I just shed a block and I leveled the running back and that was it, it got me." He was good enough at St. Marys to head to the University of Akron, where he played for four seasons. Now hes heading home. Reid had heard his name mentioned in trade rumours and was ecstatic to find out he was on his way back to where it all began. "It was amazing, Im going home, my family gets to see me. It was a good feeling, I was just thrilled when I heard the news." But is there an added burden that comes with playing at home? "Besides trying to round up 16 tickets a game its really not that much pressure,” said Reid. “Everything outside of the lines is washed away as soon as you cross those lines every game day, so I try not to think of any of that, I just put all that to the back of my mind and just think about the game." The first game at home will be one the foursome will always remember. Not only is it against the Argos arch rivals from Hamilton, but the 100th Grey Cup Championship banner will be unfurled before kickoff. Fridays game between the Argonauts and Tiger Cats can be heard live on TSN 1050 and TSN1050.ca with Mike Hogan and Sandy Annunziata NFL Jerseys Outlet . Galatasaray said in a statement on its website Monday that Mancini signed a three-year contract and will be paid 3.5 million euros for the upcoming season, with his salary upped to 4. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. http://www.cheapjerseysbasketball.com/ . On Tuesday, Ottawa placed forward Cory Conacher and defenceman Joe Corvo on waivers as trade rumours swirl around the Senators. NFL Jerseys Supply . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. NBA Jerseys China . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. His body broken but his zest for life intact, Collingwood star Dane Swan has confirmed his AFL retirement.Swans future has been up in the air since suffering a serious foot injury in Round 1 of the season, with the injury likened to the impact suffered in a car crash.The 32-year-old said he made a decision two or three weeks ago that he wouldnt be able to play on.I just couldnt trust my foot to go round any more, he said on Tuesday.I was trying to fight the decision a lot in my head. Id probably known for a while that I dont think I could play.It was right in my gut that I needed to go.They say die a hero before you live long enough to be the villain.ESPN AFL expert Jude Bolton, who went to school with Swan in Essendon, told ESPN the midfielder would go down as someone who got the most out of his time on and off the field.I went to the same school as Dane, St. Bernards College [back] when he was tat-less, Bolton said.[But] hes one of the old dinosaurs - [he] loves the other side of football, camaraderie, getting away on footy trips but when you come to the two hours of football on the weekend, he knows how to win games of football.He played in big games, he loves the contest and has an amazing ability to work.We played against each other a lot ... the Swans used to have a bad run against Collingwood and Dane was pivotal [during those games].His workrate and ability to get around the ground was huge - [he played] 258 games of quality and hell go down as one of the great players and certainly one of the great characters.In 14 AFL seasons, Swan certainly became a hero, achieving ccult status for his colourful personality.ddddddddddddHe was awarded the club best and fairest three times, was named as an All-Australian five times and won the 2011 Brownlow Medal.He said his highlight was the 2010 premiership, won in a grand final replay after their drawn decider with St Kilda.Collingwood feted his life and career at their training base on Tuesday, with past and present coaches Mick Malthouse and Nathan Buckley sharing a stage.Malthouse said he saw enough in the left-footer to draft him with pick No. 58 in 2001 even though his feet were pointing east and west and he could barely kick.(He had a) strong family background, strong football club and strong mateship, Malthouse said.The pride factor was the greatest because he was not going to let people beat him.Buckley said he told Swan shortly after he suffered the injury he wanted him to play on in 2017.We were looking forward to seeing him as a forward who came and pinch hit through the middle, he said.I reckon he could have done some real damage.(The injury) was about the only thing that was going to stop him.Swan broke three bones in his foot, including a Lisfranc fracture, in the first minutes of the Magpies season-opening clash with Sydney.Im sad to finish up, he wrote on Instagram, announcing his decision on Tuesday morning.But cant wait for the next part of my life to start to invest more time into my friends and family who have invested 15 years of there (sic) life into mine. 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