Tony Proudfoot - CFL Career

CFL Career

Proudfoot was a Montreal Alouettes draft pick in 1971, and played for them for nine seasons (1971–79, 107 games), including five Grey Cup championship games. Proudfoot initially played as a linebacker, and was cut in that role. However, he was re-signed in 1973 and converted to a defensive back. He played on the Alouette's 1974 Grey Cup winning team. After missing much of the 1976 season because of injury, he moved to defensive half-back. With time, Proudfoot and his fellow players became so experienced that they made the calls on the field; they signalled their plans to defensive coordinator Dick Roach in case he had show to show that they were following his plans. He and the team partied extensively in the bars and restaurants of Crescent Street. In July 1977, his coach Marv Levy described Proudfoot as a "very smart football player ... gets very best out of himself" and who "isn't selfishly competing with his own teammates". Proudfoot later reflected that his success in professional football was due to being able to work, learn, ask good questions and process information, as "I didn't have great ability".

During the "Ice Bowl" at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, the field was icy and very slippery. Before the game players from the Alouettes and their opponents, the Edmonton Eskimos tried various solutions to avoid falling, including broomball shoes, and various kinds of cleats, but none were very effective. In the stadium just prior to the pre-game warm-up, Proudfoot saw a Bell Canada electrician with a staple gun, and tried firing staples into the tip of the cleats on his shoes. Over the course of the game, more and more of the Alouettes players followed suit. Proudfoot later recalled "With that little bit of a grip, it gave you extra confidence. We really knew we had something when Gerry Dattilio caught a short pass from Sonny Wade and ran right past Larry Highbaugh for a big gain. Gerry will tell you that he was not ... well, he was not very fast. And Highbaugh was known as one of the fastest guys in the league. That's when we knew we had something. It was a big factor in that 41-6 win. Proudfoot was a CFL All-Star in 1977 and 1979. He also played 3 seasons (1980 to 1982, 41 games) with the B.C. Lions. He retired from the CFL at the end of the 1982 season.