‘A moment he’ll never forget’

Over 250 people inside the Caboto Centre fell silent as Giordano Vaccaro’s phone started to ring.

Family, friends and members of the local football community sat on pins and needles, waiting to see who would be on the other end of a life-changing call to the Winnipeg offensive lineman.

As many had anticipated — and hoped — it was the team holding the first overall pick: the Ottawa Redblacks.

“You ready to be a Redblack?” asked Ottawa head coach and general manager Ryan Dinwiddie over FaceTime.

“Hell yeah I am,” Vaccaro quickly replied, sittng between his parents Lisa and Angelo. “We’ve got 250 Redblacks right here.”

The room was no longer quiet. It was official: Vaccaro had just become the first Manitoba Bison in history to be selected first overall in the CFL Draft.

“If I look back on my 18-year-old self going to the Bisons and playing left tackle, I wouldn’t believe I’d be here right now, for sure,” Vaccaro, now 22, told a scrum of reporters on hand.

“Nothing’s guaranteed, nothing’s given to you right away, and when I got that phone call, I sure was happy that it was Ottawa. I had no clue, it was a total surprise.”

The 6-foot-2, 308-pound offensive lineman transferred to Purdue for his senior season and wasn’t supposed to be home this week owing to a math exam. He managed to get his test bumped up a few days so he could drive home late last week to surprise his loved ones.

There was no way he was going to spend Tuesday night without the people that had supported him since the beginning.

“Something that started off as a 60-person party grew to 260 and I’m grateful whether it was 60 or 260, because ultimately everyone in this room matters to me and played a big role in my life,” said Vaccaro.

“I know every single person in this room.”

The walls were lined with pictures and newspaper clippings highlighting his journey to the CFL. All of his jerseys, dating to his minor football days with the Corydon Comets, all the way up to his No. 62 uniform with the Boilermakers, were also on display.

“If I look back on my 18-year-old self going to the Bisons and playing left tackle, I wouldn’t believe I’d be here right now.”

None of this comes to fruition if Vaccaro would’ve stuck with his original sport.

“The first time I met Gio, he essentially told me, ‘I don’t think I’m going to play football sir, I’m a hockey player,’” said St. Paul’s High School football coach Stacy Dainard.

“I said ‘Heck no, you’re going to play O-line whether you like it or not.’ You never see this, right? He’s worked incredibly hard, and with some good luck, and some hard work, he’s gotten to where he is and I’m sure that will continue.”

Former Bisons head coach Brian Dobie recruited Vaccaro to the U of M. Unlike your average freshman, he was thrust into the spotlight right away, starting at left tackle. He would eventually be moved to his natural position on the interior, where he became a two-time first-team All-Canadian selection and the 2024 winner of the J.P. Metras Trophy which goes to the nation’s best lineman.

Before Tuesday, the highest a Bison had been drafted was Randy Ambrosie at No. 2 in 1985.

“I am so proud and excited for what’s happened this evening. I am so happy for Gio, and his amazing family — I mean, look what they’ve put together tonight, who does that? This is a moment he’ll never forget,” said Dobie.

“Thank you to our colleagues at Purdue for progressing him that much further, but this kid is a Manitoban. He was born and raised here and has been developed here.

“And he elevated himself beyond (former CFL commissioner) Randy, an ex-Bison, so, who knows, we might be looking at the next commisioner in 20 years.”

While his son was on the call with the Redblacks, Angelo reminded him to reach under the table to grab the trio of Ottawa hats that they had stashed away.

“I know every single person in this room.”

One for Vaccaro, and one for both parents.

“I gotta tell ya, I think it’s just his dedication and his drive,” said Angelo on what he’s most proud of. “He got something tattooed on his leg that says ‘Trust the process’ and the last four years, he’s truly, truly proven to us exactly what that phrase means. You trust in the process, and here we are today.”

Vaccaro also has full trust in the organization he’s now a part of.

“They’re going to build something special,” he said.

“I’m super excited to be a Redblack and we’re going to bring home a Grey Cup.”

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