When Stephen Del Col was a youngster, his father would often talk about football, particularly the exploits of Simon Fraser University and the Toronto Argonauts. Well, Del Col must have been an impressionable youngster, since he went on to play university for the Klansmen at SFU and then graduated to the Double Blue in 1982.
"It was kind of a double dream come true," said Del Col, a Toronto native who attended Victoria Park Collegiate, where he played tight end and his hero was Mel Profit. In fact, Del Col wore Profit's #75 throughout his football career, and even lined up occasionally at that position as an Argonaut.
But for the most part, Del Col played defensive end, which is what the Argos had in mind when they selected him as one of their two territorial exemptions back in '82, a part of the college draft structure that brought in many key players during its time, but one that does not exist anymore. The other territorial pick that year was receiver Geoff Townsend, and both were integral parts of a team that loaded up with quality Canadians and won the Grey Cup in 1983.
"That certainly was overall a really big highlight," said Del Col, who remembers the noise in B.C. Place that day as being almost unbearable. "When I lined up at tight end for a few plays, (quarterback) Condredge Holloway said 'you're going to have to know the plays from the vibrations of the fingers in the turf."
Apart from the Grey Cup, a game that stands out for Del Col was a regular season contest in Hamilton when the Argos annihilated the Ticats, one of the few times they had success in Steeltown.
"I remember the one game vividly, when we hadn't won in Ivor Wynne Stadium in a long time, and Holloway comes out and throws three or four touchdown passes in the first quarter," said Del Col. "Those were the days when you could leave Hamilton and be sure you had a couple of beer bottles thrown at the bus."
Fortunately, none of those bottles injured Del Col, but it was some torn ligaments in his ankle suffered in the last regular season game in 1986 in Montreal that eventually forced him to look elsewhere for his future employment.
"I had a house, a baby on the way and bills to be paid, so it was time to get on with my life," said Del Col, whose family consists of wife Jacquelene and two children, eight-year-old Dominique and six-year-old Taylor.
Residing in Vineland, a small town near St. Catharines, Del Col and his wife ended up running a couple of tourism-oriented stores in the area. One of them sells local crafts and arts and also makes gourmet jellies and vinegars, while the other specializes in ladies casual wear and is located in nearby Jordan Village.
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