PLAYER #72 - GORD JUDGES (1968, 80-81)

As a defensive tackle lining up against the opposing centre, Gord Judges was on camera for almost every play. He must have liked it, since he's been behind a camera ever since his career ended in 1982.

As a freelance cameraman specializing in documentaries, Judges has seen some of his work nominated for awards, including a Gemini for best documentary for "Straight Shooter", a story about the 1960's rock band The Mamas and The Papas. He also did a special for American cable channel A & E on Canadian folk- rockers The Band, and is currently working on a documentary on the history of Gibson guitars, which will take him to London, England in the near future.

"I'm an old rocker," said Judges, a Toronto native who also does corporate videos, his most recent being for Lexus Canada. "When I went over to Montreal, coach Sam Etcheverry sent me straight to the barber."

That was in 1969 at the height of psychedelia, and Judges had just been picked up by the Alouettes after starting in Toronto with the Argonauts a year earlier. After playing high school at Victoria Park and junior football for the Scarborough Rams, Judges spurned scholarship offers from the likes of Clemson University to turn pro with the hometown Double Blue.

"I remember that I was only 20 years old and green behind the ears," recalled Judges, who suffered his first of many knee injuries and played only one game that year. "I had hardly played against any guys with hair on their arms."

It wasn't until Judges came to Montreal that he developed into one of the top defensive linemen in the league, playing a decade for a legendary Alouette squad that went to six Grey Cups and won three of them (1970, '74 and '77) during his tenure.

"We had (coach) Marv Levy, (quarterback) Sonny Wade, and a hell of a defence," said Judges, who along with Glen Weir and Junior Ah You, terrorized opposing quarterbacks for years.

However, when Joe Scannella took over from Levy, the team went into a decline and many players, including the co-captain Judges, were unceremoniously let go. He found his way to the Argos again during the 1980 season, and also played on the dreadful 2-14 1981 team. He wrapped up his career in 1982 with the newly-formed Montreal Concordes, bringing to an end a 14-year roller coaster ride that featured many fond memories and hijinks.

"Fred Biletnikoff came over from Oakland in 1979 and said: 'The Raiders were never like this'," claimed Judges, who reminisced with many of his partners in crime during the first game back in Montreal this year after a nine-year absence. "It was quite an emotional moment when they kicked the ball off. I had tears in my eyes."

Whether the team can remain and thrive in Montreal remains to be seen, but Judges is cautiously optimistic.

"I would rate football #2 behind hockey in Quebec," said Judges, who lives in Pickering with his second wife Colleen and kids James and Jessica. He also has a son, Brett, from his first marriage, who is now attending U of T.