Six Dinos battle for Grey Cup Sunday in Vancouver
By Jack Neumann
CALGARY – A total of six former University of Calgary Dinos are members of teams competing in Sunday's 102nd Grey Cup in Vancouver, and five are expected to suit up in the game as the Calgary Stampeders take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the Canadian Football League championship.
For the Calgary Stampeders, offensive lineman Dan Federkeil will look to add a Grey Cup ring to the Super Bowl he won with the Indianapolis Colts, while running back Matt Walter and receiver Anthony Parker look for their first championships as professionals.
Former No. 1 draft pick Linden Gaydosh will play on the Tiger-Cats' defensive line, while Tim O'Neill will suit up along the offensive line for Hamilton. Carson Rockhill is also a member of the Tiger-Cats and is currently on the reserve list.
The Dinos football program is one of Canada's elite, with more CIS All-Canadians and more CFL draft choices than any other school over the past five years. In 2014, the Dinos had more players on active CFL rosters than any program in North America, and Thursday night they set a school record with nine players named All-Canadians – led by quarterback Andrew Buckley, who captured the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top player in CIS football.
Three current Dinos – offensive linemen Sukh Chungh and Sean McEwen along with receiver Jake Harty – are in the CFL's Top 15 prospects for the 2014 Canadian Draft to be held in the spring.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Offensive tackle Dan Federkeil is in his second season as a starter with the Stampeders, and hopes to receive a Grey Cup ring to go along with his Super Bowl ring he earned in 2007 with the Indianapolis Colts. Federkeil graduated from the University of Calgary with an economics degree and has created an endowed scholarship in his mother's name for students from Medicine Hat High School. He spent five seasons with the Dinos from 2001 to 2005 prior to joining the Colts. Federkeil was the recipient of the Dr. Dennis Kadatz Dinos Male Athlete of the Year award in 2005. He was originally drafted fifth overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2006 CFL Draft before his rights were acquired by the Stampeders in April 2013. In 2014, Federkeil played 13 games at right tackle. He was on the one-game injury list for Games 1 and 10 – 13, but he did start the Western Final last week against Edmonton.
Running back Matt Walter is in his third season with the Stampeders and has teamed with Jon Cornish forming a Canadian running back tandem. Walter spent five seasons with the Dinos (2007-11), playing on four Canada West championship teams, and he is the all-time leading rusher in University of Calgary history. Matt was selected in the fifth round (34th overall) by the Stampeders in the 2011 CFL Draft. He graduated from the University of Calgary's Haskayne School of Business and is employed in the oil and gas industry in the off-season. Matt attended Bishop O'Byrne High School in Calgary. This year Walter played in 14 games (six starts) and had 79 carries for 453 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 11 catches for 105 yards, a special-teams tackle and returned one kickoff for 17 yards. On Sept. 13, he ran in a two-point conversion. On Oct. 24, he scored his first two touchdowns of the season. On Nov. 1 he had his first career 100-yard rushing game when he ran for 109 yards.
Receiver Anthony Parker is in his fourth campaign with Calgary after toiling four seasons with the Dinos. Parker was selected third overall in the 2011 CFL Draft after being on three Canada West championship teams with the Dinos and playing in the 2009 Vanier Cup game that Calgary lost to Queen's. Parker joined the Dinos from Foothills Composite High in Okotoks, Alta. This past season Parker played 18 games and had 33 catches for 360 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 11 carries for 105 yards. Parker returned eight kickoffs for 182 yards and eight punts for 92 yards. On July 12 against Toronto, Parker was the team's leading receiver with four catches for 101 yards including a 58-yard touchdown from Mitchell. He was again the team's leading receiver on Oct. 18 in Winnipeg with eight catches for 71 yards. His father Anthony played in the CFL, while his uncle Andy Jonassen played for the Dinos and the Stampeders along the defensive line.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Tim O'Neill is the oldest member of Dinos alumni that will be competing in the 102nd Grey Cup and marks the second time in as many years he has played in the championship game. Tim is in his eighth season in the CFL and third with Hamilton. He spent five seasons with the Dinos (2002-05 as well as the 2007 season) earning CIS all-Canadian honours in his final year at the University of Calgary. He was a member of the Stampeders' 2008 Grey Cup championship team. A native of Victoria, B.C., Tim graduated with a degree in fine arts from the University of Calgary. Tim was originally drafted the Edmonton Eskimos in the third round of the 2005 CFL draft.
Linden Gaydosh joined Hamilton midway through the 2014 regular season after spending time with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. The Peace River, Alta. native was selected first overall by Hamilton in the 2013 CFL Draft after a stellar four-year career with the Dinos. Linden was a starting member on four Hardy Cup championship teams and started in a pair of Vanier Cup games for Calgary in 2009 and 2010. He spent the 2013 season on the injured list with the Panthers before joining the Tiger-Cats in September 2014. Linden was winner of the Peter Gorman Trophy as Freshman of the Year in CIS football in 2009 and was a Conference all-star in 2010 and 2011.
Carson Rockhill spent five years (2008-12) with the Dinos starting on the offensive line while a student in the Haskayne School of Business. A native of Parksville, B.C., he joined the Dinos from Ballenas High School. He was selected in the second round (13th overall) of the 2012 CFL Draft by Hamilton but was traded to Edmonton before re-signing with Hamilton this past year. He is currently Hamilton's reserve list.