Thank You,  Jay McNeil for a great presentation!

• Born on August 20, 1970
• Father died when he was young
• Raised by a single mother
• Family didn’t have money
• Was 6’ 3” 250 pounds in high school
• He tried many sports, but quit them all
• Quit football after two weeks of practice in high school
• He missed playing when he was watching others
• Earned a scholarship to play football at Kent State University
• Earned a starting O-line position as a college freshman 
• Injured his leg on the last play of the practices in his freshman year
• Was out for the year
• Two-a-Days were tough
• Wanted to quit, but didn’t
• Recuperated from his leg injury
• In 1994 Jay ended up at rookie camp in Calgary
• His agent’s advice: 1) get noticed 2) Don’t make the same mistake twice 3) Don’t take any sh*t
• Had four fights in his first day of practice with the Stamps
• Loves football
• Joined the Calgary Stampeders as an offensive lineman in 1994
• Played 14 seasons for the Stampeders from 1994 to 2007.
• Participated in four Grey Cups (1995, 1998, 1999, 2001), winning in 1998 and 20013.
• Named CFL Western Division All-Star offensive line guard in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
• Earned CFL All-Star recognition in 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007.
• Twice voted by teammates as the winner of the Presidents' Ring for excellence on and off the field.
• Retired from playing after the 2007 season.
• Served as a trustee for the CFL Players Pension Plan.
• Acted as vice-president of the Canadian Football League Players Association.
• Worked as a community ambassador for the Stampeder alumni association.
• Built a career in business, leading sales and operations for companies like Trinidad Drilling, Tervita, Secure Energy, and Cleantek Industries.
• Returned to the Stampeders organization in September 2022 as Vice President of Business Operations.
• Jay is now President of the Calgary Stampeders Football Club
• 2025 marks 80 years of Calgary Stampeders Football
• What he has learned from playing football…

• Hard work
• Perseverance
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Passion