Over the last month of the season, Bo Levi Mitchell has done three things that were previously unthinkable: become an M.O.P. frontrunner after being benched, marched the Hamilton Tiger-Cats into the thick of postseason contention, and established himself as a fashion icon.
Indeed, the 34-year-old quarterback has led his team to four straight victories and thrown for over 1,300 yards since he arrived at the stadium on Labour Day wearing overalls. The bold fashion choice has been replicated every game since and the fanbase has embraced it. Throngs of Steeltown faithful have donned their own version of the outfit, as the so-called ‘Boveralls’ have become a sensation.
“(My wife) would have laughed at you, and her entire family (would have too),” Mitchell chuckled when asked if starting a clothing craze was ever something he thought possible. “Her sister actually texted me and she said, ‘You being a fashion icon was not on my bingo card this year.'”
“It’s fun. I’ve never been one to have cool outfits. Showing up, typically, it’s a t-shirt and pair of jeans and a hat. Guys going crazy on the bus, I thought it was funny. It’s a good thing to laugh about. I think it’s something that’s just keeping us loose right now.”
While the insistence of Mitchell’s wife, Madison, is the only reason he continues to wear a shirt under his Boveralls, she is not the originator of the trend. That can be credited to Stavros Katsantonis’ dog, Loki, and his small bladder, which forced a pit stop at a Cabela’s on the way to a team gathering at Coulter Woodmansey’s lake house.
“I walked in, I saw the overalls. I was like, man, I bet that the O-line would find it funny if I showed up to the lake house in these overalls, no shirt on, and country hat, just looking country and whatnot,” Mitchell explained. “I did it, they laughed and then they were kind of betting me that I wouldn’t wear it to the game. I wore it to the game and now it is what it is.”
The results were instantaneous. The Ticats knocked off the rival Toronto Argonauts 31-28 in the Labour Day Classic for the first Boverall upset. After a bye week, Hamilton beat the Ottawa Redblacks 37-21, then repeated the feat against the Argos by a score of 33-31. The B.C. Lions were the latest victim, as Mitchell turned a near-perfect second-half performance into 18 fourth-quarter points and a 32-29 come-from-behind overtime victory.
Entering Week 18, the once-dead Tabbies have been resurrected and sit two games back of a crossover playoff spot. While Mitchell isn’t personally superstitious, there is no way he’s taking off the overalls now.
“If anything, I think some of the other guys have become superstitious about it and they were like, ‘Yo, you’re not showing up here without overalls on.’ (Jamal) Peters was on me pretty quick about it,” he grinned.
For the two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player, much of the comedy of the bit comes from how disconnected the workman-like garb is from the rest of his lifestyle.
“I’ve never worn overalls in my life. I had somebody message me, ‘Too bad those Carhartts are never gonna be put to use’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, you’re right,'” Mitchell laughed. “He said, ‘You wanna get your hands dirty, let’s see you put them to use.’ I spit on my hands during games, that’s about it.”
While his throwing hand may not be calloused, the Texas gunslinger has put in enough work on the field to make his outfit feel appropriate. Through 15 games, he leads the CFL in completions (356), attempts (513), passing yards (4,359), passing touchdowns (26), and 300-yard games (8). He sits more than 800 yards above the league’s next most prolific QB.
Because of that success, the overalls have become both an essential and expensive habit.
“I bought a pair for each week. I did see they have a 60-day return policy, so I might try to take them back and get a different colour,” he joked. “Carhartt hasn’t come through with the sponsorship yet, so I had to switch to Dickies.”
This week, it seems that the attire will feature a family twist. According to her Instagram story, Madison, who creates custom denim jackets as a side project, has employed the couple’s two young daughters to design the latest pair of Boveralls with a few more Ticat-specific additions.
You can guarantee that Mitchell will have them on this Friday, October 4 when the Tiger-Cats (6-9) host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-6) at 7:00 p.m. EDT.