June 3, 2013: You let us know who we missed; more two league players

By: Dirk Soeterik

This is why CFL fans are the most knowledgeable in the world.

Last week we offered up a list with guys that played football in both the CFL and south of the border, and asked you to let us know if we missed any. And let us know you did!  Click here to view the original list.

Below is a list of additional players that laced ‘em up in both the CFL as well as in an American league.

Below are the names that you told us we missed. Thanks again for your keen eyes and memories, and if you can think of even more players, please let us know at leo@cflalumni.org.

Junior Ah You

Ray Alexander

Ian Beckles

Roy Bennett

Marc Boerigter

Brandon Browner

John Chick

Kenny Clark

Pinball Clemens

Larry Crawford

Rufus Crawford

Dean Dorsey

Robert Edwards

Scott Fitzkee

Mervyn Fernandez

Bryan Fryer

Marc Gastineau

Eugene Goodlow

Terry Greer

Daryl Hall

Mark Hatfield

Rashad Jeanty

James Jefferson

Melvin Jenkins

Ronney Jenkins

Tyrone Jones

Kerry Joseph

Kenny King

Eric Kramer

Cleo Lemon

Rocky Long

Dexter Manley

Jim Mills

Steve Morley

James Murphy

David Overstreet

Kerry Parker

Lawrence Phillips

John Priestner

Bill Quinter

Jon Ryan

Sean Salisbury

John Sciarra

RJ Soward

Bennie Thompson

Lawrence Tynes

Joey Walters

Barry Wilburn

Tyrone Willams

Gary Wood

Pat Woodcock

Jim Young

 

 

May 29, 2013: Riders honour Makowsky, Davis

via:  http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/Riders+honour+Makowsky+Davis/8447658/story.html

BY MURRAY MCCORMICK, LEADER-POST

Gene Makowsky and Eddie Davis were both locks for induction into the Plaza of Honor after their exemplary tenures with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The only question was when the legends would have their names included among the other individuals whose contributions have been recognized with their induction into the CFL team’s shrine. That question was answered Tuesday when it was announced that Makowsky and Davis will be inducted into the plaza on Sept. 20 at the Credit Union EventPlex.

Davis retired after the 2009 season, two years before Makowsky hung up his cleats. In Makowsky’s case, the plaza’s selection committee waived its three-year waiting period, a move that can be made under exceptional circumstances. His career, coupled with the fact that Regina is hosting the 101st Grey Cup game on Nov. 24, paved the way for early induction.

“It wasn’t a matter of whether Geno would get in. It was a matter of when,” Plaza of Honor selection committee chair John Lipp said during Tuesday’s media conference at Mosaic Stadium. “We decided that because it was a Grey Cup year, we wanted to have a couple of guys who had Grey Cup rings. Geno is one of those and for that we made an exception. I think you understand why this was a good choice.”

Davis and Makowsky are fitting inductees because they shared in the Riders’ 23-19 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 2007 Grey Cup game. Both of their names will be added to the Plaza of Honor cairn outside Mosaic Stadium. Makowsky was on hand for Tuesday’s announcement, while Davis wasn’t available for comment.

“It’s a privilege and honour to be associated with the Roughriders,” said Ma-kowsky, who retired after 17 seasons with the Roughriders. “(Being on the plaza cairn) will be a permanent aspect of that.”

Makowsky was selected by the Riders in the second round (23rd overall) of the 1995 CFL draft after starring with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. In 1995, Regina hosted the Grey Cup game for the first time. By 2003, when Regina again staged the Grey Cup, Ma-kowsky was established as a starter.

Makowsky played in four Grey Cup games with the Riders, winning it all in 2007. The fact the Riders came up short in the 1997, 2009 and 2010 games makes the 2007 Grey Cup ring all the more special for Makowsky.

“That’s what you play for and that’s why the players right now are lifting all of the weights,” said Makowsky, who was named the CFL’s most outstanding lineman in 2004 and 2005. “That’s why they are putting their bodies through training camp coming up here and through the long grind of the season.

“That can go on for years and years for some players. It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work, not all individually but with your coaches, teammates and people in the front office.”

