There is no bigger dream for a young athlete than winning a professional championship for your hometown team, and this past fall that dream came true for former York University Lions and current Toronto Argonauts football players Jamal Campbell and Chris Kolankowski.

 

They are both offensive linemen for the Canadian Football League (CFL)'s Grey Cup champion Argos, who orchestrated a worst-to-first turnaround in one year and capped a magical season with a come-from-behind, upset victory over the Calgary Stampeders in a late-November snowstorm in Ottawa.
 
"I feel really blessed to be able to experience that," said Campbell, who was unable to play in the game due to injury but was in the stadium for the game. "I've never been around an environment with such controlled chaos. Seeing what it took to get to that point through the course of the season, and then being there and seeing everyone focused and then winning the game was a dream come true.
 
"I grew up watching the Argos and being a fan of the Argos, and now being part of it, being from this city and winning a championship means even more to me," he continued. "I have a lot of support from family, friends and fans in this city and winning the championship for them was a special moment."
 
"It was always the goal to play for the Argos when I grew up and then it happened. To have my first season end with a Grey Cup championship is so special," said Kolankowski about achieving his lifelong dream. "Running out on the field and seeing the snow and the fireworks going off, I couldn't believe it was really happening, playing in the Grey Cup in the snow in front of a huge, loud crowd. And then celebrating after was so surreal. I was with former York teammates, including Jamal, and my family, and having everyone there was so special."
 
The two are local products whose entire careers have taken place within the city of Toronto. Campbell grew up in the nearby Jane and Finch community, while Kolankowski hails from Etobicoke, Ont. They were teammates with the Lions from 2012-15, playing on the same offensive line together, and were drafted into the CFL by the Argos in 2016, Campbell in the third round (22^nd overall) and Kolankowski in the sixth round (49^th overall).
 
Campbell was the first to join the Lions, coming up the street from C.W. Jefferys Collegiate Institute in 2011. He started on the defensive line as a gangly 6-foot-5, 220-pound teenager who was still new to the sport of football, but his size and natural ability made him stand out on the field. He redshirted that first year, saw his first action the following season and then switched to the offensive line, where he spent the rest of his varsity career.
 
Along the way, he grew another couple of inches and added more than 80 pounds to his already large frame, and now at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds he is one of the biggest linemen in the CFL. He made the team out of his first training camp and has appeared in 23 games over two seasons. He has also been a tremendous ambassador for the Jane and Finch community within the city, earning Metroland Media's Toronto Urban Hero award in the sports category last fall.
 
Kolankowski's journey at York began in 2012, when he came in from Michael Power/St. Joseph Catholic Secondary School and immediately earned the starting centre job. He served as the anchor of the offensive line throughout his five years, appearing in 31 games at both centre and guard. A model citizen and incredible leader thanks to his outstanding work ethic, he was recognized as the team's Yeoman of the Year for Hard Work and Character in 2013, and in 2015 he was the lineman of the year.
 
He was sent back to York for his fifth and final season after his first training camp in 2016 but was reunited with Campbell on the offensive line last summer when he impressed at training camp and earned a spot with the Argos. He dressed in six regular season games and then both playoff contests, lining up with his teammates for the final two plays of the game as star quarterback Ricky Ray took a pair of knees to end the title game.
 
Campbell and Kolankowski are part of a successful group of former Lions who have gone on to win championships with the Argos. Former star running backs Andre Durie and Jeff Johnson, as well as defensive end Ricky Foley, were part of the 2012 Grep Cup-winning squad, and Johnson was also on the team when the Argos won it all in 2004. Foley's illustrious career also includes CFL championships in 2006 (with the BC Lions) and 2013 (Saskatchewan), and he was the Most Valuable Canadian of the 2012 title run with the Argos.