Passaglia and 10 other ex-football stars demand out of SFU Hall of Fame

Eleven legendary former SFU football players are taking a stand.

Led by former BC Lions kicker Lui Passaglia, the group has demanded they each be removed from the SFU Hall of Fame. They say they’re doing so as a “show of solidarity” for the current 95 players and coaching staff at SFU, which were left without a place to play following the school’s sudden decision to axe its football program on April 4.

“I don’t wish to be affiliated with or have my prior football career ‘bring excellence’ to a university that no longer recognizes collegiate football as a worthwhile entity or endeavour for young amateur athletes throughout British Columbia,” said Passaglia.

Other players siding with Passaglia include Sean Millington, Glen Jackson, Terry Bailey, Doug Brown, Dave Cutler, Wayne Holm, Rick House, Neil McKinlay, Rob McLaren, and Orville Lee.

The ex-players say they would be “happy to return” to the Hall of Fame only when the football program is reinstated.

“My experience at SFU was formative and something I cherished,” said Millington, a former CFL running back that won two Grey Cups while a member of the Lions. “It was a very special time. And because of that, I can’t support the administration’s decision to take this opportunity away from the next generation.”

“The administration has eliminated half of the university football opportunities for our players in BC,” said Brown, a former CFL and NFL player. “We all stand united in saying this is unacceptable and not representative of the Simon Fraser program we represented.”

The fight to save SFU’s football program has a number of allies, including Lions owner Amar Doman and countless alumni. Doman committed to donating up to $500,000 last week.

Over 800 pledges were received yesterday for the “1Day4SFUFootball” fundraising drive, which raised a total of $709,719.

There’s also a court date set for the Supreme Court injunction to reinstate SFU football on May 1.

📣 The SFSS External Office, SFSS SAAC Representative, SFU SOCA, & SFPIRG write an Open Letter to the SFU Administration to Reinstate the Football Program 📣

Sign the Letter to express your solidarity, share and we’ll keep adding signatures!

Sign here! https://t.co/XpLe2fyStv pic.twitter.com/U1ajn31Xgq

— Mason Glover (@FreshGlove_10) April 25, 2023

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