Davis’s 15-year CFL career started with the Birmingham Barracudas in 1995. He was selected by the Calgary Stampeders in the 1996 dispersal draft after the Barracudas folded. He shared in Calgary’s 1998 Grey Cup victory and signed with the Riders as a free agent in 2001.

Makowsky recalled that Davis was one of the first marquee free agents to sign with the Riders as they attempted to turn the corner during a tough time in the history of the franchise.

“He was an elite all-star that wanted to come here,” said Makowsky, who was a five-time CFL all-star. “I think he could have stayed comfortably in Calgary, but he wanted to be part of something here.”

Makowsky was also impressed by Davis’s longevity.

“To play 15 years as an import defensive back says it all because in the CFL that position is there to be abused,” Makowsky said of Davis, who was a four-time CFL all-star.

“The wide field and the running starts from the guy that he had to cover … if you can last 15 years, that says a lot about a guy.”

Davis lives in Calgary, where he returned during the off-seasons while he was with the Riders.

Makowsky, a native of Saskatoon, made Regina his home while playing for the Riders. During the 2011 season, he was elected as a member of the Saskatchewan legislature. He’s enjoying his new career as the MLA for Regina Dewdney.

“It’s certainly a lot less physical and I’m not sore all of the time,” Makowsky said with a chuckle. “I’m learning a lot, just like I did in my first few years of football.

“There were a lot of veterans around me to help me along. There is a lot of information, but you try to find your way.”

mmccormick@leaderpost.com

Read more: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/sports/Riders+honour+Makowsky+Davis/8447658/story.html#ixzz2UnLNRX23

May 23, 2013: Real North South types of players

By Dirk Soeterik

Have you ever tried to play a game, doing everything you learned and practiced over and over and over again, but have not only the rules change, but also the actual size of the field?

The history of the great game of CFL football is rife with players that have been able to do just that. They have been able to alter their game to both the style played in Canada, as well as in the U.S.

From Dieter Brock, Doug Flutie, Rocket Ismail, Joe Kapp, Warren Moon and many others, fans both north and south of the Canada-U.S. border have had the pleasure of watching these talented athletes excel in the CFL, NFL and AFL.

Below we’ve listed the players that come to mind when we think about these two-league warriors. Do you know of any we’re missing? If so, please let us know at leo@cflalumni.org.

CFL-NFL

Margene Adkins
Tim Anderson
Zenon Andrushysyn
Neill Armstrong
Terry Baker
Fred Biletnikoff
Al Brenner
O.J. Brigance
Dieter Brock
Tom Clements
Tom Cousineau
Eric Crouch
Anthony Davis
Troy Davis
Eagle Day
Al Dorrow
Sam Etcheverry
Gil Fenerty
Vince Ferragamo
Doug Flutie
Jeff Garcia
Bud Grant
Joe Horn
Rocket Ismail
Billy Johnson
Joe Kapp
Peter Liske
Dave Mann
Leon McQuay
Terry Metcalf
Warren Moon
Joe Pisarcik
Andre Rison
Johnny Rodgers
Tobin Rote
Chris Schultz
Bo Scott
Onterro Smith
Joe Theismann
Frank Tripucka
Mike Vanderjagt
Billy Vessels
Andre Ware
Vic Washington
Alex Webster
Ricky Williams
Felix Wright
Jim Young

CFL-AFL

Art Baker
Cookie Gilchrist
Gerry McDougall
Ernie Warlick

May 16, 2013: Riders mourn the loss of Bryan Illerbrun

via: http://www.riderville.com/article/riders-mourn-the-loss-of-bryan-illerbrun

Riderville.com

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club would like to extend its deepest sympathies to the family of former Roughriders player Bryan Illerbrun.

“We are saddened to hear the loss of former Roughrider Bryan Illerbrun.” stated Riders President/CEO Jim Hopson. “Bryan was a solid player and the kind of guy that knew the importance of the Roughriders throughout the province. He will be greatly missed.”

