Tony Champion

Last updated
Tony Champion
No. 87, 1
Born: (1963-03-19) March 19, 1963 (age 60)
Humboldt, Tennessee, U.S.
Career information
StatusRetired
CFL status American
Position(s) WR
College Tennessee Martin
High school Humboldt
Career history
As player
1985–1992 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star 1989
CFL East All-Star 1989

Tony Champion (born March 19, 1963 in Humboldt, Tennessee) is a former American football and Canadian Football League player.

Contents

Early sports career

A multi-sport star, Champion lived up to his name as a football standout at the high school, college and pro level. A 1981 Humboldt grad, he was an all-district player on the Vikings' 1979 undefeated, 13-0 Class AA state champion football team. As a senior, he quarterbacked Humboldt to a 10-1 season and was selected All-West Tenn., 2nd Team All-State and Humboldt Player of the Year. In basketball Champion earned All-District and All-Region as Humboldt finished state runner-up. In track, he placed 4th in state in the 330 yd. low hurdles as a junior and qualified for the state as a senior, but elected to attend graduation instead of competing at the state meet.

Football career

Playing football at the University of Tennessee at Martin (1981–84), Champion was All-Gulf South Conference, had 84 career points and tied a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return. As a junior, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and set school records for receptions in a season (39) and most yards single game (181 yards on 3 catches). He was a pre-season All-American before suffering knee injury as a senior.

Champion went undrafted in the NFL, but he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys, San Diego Chargers, and Green Bay Packers in the National Football League, and ended up being cut by all three teams.

He was a two time all-star (1986 and 1989) in the Canadian Football League, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for eight seasons from 1985 to 1992. He had 340 career receptions for 5,498 yards and 37 TD's. In 1989 Champion was runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award, Hamilton's Most Valuable Player, winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy, and set a team season record for touchdowns with 15 on the year.

Champion is remembered for his last minute touchdown catch in the 1989 Grey Cup game. With Hamilton trailing in the final minutes, Champion caught a 13-yard Mike Kerrigan pass deep in the end zone with 44 seconds remaining, tying the game at 40-40. Fully extended, he rolled over in mid-air to grab the ball in both hands and fell flat out on the ground, without dropping the ball. Champion was playing with broken ribs.

He won the 74th Grey Cup with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1986.

Professional football record

YearTeamCatchesYardsAverageLongTDs
1985Ham1320315.6671
1986Ham74121616.4756
1987Ham5385116.1756
1988Ham1627016.9421
1989Ham95165617.48315
1990Ham3758115.7755
1991Ham4554512.1262
1992Ham717625.1751

After football

Champion was somewhat bitter when he left the CFL in 1992. This was evidenced as early as the 1989 Grey Cup game, where in a post game interview he proclaimed: "You've seen the last of Tony Champion." While not correct, this was a manifestation of his belief that he was not fully appreciated or compensated. [1] Although bitter toward the end of his playing career, he eventually made his return to Hamilton more than 20 years after his playing career ended for a Hamilton Tiger-Cats playoff game at Tim Hortons Field, the 2015 East Division Semi-Final. [2] [3] The Tiger-Cats would go on to win that game 25-22.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damon Allen</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1963)

Damon L. Allen, is a Canadian Football player and a former professional quarterback. He played 23 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is currently fourth in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal Alouettes' Anthony Calvillo on October 10, 2011. Allen retired as professional football's all-time leading passer with 72,381 passing yards after he surpassed Warren Moon's total of 70,553 yards on September 4, 2006, in the annual Labour Day Classic. He also retired in third place in all-time CFL rushing yards with 11,920 yards, behind Mike Pringle and George Reed. The 2007 season marked Allen's twenty-third season in the CFL and he officially announced his retirement on May 28, 2008, at age 44. Allen is the younger brother of Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Calvillo</span> Canadian-American football player and instructor

Anthony Calvillo is an American coach and retired player of Canadian football. He is the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was professional football's all-time passing yards leader from 2011 to 2020, and is first in all-time CFL passing yards. In his career, he passed for 79,816 yards and is one of ten professional quarterbacks to have completed over 400 touchdown passes. His reign ended in 2020 when Brees surpassed him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny McManus</span> American gridiron football player (born 1965)

Danny McManus is a former professional American football and Canadian football quarterback who passed for over 53,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League. He currently serves as the assistant general manager and director for U.S. scouting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He played every season in the league from 1990 to 2006, as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and finally with the Calgary Stampeders. As of 2007, his all-time CFL passing yardage is third most next to Damon Allen and Anthony Calvillo. He worked as a color commentator for TSN's CFL broadcasts, having previously appeared as a guest analyst on the CFL on CBC late in his playing career. On December 2, 2013, he was named the assistant general manager and director of U.S. scouting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Previous to that, he served as the director of scouting for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gabriel</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1948)

Anthony Michael Peter Gabriel is a former professional Canadian football pass receiver who played in the Canadian Football League from 1971 to 1981. He played for both the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Ottawa Rough Riders. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in August 1985. In 2014, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Corey Grant is the head coach for the Carleton Ravens football team of U Sports. He is a former professional wide receiver in the Canadian Football League where he played for 11 years and won two Grey Cup championships.

