Hard-nosed and tough, with a heart of gold

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This article was published 21/02/2012 (5298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Lyle Bauer can still remember the first few days of Cal Murphy’s storied time in Winnipeg.

“I had previously played for Ray Jauch and then Cal came in and all hell broke loose,” said Bauer, from his Calgary home on Monday morning. “It didn’t matter who you were or what you’d done, you had to prove yourself to Cal. A lot of people ended up leaving that team, getting traded or getting cut but it was Cal’s way or the highway.”

Murphy died on Saturday at 79 and left a legacy of family, great football teams and leaders. Included in the group of leaders are Bauer, now CEO of the Calgary Stampeders, and Oregon State head coach Mike Riley. Bauer didn’t just look up to Murphy as a football coach and executive.

“You go through life and there are people that help mould and shape us and build and develop character. In football and in life, Cal Murphy was one of, if not the biggest, influences in my life,” said Bauer. “He was out here last fall with his wife, Joyce. Time was showing. It was catching up with him but it was that same old Cal with that smile and that laugh.”

Bauer went to five Grey Cups with Murphy and they won three. Bauer was a player under Murphy and then was his assistant GM. Few knew the man better.

Bauer said Murphy was sometimes misunderstood.

“I’m not sure you have enough time for me to tell you all I can about Cal. People paint a picture of a crusty old curmudgeon. Hard-nosed and tough. Which he was, but those that think of him like that probably never knew the man,” said Bauer. “He was tough but he was fair and he was compassionate. He had a very big heart. He wanted things done the way he wanted them and the way he believed was right. If you bought into what he was doing, success would follow. We saw that when he came into Winnipeg in 1983.”

 

Murphy arrived in the early ’80s after learning under Marv Levy in Montreal and then in Edmonton with Hugh Campbell’s dynastic Eskimos. The Winnipeg-born Murphy had formed his own style and it was demanding. Murphy won nine Grey Cup rings in his career — three of them right here in Winnipeg.

“When he came in ’83 he damn near killed us. He ran the hell out of us and he beat the hell out of us,” recalls Bauer, a member of the Bombers offensive line that went on to win three Grey Cups on Murphy’s watch. “But it was to find out who was going to be part of his team and who had the character to work within his guidelines. We had T-shirts made up that said, ‘I survived Camp Cal.’ He pretty much put us right to the edge.”

Bauer said following Murphy into battle was almost always rewarding.

“The other moment I remember so well, I was sitting in the locker-room in Ottawa prior to the 1988 Grey Cup and he came up and sat beside me and said, ‘Don’t you worry. Just have faith and believe to the very end and we will win.’ Of course you know the rest of the story. The Immaculate Interception with Mike Gray picking off (Matt) Dunigan as the Lions were driving down the field to try a winning field goal. The Bombers prevailed. Just like Cal said we would.”

Bauer has a picture of himself in his office punching a defensive lineman in the face during his playing days. He’s cut his own path as a cancer survivor and a football executive. He’s not what one would call a follower. But he’s glad to say he was led by Murphy.

“Cal was a man of faith, family and football and some would wonder which came first, but it was never any question in his mind that they came in that order,” said Bauer. “I’ve taken some time to reflect and the biggest lesson I learned from Cal from all his quality teachings in our time together was that a true leader looks after his people. Cal Murphy, if you were part of his plan, he was very loyal and stalwart in his support. He was a special man and I’m glad to say I’m a disciple.”

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless