PLAYER #114 - "RED" STOREY (1936-41)

There are many stories in the football world, but Red's story was one of the most interesting.

A poor kid who grew up fatherless in Depression-Era Barrie, Ontario, Roy Alvin "Red" Storey was a magnificent all-around athlete, rivalling the likes of Lionel "Big Train" Conacher and Ted "Moaner" Reeve in his athletic prowess. Like the other two, he excelled and became famous in more than one sport, as besides being an explosive running back with the Argonauts, Storey was an excellent senior league baseball player at Christie Pits, played with the famed Orillia Terriers lacrosse team, and was later probably best known as a long-time NHL referree.

"You know, there's a lot of things that go through your mind when you're all through, and you say, if you could do it all over again, what would I do," related Storey to Gord Walker, in between "Red's" many banquet speaking engagements, where he had countless stories to tell about his fascinating life in sports. "Well, I wish I'd been able to accept the offers that I had. I had a chance to play for Connie Mack in baseball. I had a chance to play (for the New York Giants and Chicago Bears) in football.

But I lived by playing sports 12 months of the year, and in those days, if you signed with any team, you were automatically considered a pro for all other sports. I couldn't afford to take that chance... But I don't think I would change a thing in my career. I loved every minute of it."

Storey first came to the Argonauts in 1936, after he was working for CN Rail in Leaside and approached Argo great Teddy Morris, who invited him to try out for the team. After a rough beginning, Storey made the team, and like all rookies, was the victim of a hilarious hazing incident. Teammate Lenny Staughton said that there was a player in the shower that was causing problems on the team, and if Storey wanted to be an integral and accepted part of the group, he had to dump ice water on him.

"I never heard such screaming in my whole life," laughed Storey. "But who the hell comes out of the shower but coach Lew Hayman. I thought I was gonna die. I thought for sure I'd be going back to Barrie. But he never opened his mouth. He never said a word. He just pretended it didn't happen. But it's true, from then on the players did accept me."

And so did Hayman, who played the youngster alongside Art West in the backfield, and the two were tied for the league touchdown lead in 1938. But Storey's greatest football moment was to come in the Grey Cup game that year, as he came off the bench to score three fourth quarter touchdowns and help set up another one with a 102-yard run, leading the Argonauts to a 30-7 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

"I was in the best shape of my life, I could have played for six hours if I had to," said Storey. "Winnipeg didn't have our depth and there's no question they were tiring, but they had one of the greatest teams that ever played in Canada to that point."

Injuries slowed down Storey over the rest of his career, and they also prevented him from serving overseas in World War II, something the patriotic Canadian likely sees as his greatest regret.