Randy Ambrosie

Last updated

Randy Ambrosie
No. 57
CFL Commissioner at Hamilton City Council (cropped).jpg
Ambrosie in 2017
Born: (1963-03-16) March 16, 1963 (age 61)
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Career information
Position(s) Offensive guard
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight250 lb (110 kg)
University Manitoba
CFL Draft 1985, Round: 1, Pick: 2
Drafted by Calgary Stampeders
Career history
As player
1985–1987 Calgary Stampeders
1987–1988 Toronto Argonauts
1989–1993 Edmonton Eskimos
Career highlights and awards

Randy Ambrosie (born March 16, 1963) is the 14th and current commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Ambrosie played Canadian football professionally as an offensive guard for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts, and Edmonton Eskimos. He was selected with the second overall pick in the 1985 CFL Draft by the Stampeders. Over the course of a nine-season career, he played in 142 professional games and became a Grey Cup champion. Ambrosie played college football at the University of Manitoba.

Contents

Early career

Ambrosie played college football for the Manitoba Bisons as an offensive lineman. In 1984, he was named an All-Canadian. [1] He was also a Canada West All-Star in 1983 and 1984. [2] In a February 1985 article in The Globe and Mail , it was stated that a recent poll of CFL teams listed Ambrosie as one of the top nine players available for the 1985 CFL Draft. [3] Ambrosie received a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the school. [4]

Professional career

Calgary Stampeders

Ambrosie was selected in the first round of the 1985 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders with the second overall pick. [5] The Stampeders used Ambrosie in their lineup immediately. Despite a late season injury due to torn ligaments in his ankle, Ambrosie played in 13 regular season games in his rookie season and was named the Stampeders' nominee for rookie of the year. [6] [7] [8] Ambrosie remained in the lineup in 1986, playing in 17 regular season games. [6]

Toronto Argonauts

After playing four games for the Stampeders in 1987, Ambrosie was traded to the Toronto Argonauts for a second-round draft pick. [6] [9] He quickly earned a place on the Argonauts' roster, playing against the Stampeders in his first week after changing between the two teams. [10] The Argonauts eventually promoted Ambrosie to start as a right guard. [11] Ambrosie finished the season with 13 games played for the Argonauts. [6] He played in the 75th Grey Cup, making a key block to allow running back Gill Fenerty to score a touchdown late in the first half. The Argonauts went on to lose the game 36–38. [12]

The offensive line of the Argonauts dealt with injuries for much of the 1988 season. Ambrosie injured his knee during training camp, while other Argonaut offensive linemen suffered from a variety of ankle, groin, knee, and back injuries. [13] By late July, Ambrosie had recovered, but he was the only healthy starting member of the offensive line that year. [14] Despite the medical setbacks, both the press and the Argonauts coaching staff praised the offensive line, with the Toronto Star crediting the unit for "establish[ing] Toronto as one of the best running teams in the Canadian Football League". [15] In September, Ambrosie missed three games due to a back injury and he played through an ankle injury in October. [16] [17] The continued injury issues did not affect the offensive line's success on the field, as they finished with the second fewest sacks allowed in the CFL. [18] Ambrosie finished the regular season with 15 games played. [6] The Argonauts went on to lose in the East Final to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. [19]

Edmonton Eskimos

In June 1989, Ambrosie was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos to obtain defensive lineman Branko Vincic. [20] The Argonauts had not originally planned to trade Ambrosie, but he requested to be traded to a team closer to where his wife worked. [21] [22] Ambrosie played in all 18 regular season games for the Eskimos in 1989 as the Eskimos established a 16–2 record. [6] By adding to the Argonauts 14 wins the previous season, Ambrosie set a new CFL record as the player with the most wins in two consecutive seasons. Despite being described as "one of the strongest teams in CFL history", the Eskimos lost to the Saskatchewan Roughriders 32–21 in the West Final to end their season. [23] Ambrosie played in 13 games for the Eskimos in 1990, missing time due to a knee injury. [6] [24] He played in all 18 regular season games the following year. [6] In 1991, the Eskimos finished first in the West Division but lost the West Final to the Stampeders. [25] [26]