DeVier Stewart Posey is an American former professional gridiron football wide receiver. He most recently played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ohio State. He was also a member of the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, Toronto Argonauts, Baltimore Ravens, Montreal Alouettes, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremiah Masoli</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Jeremiah Taeatafa Masoli is an American professional Canadian football quarterback for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played college football at the City College of San Francisco, University of Oregon, and the University of Mississippi. Masoli has also been a member of the Omaha Nighthawks (UFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL) and the Edmonton Eskimos (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Van Zeyl</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1983)

Chris Van Zeyl is a professional Canadian football offensive tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a two-time Grey Cup champion with the Toronto Argonauts and was named a CFL All-Star three times and CFL East Division All-Star six times. He played CIS Football for the McMaster Marauders as a defensive lineman. Van Zeyl has also been a member of the Montreal Alouettes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zach Collaros</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Zachary J. Collaros is an American professional Canadian football quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Collaros won the 107th Grey Cup and 108th Grey Cup as the starting quarterback with the Blue Bombers when they defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in both games. He had previously won the Grey Cup as the backup quarterback with the Toronto Argonauts in the 100th Grey Cup. Collaros played football at the University of Cincinnati, and has also been a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Harris</span> American gridiron football player (born 1986)

Trevor Harris is an American professional Canadian football quarterback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Harris has also played in the Arena Football League and United Football League. He played college football at Edinboro University. As Edinboro's starting quarterback, he broke "every career passing record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference" and was a two-time finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded each year to the individual selected as the most valuable player in NCAA Division II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Ellingson</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Greg Ellingson is an American professional Canadian football wide receiver for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Florida International. He has also been a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans VooDoo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Storm, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Elks, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Miller (Canadian football)</span> Professional Canadian football fullback

Mike Miller is the special teams coordinator for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football linebacker and fullback who played for 11 years. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion, having won with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015 and with the Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He is the all-time leader in career special teams tackles and holds the record for most special teams tackles in one game with seven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bo Levi Mitchell</span> American gridiron football player (born 1990)

Bo Levi Mitchell is an American professional Canadian football quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He originally signed with the Calgary Stampeders in 2012 and became the team's starting quarterback for the 2014 season, setting a number of club and league records including best record for a first time starting quarterback in league history. He won the 102nd Grey Cup in 2014, the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2016 and 2018, and the 106th Grey Cup in 2018. With his second Grey Cup win as starter, he became the first quarterback to start and win multiple Grey Cup games with the Stampeders organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nic Demski</span> Canadian football slotback

Nic Demski is a Canadian football slotback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Demski won the 107th and 108th Grey Cups with his hometown Blue Bombers, both times defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lemar Durant</span> Canadian football player (born 1992)

Lemar Durant is a former Canadian football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He attended Simon Fraser University, where he played college football for the Simon Fraser Clan. He was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the second round of the 2015 CFL Draft. Durant has also been a member of the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Ottawa Redblacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dane Evans</span> American gridiron football player (born 1993)

Stephen Dane Evans is an American former professional gridiron football quarterback who played for six seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and BC Lions. He played college football at Tulsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bralon Addison</span> American gridiron football player (born 1993)

Bralon Addison is an American gridiron football wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Oregon. Addison has also been a member of the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, Toronto Argonauts, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and Minnesota Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llevi Noel</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1991)

Llevi Noel is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver. He is a Grey Cup champion after winning the 105th Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts in 2017. Noel was a member of four different teams in the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, Edmonton Elks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Thomas Erlington</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1992)

Sean Thomas Erlington is a professional Canadian football running back for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Sindani</span> Canadian gridiron football player (born 1995)

Richard Sindani is a Canadian professional gridiron football wide receiver for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning the 106th Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders. He played college football for the Regina Rams and Calgary Dinos and also played in the Canadian Junior Football League with the Calgary Colts.

References

  1. ↑ Maki, Allan (20 November 2007). "Greatest Grey Cup in history still sends chills down the spine". The Globe and Mail.
  2. ↑ "Tony Champion returns to Hamilton". CHCH. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
  3. ↑ "Milton: Champion, the hero of the past, can help with present - 3DownNation". 3DownNation. 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2017-12-03.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.