Mike McMahon (1960s) 

A dominant guard from 1966 to 1970, McMahon (BA, ’69) etched his name into program history in 1969 as Laurier’s first All-Canadian. A three-time team captain, he helped lead the Golden Hawks to provincial championships in 1966 and 1968 and was twice named a provincial all-star and most valuable player. 

Inducted into the Golden Hawk Hall of Fame in 1987, McMahon later returned to the sidelines as a coach with Laurier’s junior varsity development program and served as special teams coordinator in 2001 and 2002. In 2011, he was named one of the 33 greatest players in program history as part of the Team of the Century celebration. 

Ian Troop (1970s) 

An offensive lineman and first-team OUA all-star in 1979, Troop (BBA, ’81) spent four seasons anchoring the Golden Hawks’ front line. He was a key member of the 1978 OUAA championship team, later inducted into the Golden Hawks Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Troop was selected by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the sixth round (71st overall) of the 1981 CFL Draft and has since been recognized as a Laurier Alumnus of the Year. 

Dave, Jon and Mike Graffi (1980s) 

The Graffi name became synonymous with Laurier Football excellence throughout the 1980s. 

Mike Graffi (BA, ’81) a linebacker, joined Laurier after beginning his collegiate career at Mount Allison University. An OUA all-star in 1980, he went on to play 31 games four seasons with the Ottawa Rough Riders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 

Dave Graffi (BA, ’83), a bruising fullback from 1978 to 1980, suited up for the Tiger-Cats from 1981 to 1986, playing in 84 games earning a Grey Cup championship in 1986 after appearing as a finalist in 1985. 

Jon Graffi (BA, ’90) enjoyed a standout playing career from 1985 to 1989, serving as team captain in 1988 and 1989 and earning three OUAA all-star selections, second-team All-Canadian honours and team MVP recognition in 1988. He led Laurier to three Yates Cup appearances, including a championship in 1987. Graffi later returned to the sideline, serving as defensive coordinator of Laurier’s first Vanier Cup championship team in 1991 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005.  

Andre Talbot (1990s) 

One of the most electrifying receivers in program history, Talbot (BA ’01, MA ’25) starred for the Golden Hawks from 1997 to 2000. A two-time first-team All-Canadian and OUA all-star, he was named team MVP in 2000 and remains second in single-season receiving touchdowns and third in career receiving touchdowns. 

Talbot holds the single-game receiving yards record with 289, set against Guelph in 2000, and competed in Yates Cups in 1999 and 2000. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2001 CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts, he captured a Grey Cup championship with Toronto in 2004 and was inducted into the Laurier Hall of Fame in 2006. 

Jesse Alexander (2000s) 

Jesse Alexander is a two-time Yates Cup and a Vanier Cup champion who was a force on the defensive side of the ball, still holding the program record for most tackles in a single regular season or playoff game with 14.5, which he set against Ottawa in 2006. He currently ranks sixth all-time in career tackles in Laurier history and remains one of the most consistent defenders of his era. 

During his playing career, Alexander was also a two-time All-Canadian and OUA first team all-star, and in 2006, was the named the OUA's defensive player of the year. 

In 2011, Alexander was named to Laurier football's Team of the Century. He is a two-time inductee into the Golden Hawk Hall of Fame; honoured individually in 2011 and again in 2015 as a member of the 2005 Vanier Cup championship team, cementing his legacy as one of the premier defensive standouts in program history. 

Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (2010s) 

From 2015 to 2018, Gittens Jr. delivered one of the most decorated careers in Golden Hawks history. A Yates Cup champion in 2016, he was a two-time team MVP, four-time OUA all-star and two-time U SPORTS All-Canadian. In 2018, he was named OUA MVP and Laurier’s male President’s Award winner. 

Gittens Jr. still holds the U SPORTS single-season receptions record and the OUA career receptions record. He ranks third in program history in career receiving yards, is tied for eighth in career touchdowns, and sits first all-time in kickoff return yards.  

After being selected 23rd overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2019 CFL Draft, he won the Grey Cup in 2022 with the Argos and was named a CFL All-Star and East Division All-Star that same year (also earning a second East All-Star nod in 2021), and captured the Lew Hayman Trophy as the East Division’s Most Outstanding Canadian. Having recently signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Gittens Jr. was inducted into the Golden Hawk Hall of Fame in 2025. 

Blaine Beck - Lifetime Achievement 

Blaine Beck’s impact on Laurier football spans decades. Encouraged by former head coach Rick Zmich to join the staff in 1994, Beck served as defensive line coach through 2012 before returning for one final season in 2021. 

Over his tenure, he coached in four Yates Cups, winning twice, and played an instrumental role in securing a Uteck Bowl and the program’s second Vanier Cup championship in 2005. He was also inducted into the Golden Hawks Hall of Fame with that team in 2015. 

Returning as emcee is Mike Hogan, communications manager and radio play-by-play voice of the Argonauts. Hogan previously served as the voice of the Golden Hawks from 2003 to 2006 on 570 NewsRadio Kitchener, calling four Yates Cup appearances and the 2005 Vanier Cup championship.