4 APR 2022 · Stevie Baggs Jr. is veteran CFL and NFL professional football player, actor, motivational speaker, and author. Baggs played college football at Bethune-Cookman University, where he was a three-time All-American and Mel Blount SBN Defensive Player of the Year not to mention the winner of the Ernie Davis award. He was signed by the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in 2005. In 2006, Baggs signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then signed and played for the Edmonton Eskimos during the 2007 season. Baggs went on to sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent in September 2008. Additionally, Baggs had stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Baltimore Ravens, and the Calgary Stampeders. In addition to his athletic career, Baggs was featured in Season 2 of the reality/dating television series Match Made in Heaven. He has also appeared in television shows such as Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta, Necessary Roughness, and Star. Currently, Baggs has starring roles in Tyler Perry's drama/thriller Ruthless on BET+ and the Netflix series Cobra Kai and the two books he as written are titled "Greater Than The Game" and "Woke". (Wikipedia) Dreamer by Hazy https://soundcloud.com/hazy_music Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net

1 MAR 2022 · Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Amanda Ruller, is an accomplished athlete, coach, and inspiration to all. Ruller has a Bachelor of Kinesiology, Sport and Fitness Administration and Management degree from the University of Regina, was one of the top USports 60 meter sprinters in Canada, and was on the Canadian Olympic Bobsleigh and Skeleton development team. She played with the LA Temptation and the Atlanta Steam in the United States as well as was named to the Women’s Worlds Canadian Football team. Playing for Team Canada in the World Football Championship game in 2017, the team captured a Silver Medal. Ruller is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP), as well as Certified Coaching Certificate Level 3. She has a background in Olympic lifting and was on the Saskatchewan Olympic Lifting team. She was the University of Regina Rams Football team’s Speed coach for the 2019 season and currently is an assistant football coach for the running backs, Special teams, and strength and conditioning with the McMaster Men’s Varsity football program. In addition to her sporting and athletic achievements, Ruller has an avid interest in sports broadcasting and media. She was the Saskatchewan CFL Roughriders Game Day Host for their inaugural season in Mosaic Stadium. She has also worked as the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League broadcasting host for their game of the month on MaxTV Local Stream. Currently, she is the Game Day Host for the Saskatchewan Rush Lacrosse Club. Dreamer by Hazy https://soundcloud.com/hazy_music Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net

2 FEB 2022 · Our tackle talk speaker for this month is KEON RAYMOND, a former professional CFL defensive back, who is now the new head coach and director of football operations for the Prince George Kodiaks of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL). The Kodiaks were formed in 2020, and is a community-owned training program with several teams for the age groups ranging from U-10 to U-23. He will oversee the development of youth training camps, player development and training, as well as the creation of a non-contact league and to expand the program from Prince George to other northern B.C. communities. Raymond played his college football at Middle Tennessee State where then signed with the Tennessee Titans of the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2006, but did not make the playing roster and was cut during training camp. He went on to play for the Nashville Kats and New Orleans VooDoo of the Arena Football League in 2007 and 2008. Unfortunately, the arena league folded and it looked as though his football days were over. However, he got a call from the CALGARY STAMPEDERS in the CFL and signed with them in 2008 where he went on to play for 8 years with the club. He proceeded to win 2 Grey Cup championships, in 2008 and 2014. After his 8 years with the Stamps, Keon signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 2016, but only played in 8 games before getting released on August 24, 2016. He went on to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in October later that year and played in the last 2 regular season games and the team's East Semi Final loss to the Edmonton Eskimos. Raymond is a devout Christian and attended Royal Oak Victory Church in Calgary, Alberta, where he previously resided with his wife, Bianca, and their four children, Keon Jr., Dashaun, Ramael, and Gabrielle. Photo credit 1: Calgary Stampeders Photo credit 2: STEVE RUSSELL / TORONTO STAR Photo credit 3: stampeders.com Dreamer by Hazy https://soundcloud.com/hazy_music Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net

14 JAN 2022 · Bryn Roy is a CFL veteran linebacker who was drafted 34th overall by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2012 CFL Draft. Born in Dalemead, Alberta, Roy's path to the pros is one that is full of determination, passion, and roadblocks that he consistently overcame to pursue the dream of playing professional football and later professional steer wrestling. Listen now as he shares the lessons that adversity taught him as well as the triumph of perseverance. Roy currently runs the Bryn Roy Football Combines in Alberta, Canada for high school aged football players. Check it out here - https://www.brynroy.com Dreamer by Hazy https://soundcloud.com/hazy_music Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net

19 OCT 2021 · In October's TACKLE TALK, Academy Program Manager at the Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA), Jason Langvee, talks about how the CFLPA is assisting in player's mental health and wellness through their Academy. Langvee has a Master of Science (MS, Kinesiology and Exercise Science) through McMaster University where he defended his Master's with his thesis investigating the effects of mental fatigue on the perceptions of exertion during exercise. He also holds aBachelor of Science, Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour with honours from McMaster. You can learn more about the CFLPA Academy here - https://cflpa.com/academy/ Dreamer by Hazy https://soundcloud.com/hazy_music Music provided by www.plugnplaymusic.net

