Nick Arakgi is a former professional Canadian football

Canadian football

Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...

 star receiver in the Canadian Football League

Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....

.

Early years

Arakgi was born in Cairo, Egypt and graduated from Bishop's University

Bishop's University

Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...

 in Sherbrooke, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 in 1978, where he played CIS football

CIS football

Twenty-six universities across Canada compete in football under the auspices of Canadian Interuniversity Sport . The teams are divided into four conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of the CIS: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Quebec...

 for the Bishop's Gaiters

Bishop's Gaiters

The Bishop's Gaiters is the name of the men's and women's athletic teams that represent Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Although their logo and mascot suggest the term stems from the word alligator, "Gaiter" actually refers to a boot covering worn by Anglican bishops up until the...

. In 1978, he was selected as the Gaiters' Most Valuable Player

Most Valuable Player

In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...

 as well as receiving the Sid Hart Trophy as the top Male Athlete of the Year at Bishop's. He was inducted into the Bishop's University Wall of Distinction in 2004.

Professional career

He began a 7-year career with the Montreal Alouettes

Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...

 (and the Montreal Concordes) in 1979, playing a total of 110 regular season games and the 67th Grey Cup

67th Grey Cup

The 67th Grey Cup was played on November 25, 1979 before 65,113 fans at the Olympic Stadium at Montreal. The Edmonton Eskimos won against the Montreal Alouettes by the score 17 to 9.-Box Score:First Quarter...

 game. He caught 327 passes in Montreal, with 89 of those coming in 1982. He was an all star in 1982, 1984, and 1985, and added the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award

CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award

The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually rewarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. This is the second-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted. The two nominees...

 in the 1984 CFL season

1984 CFL season

The 1984 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 31st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 27th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1984:...

.

He suffered a broken neck bone in the 1986 preseason and did not play that year, but returned for the 1987 CFL season

1987 CFL season

The 1987 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 34th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 30th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1987:...

 to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...

, catching 43 more passes and winning the Tom Pate Memorial Award

Tom Pate Memorial Award

Every year the Canadian Football League Players' Association presents the Tom Pate Award. It is not a "Jock Award," but rather an award given to players who display qualities that distinguish them from their peers....

 in recognition of his comeback.

Arakgi finished his football career with 370 receptions, 27 touchdowns, and 4,865 receiving yards.

After football

, he was a general manager with CBS Outdoor

CBS Outdoor

CBS Outdoor is the outdoor advertising division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation. It is the third largest outdoor media owner in revenue terms...

 Advertising, and served on the Board of Directors for the Out of Home Marketing Association. He resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Arakgi has three children (one of whom, Jason Arakgi

Jason Arakgi

Jason Arakgi is a Canadian football Linebacker for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2008 CFL Draft by the BC Lions. He played college football at McMaster....

, plays for the BC Lions

BC Lions

The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...

).