O Canada.

What a couple of months it’s been:

• Canada beating the USA in overtime in the Four Nations Tournament.

• Team Canada Men’s Soccer 2-1 victory over the Americans this past weekend.

• The return of Tim Hortons physical ‘Roll Up the Rim’ coffee cups.

• And of course, the 2025 CFL Draft just over a month away.

So what better time than now to take a look back at some homemade talent that became absolute impact players for the Stampeders?

Here’s 10 playmakers drafted by the Red and White over the years:

Rocco Romano
1987 CFL Draft
Round 1, Pick 5

There are quite a few offensive linemen on this list, but we’ll start with Rocco Romano who to this day remains one of the team’s best OL to ever suit up in Red and White.

Drafted in 1987, Romano moved onto the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders and BC Lions before returning to play for Calgary in 1992, where he’d remain until his retirement following the 2000 season.

The Concordia alum was named all-CFL four times with the Stamps (1992, 1994-96) and won two Grey Cups with the team (’92, ’98). He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

During his time in Calgary, Romano organized the walkthrough ritual of the offensive lineman playing bocce ball, a tradition that lives on to this day.

Dave Sapunjis
1990 CFL Draft
Round 1, Pick 5

35 years ago, the Red and White’s selected Dave Sapunjis, known to fans and teammates as ‘Sponge.’

The receiver selected out of the University of Western Ontario went on to become one of the greatest pass catchers in Stampeders history. The Toronto native played in Calgary from 1990-96, earning all-CFL nods (’93,’95) and named the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian twice.

He was runner-up for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award in 1995 and remains among the leaders in all Stamps receiving categories. Sapunjis won a Grey Cup in 1992 and was named the game’s top Canadian.

Jay McNeil
1994 CFL Draft
Round 4, Pick 34

Four years later, the Stampeders made a steal with their fourth-round selection of guard Jay McNeil. (And no, Jay didn’t bribe me to write that).

The Kent State alum went on to play 13 seasons for Calgary (1994-2007), earning all-CFL recognition five times (2001-02, 2005-07). He is a two-time Grey Cup champion (1998, 2001) and was also twice voted by teammates as the winner of the Presidents’ Ring for excellence on and off the field.

The former offensive lineman holds the fourth spot in most games played in Stamps history with 223 under his belt.

In 2022, McNeil was hired as the team’s Vice President of Business Operations and in 2024 was appointed President of the football club.

Jon Cornish
2006 CFL Draft
Round 2, Pick 13

Next up is arguably the organization’s best draft selection of all-time, all-CFL running back Jon Cornish.

Although he was drafted in 2006, the New Westminster native didn’t take over full starting duties for the Stamps until midway through the 2011 season. But once he slotted at the top of the depth chart, Cornish never looked back.

In his first three years as a starter, he led the CFL in rushing, including the 2014 season where he only played nine games. Cornish was selected as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian three times (2012-14) and won league MOP in 2013.

He was a member of two Grey Cup champion teams in 2008 and 2014 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Rob Maver
2010 CFL Draft
Round 1, Pick 5

It’s rare a kicker gets selected in the CFL Draft, let alone the first round.

But following the 2009 season, the Stamps, Argos and Ti-Cats were all in search of a replacement kicker, forcing Calgary to select Rob Maver before the other teams could.

Following injury, the Guelph alum transitioned to punter. Famous for his coffin-corner punts, Maver quickly became a fan-favourite amongst Stampeder faithful.

He stayed in Calgary for all 10 seasons of his pro career (2010-19), earning all-CFL recognition in 2012 and 2013, as well as winning the Grey Cup in 2014 and 2018. In 163 career regular-season games, Maver punted 921 times for 41,429 yards. He’s second in franchise history in both categories, sitting behind Tony Martino.

Junior Turner
2011 CFL Draft
Round 2, Pick 9

In the CFL’s Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings, Turner was ranked as the 12th best player for players eligible in the 2011 CFL Draft. The defensive lineman spent the first nine years of his career in Calgary, suiting up for over 100 games.

Despite a few injuries that kept Turner out of the lineup for the majority of 2016 and 2017, when healthy, he provided a solid veteran presence along the defensive line.

The Toronto native was part of Grey Cup-winning teams in 2014 and 2018. Most notably, Turner recorded a sack on the Redblacks’ Trevor Harris on the final play of the game in the 2018 Grey Cup victory.

Brett Jones
2013 CFL Draft
Round 2, Pick 16

He was only here for a short time, but he sure made an impact in his two lone years in the CFL.

Jones earned the Most Outstanding Rookie award for his prestigious play in 2013, becoming the first offensive lineman to win the award since its creation in 1972. He was the only OL to play every game that season, with 17 of his 18 starts coming at the centre position. The following season he was awarded Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

The Weyburn, Sask., native helped guide the Stamps to a Grey Cup championship in 2014, before moving onto the NFL for the rest of his pro career. He played for the New York Giants (2015-17), Minnesota Vikings (2018-20), and Denver Broncos (2021) before retiring.

Shane Bergman
2013 CFL Draft
Round 6, Pick 48

Also selected in the 2013 CFL Draft, Bergman remained in Calgary for the rest of his career before retiring in 2020.

After appearing in a single game during his rookie season, Bergman made 102 starts at left guard over the final six seasons of his career.

The Ontario native was a two-time Grey Cup champion (2014, 2018) and was named the league’s top offensive lineman in 2019.

Charlie Power
2013 CFL Draft
Round 4, Pick 28

The unsung hero.

This draft pick may not be as flashy as Jon Cornish or Alex Singleton, but Charlie Power provided consistent production and veteran leadership on the special-teams unit his entire CFL career.

Over eight seasons, the Okotoks product recorded 94 special teams tackles and three forced fumbles. He was a member of the 2014 and 2018 Grey Cup championship teams.

Alex Singleton
2016 CFL Draft
Round 1, Pick 6

And finally, we end with 2016 selection Alex Singleton.

Although he only suited up for the Red and White for three seasons, and his last snap in the CFL was in 2018, the smiley linebacker with long curly locks is still dearly remembered by Stampeder faithful.

The Montana State alum made an immediate impact for the Stamps and assisted the team in reaching a Grey Cup berth three seasons in a row before finally claiming championship glory in 2018. He earned all-CFL honors in 2017 and 2018 and won the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2017.

Following the 2018 season, Singleton headed south of the border and has since remained playing in the NFL with stints in Philadelphia (2019-21) and Denver (2022-present).