28 SEP 2021 · In episode 35 of telling their stories, Brad McGhie, former teacher with the Thames Valley Regional School Board at Medway high school in Ontario, gets real with his audience. He specializes in helping "at risk" teens to discover their strengths and to set goals for the week, month and for their career; especially those with a learning disability and/or mental health disorder. He is the founder of Upstream Synchronized Solutions for Youth Inc., a community-focused, youth-involved, evidence-driven non-profit to promote positive mental health and to prevent problematic substance use in the youth (15-25) population. McGhie is a retired teacher and coach at Medway for 30 years. He is a graduate of Medway and Western University where he earned a BEd. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. While at university, he coached for Medway for 4 years. Over his 30+ years of coaching, he has given thousands of hours of his personal time to the student athletes at Medway, coaching over 80 teams. He has also volunteered his time outside of coaching seasons to work with students to improve their fitness levels through personal training. President of the Ilderton and District Lions Club, in 2005, he, along with three other teachers, began a campaign to upgrade the athletic facilities at Medway. When a Medway family offered to donate a substantial amount of money to the campaign, the momentum took a quick turn. With the tremendous support of three of his fellow Lions, discussions between the Thames Valley District School Board, Medway High School and the Ilderton Lions commenced. Their expertise and determination were pivotal to getting the project to where it is today. It took a lot of meetings and compromises on the part of all parties and this committee representing the Lions Club ensured the positions of all parties were taken into account in the outcome. In 2018, he was awarded the Spirit Award in recognition for his service to the community in the sports field. (https://ildertonlions.org/lion-brad-mcghie-receives-spirit-award/) Currently, Brad currently serves at Hasket Funeral Homes and is a technician at Blue Jay Irrigation. Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys

21 SEP 2021 · In episode 34 of telling their stories, Human Potential and Success Coach, JT Tsui from the greater Toronto area speaks with us about the important lessons he learned from a hospital bed and how that time allowed him to take major inventory of his life and what he wanted out of it. JT worked as a Physical Education and Student Success teacher in the Thames Valley District School Board from 2004-2019 before he transitioned from his teaching job and ventured out in his current capacity. With a BA in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from Western University as well as a BEd. in Health and Physical Education/Fitness from the University of Ottawa, JT has a vast array of knowledge as well as experience in helping people achieve their greatest potential. He has most recently published, "You Are Greatness: 13 Ideas to Effortlessly Bring Joy, Calm, and Peace Into Your Life" (Vol. 1). You can contact JT on all social media platforms @_JT_Tsui or via his website https://linktr.ee/_jt_tsui. Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys

15 SEP 2021 · September's TACKLE TALK brings to you 3-time CFL All Star and 5x West All Star Linebacker, Alondra Johnson. Johnson was born in Gardena, California and played his college ball at West Texas State. He made his CFL debut in 1989 with the BC Lions, where he was nominated for the Lion’s most outstanding defensive player. He made his impressive debut with 115 defensive tackles. Known as “the heart of the stampeder defence”, he signed with the Stamps in 1991 and played the next 13 seasons with them. From his linebacker spot, Johnson finished with 1,095 tackles (second all-time in CFL history) and 83 special teams tackles for a grand total of 1,178 in 248 games. He also had 45 quarterback sacks for 333 yards, 43 tackles for a total loss of 113 yards, 16 fumble recoveries with 3 for touchdowns, 8 forced fumbles, 17 interceptions (one for a TD), and 10 pass knockdowns. In 19 post-season games, Johnson registered 83 tackles and seven special team tackles for a total of 90, two QB sacks for 22 yards, seven tackles for a loss of eight yards, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one pass knockdown. In six Grey Cups, Johnson had 27 total tackles, a Grey Cup record, with one quarterback sack for 13 yards in the 2001 game and two tackles for loss in the 1991 final. In the 1998 Grey Cup victory, 26-24 over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he set the CFL record for the most defensive tackles in a Grey Cup game with eight. That 1998 season a total of 87 tackles spurred him to the Norm Freidgate Trophy as the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the West Division, as well as being named a West Division and CFL All-Star. As previously mentioned, He was a CFL All-Star in 1995, 1998 and 2000, a West Division All-Star also in 1991, 1992, 1997, 1998 and 2000, and a North All-Star in 1995. Johnson was also the first CFL player to score on a two-point conversion in 1989. He finished his CFL career in 2004 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. In 2001 and 2002, he received the Stampeder President's Ring Award, voted by his teammates for his inspiration on and off the field. In 2005, Johnson was inducted into the WTSU Hall of Champions. In 2009, Johnson was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. In 2010, Johnson was inducted to the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alondra_Johnson Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys

14 SEP 2021 · In episode 33 of telling their stories, David Minor, Director for the Canadian Centre for Men and Families in Vancouver, shares with us valuable insight that he has gained working specifically with men through his private practice as well as the CCMF. David is a registered social worker, councillor and coach. Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys

7 SEP 2021 · In episode 32 of season 2 of telling their stories, founder, Katie Uttley, reflects back on how the pandemic allowed her to create more healthy rhythms of life by cutting her work from full time to part time. She also gives an update on what season two is going to look like, and the conversational bits that will be explored. Near the end of the podcast, she will share with you what centers her overall life and who is responsible for keeping her here on this earth. You can listen to Katie's full story in season 1, episode 2. This will help give more context to what she shares. Fragments by Nomyn https://soundcloud.com/nomyn Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/l-fragments Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/ndyyIhwojys