Illerbrun originally joined the Riders in 1978, playing 13 games as a rookie on the offensive line. He played five consecutive seasons with Riders before joining the BC Lions for the 1984 and 1985 seasons then returned to Saskatchewan in 1986 where he remained for four more seasons.

The Gainsborough, SK native played 138 games over ten seasons with the Riders and was part of the teams 1989 Grey Cup Championship.

May 15, 2013: The greatest comeback in CFL Playoffs history

By Dirk Soeterik

This past Monday (May 13, 2013), the Boston Bruins staged the biggest comeback in the history of the NHL playoffs, coming back from being down three goals in the third period to go on and beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime and secure a spot in the second round of the playoffs.

While the playoffs in the CFL and NHL are beasts of a different nature, a great sporting comeback is, nonetheless, great.

There have been numerous great games in the CFL playoffs, but there is only one comeback that is the greatest of all-time, and that was in the 1986 Eastern Conference Final.

Under the field marshaling of head coach Al Bruno, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats trailed the Toronto Argonauts by 26 points in the second quarter of game two (Nov. 23, 1986) in the two-game total point Eastern Conference Final. The Ti-Cats went on to win the game 42-25 to secure themselves both a place in CFL history, as well as a birth in the title game.

Heading into the Grey Cup, Hamilton was the underdog, having finished the regular season 9-8-1. The Edmonton Eskimos, on the other hand, had a 13-4-1 regular season and had just whipped the BC Lions 41-5 in the Western Final.

The Ti-Cats went on the beat the Eskimos 39-15 in front of almost 60,00 fans in a lopsided game that was dominated by the Ti-Cats from the very start, including a fumble recovery by the CFLAA’s very own Leo Ezerins on the game’s first offensive play.

May 7, 2013: Gaydosh selected first overall in 2013 CFL Draft

It was a good day to be a player from either the University of Calgary or the University of Eastern Michigan. The first four players selected in the 2013 CFL Draft, held Monday, May 6, came out of those two schools.

With the first pick overall, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected conference all-star Linden Gaydosh, a defensive lineman out of the University of Calgary.

The remaining Round 1 picks were:

Pick 2: Winnipeg selected Andy Mulumba (DE) out of Eastern Michigan.

Pick 3: Montreal selected Mike Edem (LB) out of Calgary.

Pick 4: Saskatchewan selected Corey Watman (OL) out of Eastern Michigan.

Pick 5: Montreal selected Steven Lumbala (RB) out of Calgary.

Pick 6: BC selected Hunter Steward (OL) out of Liberty.

Pick 7: Calgary selected Brander Craighead (OL) out of Texas El Paso.

Pick 8: Toronto selected Matthew Sewell (OL) out of McMaster.

Pick 9: Ottawa selected Nolan MacMillan (OL) out of Iowa.

The Draft’s first two rounds were broadcast live on TSN, bringing fans of  CFL the due that the event deserves.

The Draft was first held in 1953, and has grown in number of teams participating and schools eligible and is today a highly anticipated event on the CFL schedule.

April 26, 2013: Football trio trades athletic dreams for business ambition

via: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/26/football-trio-trade-athletic-dreams-for-business-ambition/

For young athletes who dream of becoming the next CFL great, winning the Grey Cup is usually seen as the ultimate goal. Seldom do pro-athlete hopefuls consider what happens after the victory cries have faded.

But that’s just where Fabio Filice breaks the mold. A week before his 24th birthday, the native of Hamilton, Ont. made his CFL debut with the Tiger-Cats. Three years later, he found himself celebrating a Grey Cup win as an offensive lineman for the Calgary Stampeders.

Most would have seen the Grey Cup win as the pinnacle of his career, but for Mr. Filice, it was only the beginning.

In 2007, while playing for the Toronto Argonauts, Mr. Filice decided to take advantage of the down time in the off-season and start his part-time MBA at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

“Football was always just a game to me,” he said. “I never looked at it as something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

The athlete was fortunate to have some encouragement in the form of Mark Haley, the recently retired associate vice-president and chief human resources officer at McMaster University (Mr. Filice’s alma mater). Mr. Haley became a mentor for many students after personal commitments pulled him away from coaching football alongside his full-time job at the university. As a former university football player himself, Mr. Haley connected with the young McMaster Marauders and continued to work with them off the field, looking for opportunities to encourage and support them to advance their education.

