Category Archives: CFL

CFL

Ridgway, Dave “Robokicker”

Card: All-World 1991
Acquired: TTM 1994, C/o The CFL

Small note about the Canadian Football League. Unlike the NFL, kickers roles are actually enhanced in the CFL with the aid of the ‘rouge’. If a kicker launches the ball and it goes out of the back of the endzone, but does not score a field goal, his team still receives a single point.

Drafted in 1981 by the Montreal Alouettes, Dave Ridgway’s career would be off to a bad start as he’d be unable to make the squad that season. Contacted in 1982 by the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he’d go on to become one of the most storied kickers of the CFL’s history. Ridgway would kick the game winning field goal in Saskatchewan’s exciting Grey Cup victory in 1989, and is the most accurate kicker in league history, knocking down 59 field goals in 1987, and 8 field goals in a game which are both league records as well. He’d retire in 1994, virtually in control of nearly all league kicking records.

A 6 time CFL All Star, Dave rightfully so has received numerous accolades since his retirement. His number (36) was retired by the Roughriders and he was inducted into the team’s Plaza of Honor in 2000. In 2003, Ridgway was also named to the CFL HoF, and won the MVP honor for his clutch field goal in the 1989 Grey Cup.

Dave’s name is spelled ‘Ridgway’, and he was nicknamed ‘Robokicker’ by his teammates for his ability to automatically hit field goals and the coincidence that the movie “RoboCop” had been released that year. Below is a link to the 1989 Grey Cup field goal and his final limited statistics, since the CFL does a horrid job of keeping them.

fga N/a    fgm N/a   pct .780  pts 2374

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Feggins, Howard

Card: Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o South Carolina State University
Sent: 9/21     Received:  10/2   (11 days)

An equally adept cornerback and safety in college at UNC, Howard Feggins would be signed by the woeful New England Patriots in 1988, where he played in 11 games, making an interception in 1989. After a preseason with the Giants in 1990, and his mind already on coaching,  Howard wasted no time joining the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship in the summer of 1991, with the New York Giants.

The WLAF came calling and the London Monarchs had other plans for Howard in the team’s already dominating secondary. He’d earn a World Bowl ring playing for the team in 1991 and in 1992 would see his playing time increased, pulling down 2 interceptions for the Monarchs. After the reorganization of the WLAF, Feggins play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, but would continue coaching and return to the pros by 1999 as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots. In 2004, he’d take over at Northwestern, coaching wide receivers through 2006 at the university. Currently Howard is an assistant coach at South Carolina State. Under his tutelage at every stop since returning to the college ranks, Feggins’ teams have seen exponential growth at the receiver position.

I have turned to other methods to locate players from the WLAF recently, and was able to find Howard through a social networking site and ask for his autograph. He quickly responded in 11 days, signing this card I had of him from the Wild Card corporation. He wrote me a nice note, which always makes me feel good about my enthusiast hobby.  Below are Howard’s statistics from the WLAF.

G/Gs  N/a     Tac   N/a      Sac  N/a   Fum   N/a   Int  2      Yds  48    Avg 24.0   Td 0   Lg 46

CFL

Aldag, Roger

Card: All World 1991
Acquired: C/o The CFL 1992

Roger played football in 3 decades (1976-1992) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders setting the team record playing in 271 games on the offensive line primarily as a guard. An immensely popular player during his time in the CFL, Aldag was a local product from Gull Lake, SK, and was named a Western All Star 8 times.  He retired before the 1993 season and is considered one of the leagues most outstanding players and solid lineman to play the sport. Roger’s fondest memory is winning the Grey Cup with the Roughriders in 1989.

A road grader, he won the CFL’s Offensive Lineman of the year award twice, was inducted into the Roughrider Plaza of Honor in 1993, he had his number retired and was inducted into the CFL HoF in 2002. Aldag was also named #32 on the CFL’s top 50 players list.

Currently Roger works for Trans Gas/Sask Energy in Regina as head of the Land Services division, is a proud season ticket holder of the Roughriders and is a rabid football fan, taking in college, and high school games when he can.