by
      Rob
      Aspin
      (CUP)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      York
      University’s
      con-
     
     
      vocation
      on
      Oct.
      28,
      the
      school
     
     
      awarded
      Canadian
      Football
      League
     
     
      hero
      Michael
      (Pinball)
      Clemons
     
     
      with
      an
      honorary
      Doctor
      of
      Laws
     
     
      degree
      for
      his
      commitment
      to
      the
     
     
      city
      of
      Toronto
      and
      the
      example
      he
     
     
      has
      set
      for
      young
      football
      players
     
     
      across
      the
      nation.
     
    

    
     
      Prior
      to
      convocation,
      a
     
     
      breakfast
      was
      held
      in
      Clemons’
     
     
      name.
      With
      university
      officials
      and
     
     
      York’s
      football
      team
      in
      attendance,
     
     
      Pinball
      presented
      himself
      in
      his
     
     
      usual
      upbeat
      manor,
      despite
      the
     
    

    
     
      fact
      his
      Toronto
      Argonauts
      had
     
     
      been
      eliminated
      from
      the
      playoffs
     
     
      the
      night
      before.
     
    

    
     
      A
      graduate
      of
      the
      College
     
     
      of
      William
      and
      Mary
      in
      the
      United
     
     
      States,
      Clemons
      was
      signed
      by
      the
     
     
      Argonauts
      as
      a
      free
      agent
      in
      1989
     
     
      following
      graduation.
      He
      has
      been
     
     
      a
      member
      of
      the
      team
      since
      then,
     
     
      first
      as
      a
      player
      for
      11
      years
      and
     
     
      now
      as
      rookie
      head
      coach.
     
    

    
     
      “The
      first
      thing
      is
      there
      is
      a
     
     
      little
      bit
      of
      reservation,”
      said
     
     
      Clemons
      about
      receiving
      the
     
     
      degree.
      “I
      don’t
      know
      if
      I’m
      wor-
     
     
      thy
      of
      such
      a
      distinguished
      award.
     
     
      People
      have
      told
      me
      that
      ‘Hey,
      you
     
     
      do
      deserve
      this,’
      and
      I
      still
      find
      it
      a
     
     
      little
      hard
      to
      believe.
      Right
      now,
     
     
      it’s
      almost
      shocking.”
     
    

    
     
      At
      just
      five
      feet
      six
      inches
     
     
      tall,
      Clemons
      is
      a
      perfect
      example
     
     
      of
      a
      man
      whose
      heart
      is
      larger
      than
     
     
      his
      stature.
      During
      his
      time
      with
     
     
      the
      Argos,
      he
      has
      been
      involved
      in
     
     
      such
      charity
      organizations
      as
      the
     
     
      United
      Way
      and
      the
      Boys
      and
      Girls
     
     
      Club.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      York
      president
      Lorna
     
     
      Marsden
      felt
      Clemons
      was
      a
      solid
     
     
      choice
      for
      the
      degree
      despite
      her
     
     
      unfamiliarity
      with
      the
      football
      star.
     
     
      “I
      have
      to
      confess
      that
      I
      didn’t
     
     
      know
      about
      him
      at
      all,”
      said
     
     
      Marsden.
      “I
      am
      not
      knowledgeable
     
     
      about
      athletics,
      but
      the
      more
      I
      read
     
    
   
   
    
     
      e%
      €«
      ££
      ¢
      +
      &
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ed
      by
      York
     
    
   
   
    
     
      about
      him,
      the
      more
      I
      realized
      [he
     
     
      is
      a]
      real
      role
      model.”
     
    

    
     
      Now
      head
      coach
      of
      the
     
     
      Argos,
      Pinball
      is
      fully
      aware
      of
      the
     
     
      struggles
      student
      athletes
      face
      on
      a
     
     
      daily
      basis.
      As
      a
      former
      college
     
     
      athlete,
      he
      knows
      that
      managing
     
     
      classes,
      practices
      and
      travelling
      to
     
     
      games
      takes
      a
      great
      deal
      of
      effort.
     
    

    
     
      “T
      will
      say
      to
      all
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      to
      work
      hard,
      stay
      committed
     
     
      to
      your
      efforts
      and
      never
      give
      up,”
     
     
      said
      Clemons,
      but
      he
      reminded
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      of
      another
      important
      thing
      as
     
     
      well.
     
     
      “Make
      sure
      you
      have
      bal-
     
     
      ance
      in
      your
      life.
      So
      many
      times
     
     
      we
      Strive
      for
      great
      position,
      but
      we
     
     
      don’t
      have
      great
      disposition.
      I
      think
     
     
      our
      life
      is
      measured
      by
      the
      people
     
     
      that
      we
      affect
      in
      a
      positive
      way,
      not
     
     
      how
      much
      money
      we
      make
      or
      what
     
     
      car
      we
      drive.”
     
    

    
     
      With
      his
      honourary
      degree
     
     
      in
      hand,
      Clemons
      left
      prior
      to.
      the
     
     
      completion
      of
      convocation
      to
      catch
     
     
      a
      plane
      to
      Montreal
      for
      the
      Argos’
     
     
      final
      game
      of
      the
      season.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aE:
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ;
      Trivia
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Great
      Beverage
     
     
      &
      Munchie
     
     
      |
      Ry
      2H
      (71
     
     
      aS
      ot
      REA
      SG
     
     
      RESTAURANT
      AND
      PUB
      |
      pRIZE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      peace,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dave
      Greene
     
     
      PON
      ves
      nem
      niyo
     
    
   
   
    
     
      +"
     
     
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