Tag Archives: toronto argonauts

CFL, NFL, NFLE

Heller, Ron

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person 1992, Philadelphia Eagles Traning Camp

The Co-Captain of Penn State’s 1982 championship run, Ron Heller was an offensive tackle at drafted in the bottom of the 4th round of the NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 1984 was a good draft and Heller was a fine specimen at 6’6″, 290. A highly intelligent lineman with a good motor, Heller was both a competent pass and run blocker. Starting immediately out of the gate, Ron would be named to numerous All-Rookie teams at the end of 1984. Playing in obscurity for 4 seasons for the Bucs, Heller would be traded (in 1988) to the Seahawks who in turn traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he’d block for Pro Bowl quarterback Randall Cunningham. Ron would become the first Eagles offensive lineman named offensive MVP of the team in 1989. I’d get his autograph at training camp in 1992, before he signed with the Dolphins to block for Dan Marino in 1993. He never missed a beat, starting immediately, and fit right in with the team for 3 seasons.  A brutal knee injury would end his career after the 1995 season, but Ron would move on to coaching.  He’d finish his playing career playing in 172 games, starting 166 of them.

In 2004, Heller served as an assistant in NFLE on the Amsterdam Admirals. He’d expand on these jobs as an offensive line coach in 2006 and 2007 would allow him to be an offensive coordinator, before the league’s untimely folding.  Ron then joined the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2009 for one season, and then returned to the NFL as an offensive staff assistant for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010.

CFL, NFL

Austin, Kent “Five”

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

Kent Austin won the CFL Grey Cup MVP honor in 1989 and also the CFL Coach of the Year Award in 2007 but before this his career started way back in 1986 as the third string quarterback of the  St. Louis Cardinals.

He’d head north after the season where Kent would play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1987-1993 experiencing tremendous success. Afterwards he’d play one season a piece for the British Columbia Lions (winning his second Grey Cup), Toronto Argonauts, and Winnipeg Blue Bombers retiring after the ’96 season.

Kent Austin decided to pursue coaching and has had stops in the CFL as both coordinator for the Argonauts and Roughriders and is the first coach to win a championship as both head coach and player of the same team. He headed back to the college ranks to coach at Mississippi and most recently took the head coaching job at Cornell in 2010. Listed below are his CFL statistics.

Att 4700    Comp 2709     Yds 36030   Pct 57.6%
Td  198  Int 191   Rat  79.1

CFL

Fairholm, Jeff

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

A 2005 Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honor inductee who played collegiately at Arizona, Jeff Fairholm was the Rookie of the Year in 1988 of the CFL Western Division, recording 45 catches that season.  Considered a non-import because he was originally from Canada and played high school there, Fairholm would team up with Ray Elgaard and lead the team to the Grey Cup Championship in 1989 (with another 45 receptions). In 1990 Jeff would electrify the league with a franchise record 107 yard touchdown reception, despite limited play from injury; However, the next three seasons would be a testament to Jeff’s ability as he’d rake in 216 receptions and 28 touchdowns. He’d sign with the Argonauts as a free agent in 1994, but was never able to duplicate the numbers he had in those final 3 seasons for Saskatchewan. Solid slot receiver play from Fairholm helped him play in the league until he won another championship in 1996 with the Toronto Argonauts, where he later coached wide receivers. Since his coaching days Jeff has diversified his interests and also runs an internet corporation in the Montreal area.

G 128     Rec  554       Yds  7465       Avg 13.4       Td 58    Lg  107T

Here’s a beauty of a pass from Kent Austin to Jeff during the 1989 Grey Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKn_Zv_NwRY