Troy Westwood
Encyclopedia
Troy Westwood is a Canadian Football League
place kicker and punter
who played 17 years for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
.
After briefly playing professional soccer for the Winnipeg Fury
, Westwood has been with the Bombers since the 1991 season
, when he was selected 48th overall in the 6th round of the Canadian College Draft. He holds numerous club records, such as all-time scoring leader and single season scoring leader. He is known for stirring things up off-field: he has tried his hand at professional boxing
and tap dancing, and had a public feud with Montreal Alouette
Ed Philion
. He is arguably most known for his tongue-in-cheek insult of the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders
' fans by calling them "banjo
-pickin' inbreds." He later followed that up with a faux apology, saying he did not think anyone in Saskatchewan was actually capable of playing a banjo. These quotes inspired the Banjo Bowl.
Westwood was also known for his mullet
, which he reportedly vowed not to cut until he wins the Grey Cup
. He decided to grow it out after the 2001 Grey Cup loss to Calgary
, in which he missed three out of four field goal attempts. In a radio interview, he publicly denied this claim and attributed his hair to his spirituality, and resents the notion that his hair has anything to do with football. This poor performance capped off what was Westwood's worst season statistically as he only converted on 60.8% of his field goal attempts that year. As of 2006 his career field goal success rate is 72.8 percent.
Westwood was re-signed by the Bombers on February 23, 2007.
After a disappointing start to the 2007 season against Edmonton, Westwood was told by Bomber coach Doug Berry not to dress for the second game of the season against Montreal. After replacement Rob Pikula went 1/2 in field goals, Westwood was reinstated as the Bomber's place kicker by the third game of the season. In the 7th game of the season however, Westwood sustained a hamstring injury and his future with the club was again in doubt. However, after injuries to Pikula and newly signed Pat Fleming, Westwood was called upon for kicking and punting duties in the Eastern Semi-Final where he went 1/2, kicking the game winning field goal from 20 yards out with no time left on the clock.
Westwood was cut by the Bombers on June 15 2008
Westwood was re-signed by the Blue Bombers on Oct 19, 2009 to their practice roster following an injury to starting punter Mike Renaud
and struggles by place kicker Alexis Serna
to pull double duty. On April, 2010, Westwood was released by the Blue Bombers.
Westwood voted for Milt Stegall as "the best looking man in the CFL."
Troy Westwood worked for Astral Radio as part of the QX 104 "Waking Crew" in Winnipeg from March 2009 through March 2011.
culture growing up in Dauphin
, has also recorded several albums inspired by First Nations music, both in the band Eagle & Hawk
and later as a solo artist named Little Hawk.
perspective in this role, until stepping down in 2001, due to the time demands of playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
.
In April 2011 Westwood appeared on the Canadian version of the show Wipeout.
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....
place kicker and punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
who played 17 years 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...
.
After briefly playing professional soccer for the Winnipeg Fury
Winnipeg Fury
The Winnipeg Fury was a professional soccer team in Winnipeg. It was founded by Ralph Cantafio, who served as Team President and Chairman of the Board. The team was part of the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1992. The Fury belonged to the former Canadian National Soccer League for 1993...
, Westwood has been with the Bombers since the 1991 season
1991 CFL season
The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:...
, when he was selected 48th overall in the 6th round of the Canadian College Draft. He holds numerous club records, such as all-time scoring leader and single season scoring leader. He is known for stirring things up off-field: he has tried his hand at professional boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and tap dancing, and had a public feud with Montreal Alouette
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...
Ed Philion
Ed Philion
Edward John Philion is a former Canadian Football League defensive tackle who played eight seasons for the Montreal Alouettes. He was an East Division All-Star from 2003 through 2006. Philion was born in Montreal, however grew up in the Windsor, Ontario area. He was a hockey player for the Essex...
. He is arguably most known for his tongue-in-cheek insult of the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
' fans by calling them "banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
-pickin' inbreds." He later followed that up with a faux apology, saying he did not think anyone in Saskatchewan was actually capable of playing a banjo. These quotes inspired the Banjo Bowl.
Westwood was also known for his mullet
Mullet (haircut)
The mullet is a hairstyle that is short at the front and sides, and long in the back. . The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s...
, which he reportedly vowed not to cut until he wins the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
. He decided to grow it out after the 2001 Grey Cup loss to Calgary
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
, in which he missed three out of four field goal attempts. In a radio interview, he publicly denied this claim and attributed his hair to his spirituality, and resents the notion that his hair has anything to do with football. This poor performance capped off what was Westwood's worst season statistically as he only converted on 60.8% of his field goal attempts that year. As of 2006 his career field goal success rate is 72.8 percent.
