Troy Westwood

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Troy Westwood
Date of birth: March 21, 1967 (1967-03-21) (age 41)
Place of birth: Dauphin, Manitoba
Career information
Position(s): Kicker, Punter
College: Augustana College (South Dakota)
Organizations
 As player:
1991-present Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Troy Westwood (born March 21, 1967) is a Canadian Football League place kicker and punter for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

After briefly playing professional soccer for the Winnipeg Fury, Westwood has been with the Bombers since the 1991 season, when he was selected 48th overall in the 6th round of the Canadian College Draft. He holds numerous club records, such as all-time scoring leader and single season scoring leader. He is known for stirring things up off-field: he has tried his hand at professional boxing and tap dancing, and had a public feud with Montreal Alouette Ed Philion. He is arguably most known for his tongue-in-cheek insult of the rival Saskatchewan Roughriders' fans by calling them "banjo-pickin' inbreds." He later followed that up with a faux apology saying he didn't think anyone in Saskatchewan was actually capable of playing a banjo. These quotes inspired the Banjo Bowl.

Westwood is also known for his Mullet which he has vowed not to cut until he wins the Grey Cup. He decided to grow it out after the 2001 Grey Cup loss to Calgary, in which he missed three out of four field goal attempts. This poor performance capped off what was Westwood's worst season statistically as he only converted on 60.8% of his field goal attempts that year. As of 2006 his career field goal success rate is 72.8 percent.

Westwood was re-signed by the Bombers on February 23, 2007.

After a disappointing start to the 2007 season against Edmonton, Westwood was told by Bomber coach Doug Berry not to dress for the second game of the season against Montreal. After replacement Rob Pikula went 1/2 in field goals, Westwood was reinstated as the Bomber's place kicker by the third game of the season. In the 7th game of the season however, Westwood sustained a hamstring injury and his future with the club was again in doubt. However, after injuries to Pikula and newly signed Pat Fleming, Westwood was called upon for kicking and punting duties in the Eastern Semi-Final where he went 1/2, kicking the game winning field goal from 20 yards out with no time left on the clock.

Contents

[edit] Music

Westwood, who was exposed to First Nations culture growing up in Dauphin, has also recorded several albums inspired by First Nations music, both in the band Eagle and Hawk and later as a solo artist named Little Hawk.

[edit] Career stats

[edit] Regular season

Year Kicking
FG FG Att FG % Singles Conv Conv Att Conv % Points
1991 16 22 72.7 6 21 21 100 75
1992 47 62 75.8 11 47 48 97.9 199
1993 45 56 80.4 6 68 69 98.5 209
1994 42 58 72.4 15 72 72 100 213
1995 36 49 73.5 5 34 34 100 147
1996 37 51 72.5 9 36 36 100 156
1997 39 54 72.2 7 40 40 100 164
1998 36 64 66.7 6 30 30 100 144
1999 34 49 69.4 11 27 27 100 140
2000 45 58 77.6 8 52 52 100 195
2001 31 51 60.8 12 54 54 100 159
2002 45 62 72.6 12 57 57 100 204
2003 47 61 77.0 9 48 48 100 198
2004 39 50 78.0 8 41 41 100 166
2005 28 40 70.0 8 49 49 100 141
2006 30 43 69.8 15 32 32 100 137
2007 20 33 60.6 6 28 28 100 94
Career 617 853 72.3 154 736 738 99.7 2,741

[edit] Personal life

Westwood is known by many through his musical career as a member of Manitoba's Eagle & Hawk, which he began in 1993 with Vince Fontaine.[1] He provided lead vocals, and songwriting from a First Nations perspective in this role, until stepping down in 2001, due to the time demands of playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sounds of Manataka - Little Hawk

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Bob Cameron		 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Punters
2003		 Succeeded by
Jon Ryan
Preceded by
Jon Ryan		 Winnipeg Blue Bombers Punters
2006		 Succeeded by
Pat Fleming