Dan Wicklum
 | |
| Date of birth | February 28, 1965 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Edmonton, Alberta |
| Career information | |
| Status | Retired |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | LB |
| College | Guelph |
| CFL draft | 1988 / Round: 1 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1988 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1989–1991 | Calgary Stampeders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
| |
| Honors |
1984 Vanier Cup (CIAU) winner 1987 OUAA All-Star 1988 Winnipeg's Rookie of the Year, 1988 Grey Cup winner 1989 & 1990 Calgary's Special Teams Player of the Year |
| Records | Guelph Gryphons Most total tackles in a season (1987: 119) |
Dan Wicklum (born February 28, 1965 in Edmonton, Alberta)[1] is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) football player who played for four seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Calgary Stampeders.
Early life
Wicklum was raised in Perth, Ontario, in the Ottawa Valley, and attended St. John Catholic School and Perth and District Collegiate Institute.[2] He played football with the Ottawa Sooners of the Canadian Junior Football League.[3] After high school graduation, he entered the University of Guelph and received a B.S.[2] in biology in 1990. He played football with the Guelph Gryphons winning the Vanier Cup in 1984 and named an OUAA All-Star in 1987,[4] setting the Guelph record with 119 total tackles in the season.[5] In 2002, Wicklum was named to the Guelph's Athletics hall of fame.[4]
Professional career
The CFL's Winnipeg Blue Bombers drafted him in the first round of the 1988 Canadian College Draft. Securing a starting linebacker role, Wicklum went on to help the team win the Grey Cup in 1988. In 1989, the Calgary Stampeders selected him as the first Canadian player in an equalization draft. He then played three seasons for the Stampeders and named Calgary's special teams Player of the Year twice.[2][4] There was some controversy in 1991 when a late hit by Wicklum on Toronto's marquee player Rocket Ismail caused Ismail to be hospitalised for a concussion. Ismail had already been tackled while returning a punt when Wicklum drove his helmet into Ismail's shoulder and neck. Wicklum was assessed a spearing penalty but was not ejected.[6]
Post football career
After retiring from football, Wicklum went on with his education in the field of aquatic ecology, completing an M.S. in 1994 at the University of Calgary, and a Ph.D. in 1998 at the University of Montana, where he also did postdoctoral work, served as Research Assistant Professor, and authored nine scholarly papers.[2]
In 2000, Wicklum became a senior policy advisor for Ralph Goodale, then Government House Leader and was later named Executive Director of the Canadian Forest Innovation Council.
References
- ↑ Brent MacKinnon. "Daniel Daly Wicklum". MacKinnon Family Tree. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
- 1 2 3 4 "Wicklum, Dan". Canada's Election 2004. Globe & Mail. 2004-06-28. Archived from the original on December 1, 2005. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
- ↑ "OFC to the Pros". Ontario Football Conference. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
- 1 2 3 "Dan Wicklum, Football (2002)". Athletics Hall of Fame. University of Guelph. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
- ↑ "Guelph Gryphons Football statistics" (pdf). University of Guelph. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
- ↑ "Concussion for Ismail Brings a Controversy". New York Times. 1991-09-16. Retrieved 2007-12-25.