Westwood was re-signed by the Bombers on February 23, 2007.
After a disappointing start to the 2007 season against Edmonton, Westwood was told by Bomber coach Doug Berry not to dress for the second game of the season against Montreal. After replacement Rob Pikula went 1/2 in field goals, Westwood was reinstated as the Bomber's place kicker by the third game of the season. In the 7th game of the season however, Westwood sustained a hamstring injury and his future with the club was again in doubt. However, after injuries to Pikula and newly signed Pat Fleming, Westwood was called upon for kicking and punting duties in the Eastern Semi-Final where he went 1/2, kicking the game winning field goal from 20 yards out with no time left on the clock.
Westwood was cut by the Bombers on June 15 2008
Westwood was re-signed by the Blue Bombers on Oct 19, 2009 to their practice roster following an injury to starting punter Mike Renaud
Mike Renaud
Mike Renaud is a professional Canadian football punter for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Montreal Alouettes as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
and struggles by place kicker Alexis Serna
Alexis Serna
Alexis Serna is a free agent placekicker and punter in the Canadian Football League. He graduated from A. B. Miller High School in Fontana, California. He was the starting placekicker and punter for the Oregon State University football team, the Oregon State Beavers, from 2004-2007...
to pull double duty. On April, 2010, Westwood was released by the Blue Bombers.
Westwood voted for Milt Stegall as "the best looking man in the CFL."
Troy Westwood worked for Astral Radio as part of the QX 104 "Waking Crew" in Winnipeg from March 2009 through March 2011.
Music
Westwood, who was exposed to First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
culture growing up in Dauphin
Dauphin, Manitoba
Dauphin is a small city in Manitoba, Canada, with a population of 7,906 as of 2006. The nearby lake was given the name "Dauphin" by the explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye in 1741 in honour of the heir to the French throne...
, has also recorded several albums inspired by First Nations music, both in the band Eagle & Hawk
Eagle & Hawk
Eagle & Hawk is a Canadian First Nations rock group, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The core of the band consists of lead guitarist Vince Fontaine, lead singer and guitarist Jay Bodner, bass guitarist Lawrence 'Spatch' Mulhall and drummer Marty Chapman...
and later as a solo artist named Little Hawk.
Regular season
| Year | | Kicking | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FG | FG Att | FG % | Singles | Conv | Conv Att | Conv % | Points | |
| 1991 | 16 | 22 | 72.7 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 100 | 75 |
| 1992 | 47 | 62 | 75.8 | 11 | 47 | 48 | 97.9 | 199 |
| 1993 | 45 | 56 | 80.4 | 6 | 68 | 69 | 98.5 | 209 |
| 1994 | 42 | 58 | 72.4 | 15 | 72 | 72 | 100 | 213 |
| 1995 | 36 | 49 | 73.5 | 5 | 34 | 34 | 100 | 147 |
| 1996 | 37 | 51 | 72.5 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 100 | 156 |
| 1997 | 39 | 54 | 72.2 | 7 | 40 | 40 | 100 | 164 |
| 1998 | 36 | 64 | 66.7 | 6 | 30 | 30 | 100 | 144 |
| 1999 | 34 | 49 | 69.4 | 11 | 27 | 27 | 100 | 140 |
| 2000 | 45 | 58 | 77.6 | 8 | 52 | 52 | 100 | 195 |
| 2001 | 31 | 51 | 60.8 | 12 | 54 | 54 | 100 | 159 |
| 2002 | 45 | 62 | 72.6 | 12 | 57 | 57 | 100 | 204 |
| 2003 | 47 | 61 | 77.0 | 9 | 48 | 48 | 100 | 198 |
| 2004 | 39 | 50 | 78.0 | 8 | 41 | 41 | 100 | 166 |
| 2005 | 28 | 40 | 70.0 | 8 | 49 | 49 | 100 | 141 |
| 2006 | 30 | 43 | 69.8 | 15 | 32 | 32 | 100 | 137 |
| 2007 | 20 | 33 | 60.6 | 6 | 28 | 28 | 100 | 94 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||||
| Career | 617 | 853 | 72.3 | 158 | 736 | 738 | 99.7 | 2,745 |
Personal life
Westwood is known by many through his musical career as a member of Manitoba's Eagle & Hawk, which he began in 1993 with Vince Fontaine. He provided lead vocals, and songwriting from a First NationsFirst Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
perspective in this role, until stepping down in 2001, due to the time demands of playing with 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...
.
In April 2011 Westwood appeared on the Canadian version of the show Wipeout.