PLAYER #75 - ALEX PONTON (1954-61)

There have been many brother acts that have played for the Argonauts, but not too many father-and-son combinations. However, Alex Ponton Jr., who played for the Double Blue from 1954-61, was able to follow in the footsteps of his dad Alex Sr., who suited up for the Argos for one game back in 1923.

"He was very much (my idol), we were very close," said Ponton. "He helped me out a lot, when you're playing touch football and that when you're young. Unfortunately, I lost him at 17 years of age. He died of a heart attack in 1949."

With the Olympics recently completed, it is fitting that we honour Alex Sr. at this time. He was a world-class track athlete who competed for Canada in the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, where he finished fourth in the 100 metres. Alongside his track career, where he was the Canadian champion for a decade, Alex Sr. played football for the Argos in 1923, but was better known for playing for Balmy Beach in the ORFU, helping them win a Grey Cup in 1927. He then coached the team from 1931-45, during which time they won one Grey Cup final and lost in two others.

The younger Alex made it to the CFL in 1951, having been drafted by the Ottawa Rough Riders. He started as a strong safety for the Rough Riders for three years, and then came to Toronto in 1954, where he switched to outside linebacker, a position he played for most of his seven years in an Argo uniform. While the team was mired in last place for most of his tenure, they did come close to the Grey Cup in 1955 and 1960.

"We were very close," said Ponton. "We should have won in 1955 (against Montreal). We weren't even supposed to be close to them, but we (physically) beat the crap out of them and lost in the last second of the ball game on a field goal. And then we lost on a sleeper play, if you can believe it, against Ottawa in 1960."

Even though the Argos generally performed poorly, Ponton still felt 1955-60 was "the greatest football era in Canadian history", with the likes of Etcheverry, Shatto, Jackson and Faloney performing their magic. However, the best of that bunch, according to Ponton, was teammate Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist, a big, bruising running back who was a CFL all-star for Hamilton and the Argos, and then set rushing records with the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL).

"He was the greatest all-around football player I've ever seen," said Ponton.

When he wasn't playing, Ponton was working in sales for Weaver-Coal Liquid Fuels for nine years, and then when his career ended, he got into the real estate business, where he has been ever since. Working in Toronto commercial real estate with the likes of Olympia-York and the Arnoldi Group in the booming 1960's, '70's and '80's, Ponton has leveled his pace a bit and moved to Collingwood, where he has sold residentially for Royal LePage for the past three years. Living with his second wife Rusty, Ponton has four children from a previous marriage (daughters Patti, Penny and Amie, and son Alex Jr.) and spends much of his leisure time golfing and skiing.