In 1992, Ambrosie played in all regular season games as the Eskimos went 13–5 before losing in the West Finals to the Stampeders for the second consecutive season. [6] [27] The Eskimos considered there to be "no safe jobs" on the roster following several years of playoff losses, but Ambrosie earned a starting role on the team to start the 1993 season. [28] [29] A knee injury kept Ambrosie out of the lineup for most of September, and he finished with 13 games played in 1993. [6] [30] [31] The Eskimos met the Stampeders in the West Final for the fourth consecutive season and won 29–15 to break their playoff losing streak. [32] Ambrosie helped the Eskimos win the 81st Grey Cup over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 33–23 to earn his only championship ring. [33]

Retirement

Following his Grey Cup win, the future of Ambrosie's football career was uncertain. His persistent knee injuries had required multiple surgeries over the years. [34] Ambrosie put off another serious surgery on his left knee during the 1993 season to remain with the team through their Grey Cup victory. [33] After he underwent his fourth knee surgery during the offseason, Ambrosie retired from professional football. [34]

Administrative roles

By 1992, Ambrosie took over as the secretary of the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA). He played a role in monitoring the 1992 NHL strike as the CFLPA and the CFL renegotiated their collective bargaining agreement that year. [35] Ambrosie was also part of the CFLPA board that oversaw the CFL's expansion into the United States. [36] During the expansion, Ambrosie took a strong stance against lowering the import ratio which requires each team to carry a certain number of Canadian players. He also took issue with a proposed expansion or dispersal draft intended to be held in early 1993 to provide players for the San Antonio Texans and Sacramento Gold Miners. [36] [37] The CFLPA and Ambrosie threatened legal action over the import ratio issue, but no legal action came to pass. [38]

On June 28, 2017, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Ambrosie would soon be named the 14th CFL commissioner, succeeding Jeffrey Orridge. [39] The move was officially announced seven days later. [40] He is the first Canadian-born CFL commissioner since Tom Wright left in 2006, and the first to have played in the league since Larry Smith left the position in 1997. [41] [42]

Business career

After retiring from football, Ambrosie became the North American head of sales at HSBC Securities. In May 2004, Ambrosie joined AGF Management Ltd. as their head of sales and marketing. [43] The president of the company reportedly hired him to "shake things up". [44] Ambrosie's leadership brought several changes to AGF Management Ltd., including new fund managers and the launch of new products. [45] In June 2006, Ambrosie was appointed president of AGF Funds Inc. [46] Due to another managerial change in 2008, Ambrosie left the firm. [47]

Ambrosie served as CEO of Accretive 360 Inc. from 2010 to 2012, before joining investment firm MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier as president and CEO. [48]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Football League</span> Professional Canadian football league

The Canadian Football League is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a city in Canada. They are divided into two divisions: four teams in the East Division and five teams in the West Division. As of 2024, it features a 21-week regular season in which each team plays 18 games with three bye weeks. This season traditionally runs from mid-June to early November. Following the regular season, six teams compete in the league's three-week playoffs, which culminate in the Grey Cup championship game in late November. The Grey Cup is one of Canada's largest annual sports and television events. The CFL was officially named on January 19, 1958, upon the merger between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union or "Big Four" and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2003 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2003 CFL season is considered to be the 50th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 46th Canadian Football League season. The pre-season began on May 30, 2003 and the regular season started on June 17, 2003. Taylor Field in Regina, Saskatchewan hosted the 91st Grey Cup on November 16, with the Edmonton Eskimos defeating the Montreal Alouettes 34–22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2002 CFL season is considered to be the 49th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 45th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2001 CFL season is considered to be the 48th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 44th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2000 CFL season is considered to be the 47th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 43rd Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 1996 CFL season is considered to be the 43rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 39th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 1994 CFL season is considered to be the 41st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 37th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 1991 CFL season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern-day Canadian football, the 50th season of the Canadian Football League, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on Saturday, November 3, 2007. The playoffs began on Sunday, November 11, 2007, and ended with the championship game, the 95th Grey Cup, at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, on November 25, 2007, with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as champions.

Marv Allemang is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman and defensive lineman who played 14 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He most notably played center for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Rough Riders later in his career.

