The 37-year-old inside linebacker and defensive captain officially re-signed Monday night following months of negotiations, agreeing to a one-year deal with an option for 2009.

"I'm glad to have the contract done. It was getting really close to camp," the CFL stalwart told the Champion Tuesday morning. "I wanted to be part of that locker room again, and that desire to win a championship is hard to get out of your system. After the failure of last year, I just wasn't ready to leave."

Among an ever-shrinking field of pro athletes without an agent, the three-time Grey Cup champ said a player really has to eliminate emotion from the mix when negotiating on his own behalf.

"You've got to take that entity out of it."

Toronto has a couple of promising young Canadians they hope will eventually take over O'Shea's duties, though the veteran CFLer -- who begins his 16th season (and 12th with Argos) at camp June 1 -- stressed that's hardly a new scenario.

"Every year they bring in new guys and every year I go in assuming I'm going to lose my job," remarked the five-time Eastern Conference all-star, who did not pursue opportunities with any other club since becoming a free agent in February. "I think that's the way any professional athlete should treat it. You're not supposed to get paid for what you did last season, but what you're going to do this year."

Showing he's still got plenty to contribute on the field, the local linebacker finished last year among the top-10 in defensive tackles with 77 -- his highest total since recording 89 in 2004 -- and is one of only three CFLers in history to surpass the 1,000 DT plateau.

Along with the mantle of leadership that comes from being an Argos mainstay, O'Shea was recently voted in as first vice-president of the CFL Players' Association -- a responsibility he readily embraced.

"I've been a team rep for years and always felt strongly about this. The league is on a nice upswing now, with strong fan, TV and sponsorship support. It hasn't always been like this, but we're flourishing now and I'd like to see that maintained."

While his Argos have undergone a number of changes since last fall -- most notably Rich Stubler succeeding Mike 'Pinball' Clemons as head coach -- O'Shea heads into this season with the same mindset he's had since the early '90s.

"We're going to win a Grey Cup -- I firmly believe that. If you don't there's no point," he stressed. "It's the Grey Cup or nothing."