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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday April 4, 2008 - 43 Clemons lists Grey Cups, allegiance of fans as highlights Continued from page 41 the Hall of Fame and discussed his remarkable career (questions in italics). Have you had your head done yet? No, I haven't been busted yet. I really enjoyed it. When I graduated high school, I almost went for soccer. I made a team that was the best 11 (players) in Florida and I got some excellent soccer offers from schools like Clemson. But football was my first love and when I got some stronger opportunities from Columbia and Harvard and then a great school like William and Mary, that made the decision a lot easier. should coach and then play because it really gives you a greater sense of the team and the dynamics. You always have a great quote, what's your favourite? I don't know. I guess, if you want to know who I really am, don't judge me by records or rewards or popularity. If you really want to know me, I'm a husband to Diane and a father to Rachel, Raven and Rylie. Was there a player you looked across the field and dreaded facing? There were always games you got up for. I could probably surmise it into three things -- playing in Hamilton on Labour Day, playing against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the early 90s, and the Montreal defence of the mid 90s. But as for that one player, the game was around offence. The defence is there to stop you and I always looked at it like, we've got this whole big field around us and one guy has to try to stop me. Those were great matchups and I truly loved that challenge. What is your greatest memory from your career? From my playing career, it will always be the Grey Cups. But it's also the allegiance of our fans -- how it hasn't mattered whether you're down on the field, in a restaurant, vacationing in Africa, they all came up and were so thankful. And the reality was, it should have been the opposite. They are the biggest part of my career. I'm still in Canada because of the fans. The love and the respect they showed, the culture, I've been infinitely enriched. The greatest thing is I've been given the opportunity to serve people. They've given me the opportunity to support my family and live a dream. So it confuses me when they say thanks. What's it going to be like to see yourself among all these other players? How often were you told you were too small to play The reality is, every time I come football? here, I pay attention to everyone else. It would probably be better to tell "I'm still in Canada I'll probably look at it the first time. the number of times I wasn't. It wasn't because of the fans. The You're always a little anxious to see it. an issue for me. Most of the time, it was love and the respect they You look the first time out of curiosity mostly disbelief. The biggest questions showed, the culture, I've and then after that it's the obligatory, were going from high school to college. been infinitely enriched. `Mine's over there,' when someone asks People saw what I did but none of the or you're here with family. But it kind big schools were interested. Before they They've given me the of makes you uncomfortable. I become went out to see me play, they were opportunity to support my the shy kid again. keen. Then they were amazed how little family and live a dream. So I actually was when they saw me play. I it confuses me when they Did you ever expect to see yourself got a better understanding once I got say thanks." here (in the Hall of Fame)? my chance to play. At 5'5" and 160 I had no concept when I first came to pounds, not many NFL teams or even Canada, even what language they spoke. Michael (Pinball) Clemons CFL teams were saying `Yeah, that's my I arrived at the old Terminal 1 -- which guy.'" is maybe the most multicultural place on the face of the earth - and I was just excited to get to play the game I You're almost as well known for your smile as footlove. I saw all these signs and I was trying to figure out ball. What was the last thing that got you mad? what language it was. I saw something close to Spanish Oh, I don't know. Injustice is what challenges me the - and all these different people and I heard every lanmost. In life, it's probably the thing that riles me up the guage. But with that, entering anyone's hall of fame is a most -- injustice as it relates to people. It's fair to say I great honour. detest the act (of injustice) but love the person. So how do you feel about when people start to talk about you running for mayor? "That is... I think the greatest compliment anyone can give is to put their trust in you. It's a huge compliment. But I'd like to suggest that's not where I want to be. The highest honour, though, whether you're a nurse or a fireman, are these things where you serve people and I do esteem to the honour of serving people." Do more people call you Pinball or Mike? The interesting thing is, most people call me Pinball. But Mike or Michael, today, most people in the office want to address me that way. It's gone from Pinball to Pin to Pinner to Coach Pinner. It's metamorphasized. But the vast number still call me Pinball. It hasn't become Mr. Clemons now that you're a CEO? Whenever that happens, I'm sure to correct them. Did you also play soccer at William and Mary? After my senior year, I played in the off-season - an indoor league and a short outdoor season. We played in Jamaica. We took the March break and played four games. You asked me about being here in the Hall of Fame. After my senior year, they sent me to the (NFL scouting) combine. I obviously didn't take it very seriously because they sent me the paperwork and I didn't send it back in. I ended up going but I had hurt my knee in the last game so I hadn't run before the combine. Then I got drafted (by Kansas City) so that's how I got ready to play pro football was by playing soccer. Did anyone suggest you might be better suited for soccer? You have four Grey Cup rings. How do you decide which one to wear? The most special one is the one as coach. I won three as a player but the one I won as a coach it feels like I won 40 times -- once for each guy on the team. It was part of growing as a coach and getting a greater understanding of a team and what that means. Maybe we BRONTE TENNIS CLUB REGISTRATION Saturday, April 5th 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL AWNINGS, CANOPIES, PORTABLE SHADE STRUCTURES AT THE CLUBHOUSE 2310 Bridge Rd. (between 3rd Line & Bronte Rd.) 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