Gerald Alan Alphin is a former professional gridiron football wide receiver and slotback who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1986 to 1996, mainly for the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Alphin played college football at Kansas State University. Alphin recorded four 1,000-yard receiving seasons, including a period of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with the Rough Riders during which he was considered one of the best receivers playing in the CFL. He was named an East all-star in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 CFL season</span> Sports season

The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it is the 53rd Canadian Football League season. Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the 98th Grey Cup on November 28 when the Montreal Alouettes became the first team to repeat as Grey Cup Champions in 13 years, defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 21–18. The league announced on its Twitter page on January 29, 2010 that the season would start on July 1, 2010. As of 2021 this is the most recent CFL regular season to start in July.

The 2014 CFL season was the 61st season of modern-day Canadian football. It was the 57th Canadian Football League season. Vancouver hosted the 102nd Grey Cup on November 30. The league expanded to nine teams with the addition of the Ottawa Redblacks, giving the CFL nine teams for the first time since the 2005 season. As a result of the expansion, the schedule shifted to a 20-week regular season plus three weeks of playoffs ; the season started on June 26, 2014.

Michael Allen is a former Canadian football defensive back who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Rough Riders and BC Lions. He was drafted by the Blue Bombers in the fourth round of the 1988 CFL Draft. He played at Bemidji State University, Division II NCAA in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA in 1984. He then transferred to CIS football at Carleton University in 1986. Allen won three Grey Cup championships, two with the Blue Bombers and one with the Lions.

The 2016 CFL season was the 63rd season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 59th Canadian Football League season. Toronto hosted the 104th Grey Cup on November 27. The regular season began on June 23 and ended on November 5.

The 2017 CFL season was the 64th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 60th season of the Canadian Football League. The regular season began on June 22 and concluded on November 4. The playoffs commenced on November 12 and concluded on November 26 with the Toronto Argonauts defeating the Calgary Stampeders to win the 105th Grey Cup.

For the English former footballer and coach, see Wayne Allison.

Waymon Alridge is a former professional Canadian football wide receiver and slotback who played for the Calgary Stampeders, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). From 1983 to 1986, Alridge played in 29 regular season games, mostly with the Rough Riders. He made 95 catches for 1,674 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns over the course of his career. He played college football for the UNLV Rebels of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

David Amer is a former professional Canadian football tight end who played for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He was selected in the third round of the 1982 CFL Draft by the Stampeders and went on to play five games professionally. Amer played college football for the Simon Fraser Clan.

