Roy Dewalt facts for kids

Roy Dewalt was born on September 4, 1956. He is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Roy played for nine years. He was with the BC Lions from 1980 to 1987. Later, in 1988, he played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Ottawa Rough Riders. Roy Dewalt led the BC Lions to win their second Grey Cup championship in 1985. He was also named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his great performance in that game.

Roy Dewalt's Football Journey

Starting His CFL Career

Roy Dewalt joined the BC Lions in 1980. Before that, he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft. He was chosen as a running back, not a quarterback. Roy played college football at Texas-Arlington.

When he first joined the Lions, Roy was a backup quarterback. He learned from the starting quarterback, Joe Paopao. Roy spent two seasons as a backup player.

Becoming a Star Quarterback

In 1982, Roy Dewalt became the main quarterback for the BC Lions. This was also when Mervyn Fernandez joined the team. Fernandez became Roy's favorite player to throw the ball to. They worked very well together on the field.

The next year, in 1983, Roy helped his team achieve great success. The Lions finished first in the CFL Western Division. They had a strong record of 11 wins and 5 losses. This led them to the Grey Cup championship game. It was their first Grey Cup appearance since 1964. However, they lost a very close game to the Toronto Argonauts, 18 to 17.

Grey Cup Victory and MVP Award

In 1984, the Lions had another excellent season. They finished first in their division with 12 wins and 3 losses. But they lost the Western championship game.

The team came back strong in 1985. They had an amazing season with 13 wins and only 3 losses. Again, they finished first in the West. This time, they won the Grey Cup! They defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with a score of 37 to 24. Roy Dewalt was a key player in this victory. He was named the Grey Cup MVP for his outstanding play.

Roy's Best Season

The 1985 season was Roy Dewalt's best. He completed 301 passes out of 476 attempts. He threw for 4,237 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. He only had 12 interceptions. Even with these great numbers, he was not chosen as the division's all-star quarterback. That honor went to Matt Dunigan from the Edmonton Eskimos.

Later Career and Retirement

For the next two seasons, Roy Dewalt's performance was not as strong. This was partly because Mervyn Fernandez was injured in 1985. Then, Fernandez left the Lions to play for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986.

In 1988, the BC Lions replaced Roy with Matt Dunigan. Roy was then allowed to sign with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He faced an arm injury, which affected his play. Because of this, he was traded to the Ottawa Rough Riders. His performance did not get better there. Roy Dewalt decided to retire from professional football after the 1988 season.