Tony Champion
Encyclopedia
Tony Champion is a former American football
and Canadian Football League
player.
(1981–84), Champion was All-Gulf South Conference
, had 84 career points and tied a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return. As a junior he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and set school records for receptions in a season (39) and most yards single game (181 yards on 3 catches). He was a pre-season All-American before suffering knee injury as a senior.
Champion signed as free agent with the Dallas Cowboys
, San Diego Chargers
, and Green Bay Packers
in the National Football League
, but in each case was cut from the team.
He was a two time all-star (1986 and 1989) in the Canadian Football League
, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
for eight seasons, 1985-1992. He had 340 career receptions for 5,498 yards and 37 TD's. In 1989 Champion was runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
, Hamilton's Most Valuable Player, winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy
trophy, and set a team season record for touchdowns with 15 on the year.
Champion is remembered for his last minute touchdown catch in the 1989 Grey Cup
game. With Hamilton trailing in the final minutes, Champion caught a 13 yard Mike Kerrigan
pass deep in the end zone with 44 seconds remaining, tying the game. Fully extended, he rolled over in mid-air to grab the ball in both hands and fell flat out on the ground, without dropping the ball. Champion was playing with broken ribs.
He won the 74th Grey Cup
with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
in 1986.
, Tenn. working in a tobacco factory. Champion was somewhat bitter when he left the CFL in 1992. This was evidenced as early as the 1989 Grey Cup game, where in a post game interview he proclaimed: "You've seen the last of Tony Champion." While not correct, this was a manifestation of his belief that he was not fully appreciated or compensated.
Champion is the son of the late Sadie Mai Champion of Humboldt. Tony and wife, Darla have two children, Kiara and Maiya.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and 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....
player.
Early sports career
A multi-sport star, Champion lived up to his name as a football standout at the high school, college and pro level. A 1981 Humboldt grad, he was an all-district player on the Vikings' 1979 undefeated, 13-0 Class AA state champion football team. As a senior he quarterbacked Humboldt to a 10-1 season and was selected All-West Tenn., 2nd Team All-State and Humboldt Player of the Year. In basketball Champion earned All-District and All-Region as Humboldt finished state runner-up. In track he placed 4th in state in the 330 yd. low hurdles as a junior and qualified for the state as a senior, but elected to attend graduation instead of competing at the state meet.Football career
Playing football at the University of Tennessee at MartinUniversity of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
(1981–84), Champion was All-Gulf South Conference
Gulf South Conference
The Gulf South Conference is a College Athletic Conference which operates in the southeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
, had 84 career points and tied a school record with a 100-yard kickoff return. As a junior he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards and set school records for receptions in a season (39) and most yards single game (181 yards on 3 catches). He was a pre-season All-American before suffering knee injury as a senior.
Champion signed as free agent with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, but in each case was cut from the team.
He was a two time all-star (1986 and 1989) 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....
, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
for eight seasons, 1985-1992. He had 340 career receptions for 5,498 yards and 37 TD's. In 1989 Champion was runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
, Hamilton's Most Valuable Player, winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy
Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy
The Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy is a Canadian football award recognizing the most outstanding player of the Quebec University Football LeagueThe trophy was originally presented to the player who best exemplified skill, sportsmanship, and courage in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union...
trophy, and set a team season record for touchdowns with 15 on the year.
Champion is remembered for his last minute touchdown catch in the 1989 Grey Cup
77th Grey Cup
The 77th Grey Cup was the 1989 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at SkyDome in Toronto, ON. The Roughriders defeated the Tiger-Cats, 43-40 on Dave Ridgway's winning field-goal...
game. With Hamilton trailing in the final minutes, Champion caught a 13 yard Mike Kerrigan
Mike Kerrigan
Michael Joseph Kerrigan is a former professional quarterback.An undrafted free agent, Kerrigan spent his first three professional seasons as a third-string quarterback behind Tony Eason and Steve Grogan...
pass deep in the end zone with 44 seconds remaining, tying the game. Fully extended, he rolled over in mid-air to grab the ball in both hands and fell flat out on the ground, without dropping the ball. Champion was playing with broken ribs.
He won the 74th Grey Cup
74th Grey Cup
The 74th Grey Cup was the 1986 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Edmonton Eskimos...
with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
in 1986.
Professional football record
| Year | Team | Catches | Yards | Average | Long | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Ham | 13 | 203 | 15.6 | 67 | 1 |
| 1986 | Ham | 74 | 1216 | 16.4 | 75 | 6 |
| 1987 | Ham | 53 | 851 | 16.1 | 75 | 6 |
| 1988 | Ham | 16 | 270 | 16.9 | 42 | 1 |
| 1989 | Ham | 95 | 1656 | 17.4 | 83 | 15 |
| 1990 | Ham | 37 | 581 | 15.7 | 75 | 5 |
| 1991 | Ham | 45 | 545 | 12.1 | 26 | 2 |
| 1992 | Ham | 7 | 176 | 25.1 | 75 | 1 |
Post-football
Champion has dropped out of public life totally since leaving football. All efforts to contact him, by former teammates and for a 20th anniversary of the 1989 Grey Cup game, have been ignored. He is presently living in HumboldtHumboldt, Tennessee
Humboldt is a city in Gibson and Madison counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 8,452 at the 2010 census, a decline of 1,015 in 2000. It is the principal city of and is included in the Humboldt, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Jackson,...
, Tenn. working in a tobacco factory. Champion was somewhat bitter when he left the CFL in 1992. This was evidenced as early as the 1989 Grey Cup game, where in a post game interview he proclaimed: "You've seen the last of Tony Champion." While not correct, this was a manifestation of his belief that he was not fully appreciated or compensated.
Champion is the son of the late Sadie Mai Champion of Humboldt. Tony and wife, Darla have two children, Kiara and Maiya.