Mr. Filice distinctly remembers when Mr. Haley sat him down and said, “Fab, you need a plan.”

“He told me to write the GMAT because it would pay off in the long run,” said Mr. Filice. “He is the reason I did the MBA program. He provided me with the direction I needed.”

“I was kind of the pilot project,” said Mr. Filice. “I had a hell of a time directly applying my experience on the field to the specific MBA program criteria.”

Mr. Filice’s successful admission to DeGroote’s MBA program, along with the support of Mr. Haley, encouraged other CFL players to pursue MBA degrees of their own. Matthew O’Meara, a former guard for both the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, began his MBA part-time in January 2009 while still playing in the CFL.

“I really began to evaluate my prospects in football,” said Mr. O’Meara. “I could see my expiration date was fast approaching and I wanted the opportunity to devote myself full time to my education.”

In September 2009, Mr. O’Meara left the CFL and did just that.  He now works for the Royal Bank of Canada in a rotational program in wealth management. He said his current role feels like an extension of the MBA program.

“I am gaining broad exposure to the inner workings of such a large financial institution,” said Mr. O’Meara. “I wouldn’t have had this opportunity without my MBA.”

For Jason Pottinger, who is currently still playing for the Toronto Argonauts, his interest in pursuing an MBA at the Schulich School of Business at York University was sparked early by players like Mr. Filice and Mr. O’Meara.

“I picked their brains and there was one common theme,” said Mr. Pottinger, who and celebrated his own Grey Cup victory this past fall. “They told me to get started early and not to wait until it’s too late to set up my second career.”

Mr. Pottinger said he took his peers’ advice to heart and along with constant mentoring from Mr. Haley he began researching different options.

“I looked at everything,” said Mr. Pottinger. “From engineering to underwater welding, I considered it all before eventually deciding that an MBA would fit perfectly.”Mr. Haley’s role as mentor became increasingly important when all three players ran into difficulty during the admissions process. As the first player in his network to go back to school, Mr. Filice said he had a tough time selling professional football as real work experience.

“Fabio, along with Jason and Matt, needed to learn how to adopt the language of the business school and how to translate their experiences into an application,” said Mr. Haley. “Football is often looked at as just a game. Admissions staff see their transcripts, but they don’t see the endless training hours, the resiliency, the focus, the teamwork, and the depth of commitment it requires compete at the highest level.”

Mr. Pottinger chose to diversify from McMaster, and apply to Schulich because the school’s flexible MBA program would cater to his unique schedule.

“I have to take the summer off completely and take a lighter course load in the fall, but my winters are wide open,” said Mr. Pottinger. “It has taken longer than it would a normal student, but I need the flexibility in order to continue playing football.”

Hoping to graduate next spring, Mr. Pottinger is specializing in international business and emerging economies. Signed with the Toronto Argonauts until 2014, Mr. Pottinger hopes he is setting a good example for the younger players in the league.

“It’s easy to be blinded by the sport and the excitement that goes with it,” he says. “There is less emphasis on the academic and more on the athletic, but it’s the academic that really sets up your future. Ideally, players should be thinking about both. It’s all about balance.”

All three players now speak to both high school students and their pro-athlete peers about the benefits of a strong academic background.

April 26, 2013: CFL Quarterback legend speaks in Waterloo

via: CTV Kitchener

Published Friday, April 26, 2013 11:59AM EDT

The Wilfrid Laurier Department of Athletics hosted its 14th annual ‘Friends of Laurier Football’ Reception and Dinner Thursday evening.

The event, held at the Waterloo Inn, featured a keynote address from former Canadian Football League quarterback Damon Allen.

The four-time Grey Cup Champion is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Allen played 23 seasons in the league with six different clubs.

He won his first Grey Cup championship in 1987 with the Edmonton Eskimos. He would go on to win the league championship three more time, including his final one in 2004 when he overcame a fractured leg to lead the Toronto Argonauts to the title, earning his third Grey Cup MVP trophy.

