Stegall gets rightful tribute

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/08/2016 (3356 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Milt Stegall broke into the CFL in 1995, he figured he’d play a year or two, regroup and head back to the NFL.

When he retired following the 2008 season, he’d pulled the Winnipeg Blue Bombers game jersey over his shoulders 199 times over 14 seasons, setting numerous records along the way.

And while the team could never give him a Grey Cup ring, they made sure to make him the fourth member of their Ring of Honour Wednesday night.

“It’s special, and to have my family here (wife Darlene and sons Chase and Colin),” Stegall said prior to his halftime induction ceremony. “This organization, this city and this province — I keep saying it over and over, but I can’t say it enough, the way I’m treated here is a humbling experience and I’m cherishing every second of it.”

With his family in tow, Stegall & Co. looked on as a placard bearing his name and iconic No. 85 was officially added to the Ring of Honour next to legendary quarterback Ken Ploen.

His colleagues at TSN, where Stegall serves as an analyst, took in the moment from the sideline studio set up for the game.

Fans, like they had when he played and have since he retired, cheered loudly.

Stegall owned the league during his CFL tenure, setting records for most touchdowns in a career with 147, most receiving touchdowns with 144 and most majors in a season with 23. He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2012. 

Stegall spent 45 minutes signing autographs, shaking hands and offering up hugs to a throng of fans in the team’s tailgate zone just outside the stadium Wednesday evening.

Stegall pointed to several good memories on the field during his time in the city, but it is what he experienced off it that he’ll cherish forever.

“I’ve been to just about every small town in Manitoba speaking to people,” he said. “I used football as a platform to go out and do other things.

“Every single moment was a such a fun time. I’ll remember this for the rest of my life.”

Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter

Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Thursdays

Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.

Sign up for Mike McIntyre | On Sports

Sign Up

I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

And he doesn’t regret not taking another stab at the NFL. Stegall was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals for three seasons prior to joining the Blue Bombers.

“Not for one second,” he said. “People say, ‘You could have made a lot of money.’ Money comes and goes. These friendships I’ve made, they’re never going to leave — you can’t put a price tag on that. I wouldn’t change one moment.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @scottbilleck 

Scott Billeck
Reporter

Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade’s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.  Read more about Scott.

Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.