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January 21, 2016

Pilon added fuel to Battle

OL Jeff Pilon in a game against Saskatchewan on Oct. 17, 2009 (Photo by David Moll)

A couple of times every Canadian Football League season, Jeff Pilon takes a break from his job as president of Gridiron Drilling and drops by McMahon Stadium to visit his former team during practice.

It’s easy to tell when Pilon is around – the six-foot-six, barrel-chested Ottawa native casts a shadow that stretches to the midfield stripe. If Pilon’s visit happens to coincide with a period in which the Stampeders are dealing with injuries to the offensive line – as has frequently and unfortunately been the case in recent seasons – the coaches and players look hopefully in his direction.

“No,” Pilon quickly pipes up when he notices the pleading looks, “I’m not coming back to play.”OL Jeff Pilon in a game against Edmonton on Sept. 9, 2009 (Photo by David Moll)

You can’t blame his former teammates for wanting to see Pilon in pads again. In addition to being a behemoth, Pilon was the sort of hard-nosed, scrappy offensive lineman guys loved playing with – and opponents absolutely hated playing against.

During 10 seasons in Red and White, whenever extracurricular activities flared up after the whistle, chances are big No. 64 was in the middle of it.

There was one notorious incident years ago – in a Battle of Alberta clash against the Eskimos, naturally – in which Pilon was alleged to have committed a foul deed against Edmonton linebacker A.J. Gass. Specifically, Pilon was accused of, umm, having his hands in a place they shouldn’t be.

“He says I did, but I don’t think I did,” a typically feisty Pilon told reporters at the time. “If you watch the film, I blocked the hell out of him and threw him on his head.

“If he calls that punching him in the (privates), well, OK, I punched him in the (privates). But go back and watch the film. His head is bouncing off the turf.”

Did we mention that Pilon was hard-nosed?

When it was suggested to Pilon that Gass had violated football’s code of honour by publically complaining about something that had happened on the field, the big man shrugged.

“He’s not in the trenches,” Pilon said. “Whatever happens in the trenches, stays there – usually. But he’s a linebacker.”

And when asked about a one-game suspension to Gass that was overturned by an independent arbitrator, Pilon again shrugged and vowed to battle whoever happened to be wearing a gold-and-green uniform.

“Even if (then Eskimos head coach) Danny Maciocia has to play, I don’t care,” said Pilon. “If we win, we win. That’s all we’re looking for.”

It’s that kind of combative attitude that added spice to many a Battle of Alberta over the years . . . and also what made Pilon such a beloved teammate.Stamps offensive linemen celebrate 2008 Grey Cup championship (Photo by David Moll)

“Jeff gave everything he had on every snap in every game,” said John Hufnagel, the Stamps’ head coach for Pilon’s final two seasons.

Pilon, a Syracuse University product, joined the Stamps in 2000 after being acquired in a trade with Winnipeg, the team he was drafted by but for which he never played.

Pilon spent some time on the New York Jets practice roster in 2000 and was with the New York/New Jersey Hitmen of the one-year wonder that was the XFL in 2001 before rejoining the Stamps for good.

A David Heasman injury allowed him to step into the starting lineup partway through the 2001 season. That initial start came at guard, foreign territory for the natural tackle.

“I remember my first start at guard,” he said years later. “I didn’t know what the hell was going on. (Veteran centre) Jamie Crysdale took me under his wing and let me know what was going on, make sure the calls were right, where to go.”

Later that year, he won his first of two Grey Cups as a member of the Stamps.

In 2002, he won the starting right tackle job at training camp and was a fixture there for eight seasons although, in typical fashion, he had to fight through multiple surgeries to his knees, shoulders and elbows to get on the field.

“He always played though pain,” said Hufnagel.

Pilon had hoped to extend his career into a second decade, but the accumulation of injuries and, even more notably, the chance to start a career in the oil and gas industry led to his decision to close the football chapter of his life.

“It was an absolute honour to be part of the best organization in the CFL and to play for the best fans in the CFL,” said Pilon, whose second Grey Cup ring was picked up in 2008. “Playing professional football was I dream that I had and I was able to fulfill it.”OL Jeff Pilon during a game against BC on Sept. 25, 2009 (Photo by David Moll)