New Laurier head coach Michael Faulds also updated the audience on the state of his program leading into his first season with the Hawks beginning in late August.

 

 

 

 

April 26, 2013: Catching up with…Hector Pothier

Written by: Dirk Soeterik

With a stellar career in the CFL that spanned 12 seasons, resulting in six Grey Cup Championships, one might be inclined to think that those years spent on the gridiron represent the pinnacle of Hector Pothier’s professional life.

Spend any amount of time speaking with Hector, though, and one will quickly realize that his life after football and the things he has accomplished in his time away from the pro game, mean as much to him as the time spent defending the line as an offensive lineman with the Edmonton Eskimos.

Hector, who played his entire career with the Eskimos, has been the principal at Kameyosek Elementary School since 2005, and has been with the Edmonton Public School Board for more than 17 years.

“It’s not a routine, static job,” Hector said, “everyday it’s different. You rarely go ‘oh, it’s the same thing today.’”

While many of his students, and even some of the teachers, don’t know much about his time in professional football, he is always happy to tell them a story or two from his playing days, or to show them one of his six rings.

A leader on the field, being named a CFL All-Star twice, Hector has taken the same passion to his role as an educator.

“I’ve always believed – even as a teenager – that the most important thing is [helping] raise a child,” he said. “Teaching children is one of the most important roles one can do.”

Hector says. “If you don’t give back and help out, who’s going to do it?”

In addition to Hector’s work in the community, he is also very active and interested in the well being of former CFL players. He is currently the President of both the Edmonton Eskimos  (since 2007) and of the CFL Alumni Associations (since 2008).

“I’ve always believed in giving back,” Hector says of his involvement with ex-players.

While his role with former CFL players includes helping to look out for their best interests now that their playing days are over, he does not wait until a player’s cleats are hung up for good to bring his considerable experience to help current players understand what life after football will be like.

“We try and tell current players that it ends,” he said, and that the “transition is not easy.”

He tries to impart on them that “for awhile, you’re a star, and everyone knows you,” but that fame is fleeting, and that while a career in the CFL might help players get a foot in the door in a post-football career, they have to realized that they are “starting fresh.”

Hector himself has a new lease on life. In June 2012 he was diagnosed with cancer, and he and his family spent the next two months not knowing if the type of cancer he had was going to present him with the worst case scenario.

“You don’t know if you’re going to survive,” he said, “it can go in so many ways.”

In Hector’s case the result was the best that he could hope for. The cancer was isolated and doctors have since declared Hector “95 per cent cancer free.” After five years without cancer, Hector will be able to say he is 100 per cent cancer free.

“I got lucky,” Hector said. “Knock on wood.”

Is there a member of the Canadian Football League Alumni Association that you’d like to “Catch up’ with? Let us know who you’d like to hear about.

April 2, 2013: In Memory, Past Alumni President Art Darch

From Hamilton Tiger-Cat Alumni Association

We are sad to announce the passing of Past Alumni President Art Darch, peacefully at his home on Tuesday, April 2nd at the age of 81. Art was an originating member of the Alumni Association and long-time member of the Executive Committee.

Art Darch was an excellent athlete, and besides playing football was a standout at Track & Field. Art actually turned down a Track & Field Scholarship at Michigan to play football. He joined the Tiger-Cats in 1952 and was quickly a starting Offensive Guard. He remained with the Tiger-Cats through the 1958 season. He missed the 1959 season due to injuries, but came back to play two seasons for the Toronto Argos in 1960 and 1961. Art Darch was elected into the Niagara Virtual Hall of Fame in 2003.

Art was a tireless volunteer and in 2012 he was among the first recipients to receive the Hamilton Tiger-Cat Alumni Associations “Award of Distinction” for Recognition of His Outstanding Contribution To Community Groups and the HTCAA.

A memorial celebration of his life will take place on Saturday, April 20th at Smith’s Funeral Home – 1167 Guelph Line in Burlington (north of the QEW) From 3 until 6 pm.