Stamps equipment manager George Hopkins marks 1,000 games on 50th anniversary with team
Right around 1972, when the starting quarterback was Jerry Keeling, the star defensive end John Helton, and the middle linebacker Wayne Harris, 13-year-old George Hopkins snagged a dream job for a Calgary kid: Stampeders ball boy.
Little did George, or 'Geo' as he's known in the dressing room, know, but that was the end of his job search - forever.
That's because Hopkins would eventually work his way up to become the team's equipment manager, and this weekend in Ottawa, Geo and the Stampeders will mark the occasion of his 1000th game with the team.
He's worked with 13 different head coaches, hundreds of players and watched CFL games in 26 different stadiums.
He's watched everyone from Keeling to Flutie to Dickenson to Henry Burris, from Jeff Garcia to Drew Tate to Kevin Glenn to Bo Levi Mitchell play quarterback.
Along the way, Geo appeared at 12 Grey Cup games, with the Stamps winning six of them.
The 2022 season marks Hopkins' 50th with the team.
It's a far cry for someone whose original plan was to become an academic.
"My firm intention was that I was going to be a history professor," he said. "So right now, I'd be tenured and sitting at home in my den, with my pipe and smoking jacket, so not this kind of totally different field completely."
The Stampeders take on the Ottawa Redblacks Friday at 5:30 p.m. MST.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.