This coming Friday evening, May 26 in Red Deer, AB., Andrew Buckley will achieve another milestone.
The 29-year-old native Calgarian becomes the first Dinos football player to be enshrined for his football ability in a ceremony in the Central Alberta city and will be inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.
The event will take place at the Cenovus Learning Common at the Red Deer Polytechnic at 5:30 PM with cocktails and appetizers and the ceremony at 6:30 PM.
He follows legendary coach Peter Connellan (1998), the 1983 and 1985 Vanier Cup Championship teams, the school’s first Athletic Director, Dr. Dennis Kadatz (Legacy Award 2020), as well as Rob McNab (Achievement Award 2022) with connections to Dinos football in the ASHF.
On the field Andrew was U Sports first team all-Canadian quarterback on two occasions and Canada West all-star three times. He won the prestigious Hec Crighton Trophy as the Most Outstanding Player in U Sports football in 2014 and 2015 and the Russ Jackson Award combining Athletics, Academics, Community Service and Citizenship in 2013 and 2014. Buckley is the only player to win the Crighton and Jackson Awards in the same season, something he accomplished in 2014. He played in the 2013 Vanier Cup championship game but unfortunately lost to Laval despite leading late in the third quarter. He closed his varsity career being named U Sports Male Athlete of Year winning the Doug & Lois Mitchell Award (formerly BLG Award) in 2016. He was also featured in the popular magazine, “Sports Illustrated” Faces in the Crowd for his 5th year Dinos contributions. Andrew was U of C and Calgary Booster Club Male Athlete of the Year in 2015 and 2016.
After concluding his varsity eligibility, Andrew was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders. He played professionally for two seasons for them becoming one of few ‘Canadian trained university QBs’ to make a Canadian Football League roster before retiring in 2018 to attend medical school.
A Dean’s List student, Andrew with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree and was a U Sports Academic All-Canadian all five years he played for the Dinos. In 2014 Buckley received the Senate Service Award to the student-athlete who combines outstanding service to the community over their varsity career. In 2016 he was one of five graduates from the University to receive the President’s Award for combining academics with curricular activities. He garnered international recognition being named College Sports Communicators (CSC) first team all-American College Division academic quarterback in 2013 and 2014.
Buckley graduated from the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine in 2021 and is currently completing his residency requirements in rural family medicine at the Comox Regional Hospital in British Columbia. Andrew hopes to add a year of Sports Medicine to his medical training before returning to Calgary to practice.
Andrew remained part of the football community while in medical school. He was part of the Dinos 2019 Vanier Cup National championship team coaching staff assisting Quarterback Coach Erik Glavic.
In June 2022 Andrew was inducted in the Canada West Universities Athletic Union Hall of Fame.
“We are very proud of Andrew Buckley being inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. As a DINO, Andrew received the Hec Crighton, Russ Jackson and BLG awards for his athleticism and academic achievements. Andrew continues to excel while completing his residency,” states University of Calgary Dinos Head Coach Wayne Harris.
Andrew is the son of Dr. Rick Buckley and Dr. Lois Torfason of Calgary. He attended Rundle College where he won a pair of Alberta Provincial Championships before joining the Dinos.
Andrew Buckley personifies “once a Dino always a Dino.”
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