The 2022 CFL season was the 68th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it was the 64th season of the Canadian Football League. The regular season began on June 9 and ended on October 29, with 18 games played per team over 21 weeks. Regina hosted the 109th Grey Cup on November 20, 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Faulkner, Douglas (November 24, 1984). "Intensity crucial if Mounties to top Guelph". The Globe and Mail.
  2. ↑ "Bison football alum Randy Ambrosie selected as 14th CFL Commissioner". GoBisons.ca. July 5, 2017. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Riders select behemoth". The Globe and Mail. February 19, 1985.
  4. ↑ "Appointment Notice - MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier Inc.: Randy G. Ambrosie, President and CEO". The Globe and Mail. December 5, 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. ↑ King, Philip (February 20, 1985). "Linemen to top CFL draft picks". The Globe and Mail.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 145. ISBN   978-0-9835136-6-7.
  7. ↑ Matsumoto, Rick (October 11, 1985). "Gotta's unhappy with Stamps' recruiting". The Toronto Star. p. B3.
  8. ↑ King, Philip (October 22, 1985). "Brazley vying for Schenley". The Globe and Mail.
  9. ↑ Harding, Mark (July 29, 1987). "Newest Argonaut happy to be aboard". The Toronto Star. p. C1.
  10. ↑ Davidson, James (July 31, 1987). "Argos ponder two-QB plan". The Globe and Mail.
  11. ↑ Harding, Mark (September 5, 1987). "Congemi in for rough night against Ticats". The Toronto Star. p. D5.
  12. ↑ Harding, Mark (November 30, 1987). "Heartbreaker! Last-minute field goal sinks the Argos". The Toronto Star. p. D1.
  13. ↑ Hunter, Paul (June 29, 1988). "Can a man be too mean to play on offensive line?". The Toronto Star. p. C5.
  14. ↑ Harding, Mark (July 22, 1988). "Injuries fail to faze Obie the Optimist". The Toronto Star. p. B4.
  15. ↑ Hunter, Paul (August 20, 1988). "Flying Fenerty running wild while aerial attack struggles". The Toronto Star. p. B4.
  16. ↑ Shoalts, David (September 13, 1988). "Argonauts losing patience with wayward linebacker Landry". The Globe and Mail.
  17. ↑ Harding, Mark (October 25, 1988). "Battlin' Boatmen welcome aboard Brazley, Baylis". The Toronto Star. p. F3.
  18. ↑ Harding, Mark (November 19, 1988). "Eastern final promises to be a classic Argonauts and Bombers set to go head to head". The Toronto Star. p. B3.
  19. ↑ Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 27. ISBN   978-0-9835136-6-7.
  20. ↑ "DIGEST Argos, Esks trade". The Globe and Mail. June 8, 1989.
  21. ↑ Matsumoto, Rick (July 11, 1989). "Revamped line under pressure against Ticats". The Toronto Star. p. B4.
  22. ↑ Hunter, Paul (November 18, 1989). "Ambrosie abandoned Good Ship Argonaut in the nick of time". The Toronto Star. p. B5.
  23. ↑ Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 28. ISBN   978-0-9835136-6-7.
  24. ↑ Matsumoto, Rick (September 28, 1990). "Why don't the Argos promote top stars like Darrell Smith?". The Toronto Star. p. F4.
  25. ↑ "Read CBC contract before complaining about TV blackouts, commissioner says". The Vancouver Sun. November 7, 1991. p. D13.
  26. ↑ Maki, Al (November 18, 1991). "Barrett made of right stuff". Calgary Herald. p. C1.
  27. ↑ Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. p. 29. ISBN   978-0-9835136-6-7.
  28. ↑ "Esks look to improve". The Globe and Mail. June 10, 1993.
  29. ↑ "Edmonton Eskimos". Hamilton Spectator. July 7, 1993. p. TP11.
  30. ↑ Rauw, Murray (September 5, 1993). "GAME DAY". Calgary Herald. p. F2.
  31. ↑ Curren, Reg (September 23, 1993). "Eskimos take aim at consistent offence". The Globe and Mail.
  32. ↑ Maher, Tod; Gill, Bob (2013). The Canadian Pro Football Encyclopedia: Every Player, Coach and Game, 1946–2012. Maher Sports Media. pp. 28–30. ISBN   978-0-9835136-6-7.
  33. 1 2 Maki, Allan (November 29, 1993). "PERFECT SENDOFF: VETERAN LINEMAN AMBROSIE GETS WISH". Calgary Herald. p. D4.
  34. 1 2 "BRIEFLY". Ottawa Citizen. May 21, 1994. p. G3.
  35. ↑ Matsumoto, Rick (March 13, 1992). "No Payne, no gain for Argos". The Toronto Star. p. D7.
  36. 1 2 "Esk tries to guard his dream". The Globe and Mail. January 27, 1993.
  37. ↑ Kingston, Gary (January 27, 1993). "The fabric of game turned thread-bare by expansion south". The Vancouver Sun. p. D11.
  38. ↑ Ireland, Joanne (January 12, 1993). "CFL homebrews threaten legal action over ratios". Hamilton Spectator. p. D5.
  39. ↑ Hamilton, Jeff (June 28, 2017). "Winnipeg native Randy Ambrosie new CFL commissioner, sources say". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  40. ↑ "CFL names former player Randy Ambrosie as commissioner". Global News. July 5, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  41. ↑ Maki, Allan (July 5, 2017). "New CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie looks to pull off another transformation". The Globe and Mail . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  42. ↑ "Riders live no more". Nanaimo Daily News . The Canadian Press. December 6, 1996. pp. 4B. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  43. ↑ "AGF hires veteran broker executive". The Globe and Mail. May 11, 2004.
  44. ↑ "Is AGF ready to end its three-year slide?". The Globe and Mail. July 12, 2005.
  45. ↑ Damsell, Keith (July 25, 2005). "AGF manager plans steady-as-she-goes course; Says 'fine tuning' is what's needed to turn around fund's fortunes". The Globe and Mail.
  46. ↑ "Newsmakers: AGF's family affair". The Toronto Star. May 4, 2006.
  47. ↑ Won, Shirley; Willis, Andrew (April 28, 2009). "AGF president leaves fund unit; Speculation mutual fund firm is on auction block fizzles". The Globe and Mail.
  48. ↑ Strong, Gregory (July 5, 2017). "CFL names former player Randy Ambrosie as 14th commissioner". Toronto Star . Retrieved November 16, 2017.
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.