EX-CFLER behind bars after injury changed his life
Hefney says he was trafficking drugs to make ends meet
Jonathan Hefney is writing his life story. With his left hand. In a South Carolina State prison.
The Canadian Football League plays a prominent role, though not one that should elicit feelings of pride among its leadership. Hefney, who turned 35 behind bars on Feb. 27, is more than four years removed from his final CFL play, the one that sent him into a devastating physical, mental and financial spiral and led him at least indirectly to a cell inside Evans Correctional Facility in Bennettsville, S.C.
“I always been the smallest and had to fight my way up,” Hefney said over the phone in mid-february. “So I’m going to write about what happened to me and put people on notice. I’m thankful the CFL gave me an opportunity to have a career, but the way they did me is still not right and I want people to know about it.”
Surrounded by razor wire, populated with 1,400 male offenders and dominated by gangs, Evans is a dangerous place, particularly for a one-armed man. Playing defensive back for the Montreal Alouettes on Oct. 1, 2015, Hefney broke three vertebrae, sustained serious nerve damage on the right side of his body and lost several teeth after a helmet-to-helmet collision with Ottawa fullback Patrick Lavoie.
Despite two wildly expensive and invasive surgeries, extensive physical therapy and the passage of time, Hefney still isn’t whole, and will likely never be. He can finally grab a cup with his right hand again.
“When I first got here, shoot, I was nervous. Super nervous. Even now, I mean, there is still stuff to watch out for. If something happened to me, I can’t defend myself. That’s what I told (prison staff ) when I got here.
“It’s rough man, you gotta be on your toes. My first three days here I seen about six fights go down. It’s dangerous. It’s legit.”
Last September, Hefney pleaded guilty to two counts of trafficking cocaine in 2017, two years after he left the CFL a broken man. He said selling cocaine was his last resort, a way to take care of himself financially.
He was sentenced to nine years in prison, and could be eligible for parole as early as September 2022. But what then? He said his unpaid medical bills amount to US$150,000 and he owes another $100,000 in child support payments to the mother of his teenage daughter Tylee. He is still physically impaired. He doesn’t own a vehicle or a house. He said he wants to seek a legal remedy but cannot afford a lawyer.
“His father has congenital heart failure and I’m the only one working,” said Hefney’s 69-yearold mother, Cornetta Wilmore. “With bills and a mortgage, I just can’t afford for him to pursue that, if that’s what he’s trying to do. I don’t know what’s going to happen to him when he gets out.”
In 2017, Hefney’s sister, Shan Barber, communicated with Calgary lawyer Joe Oppenheim, hoping to explore the idea of legal action against the CFL. But there were no solid legal avenues.
Under terms of the CBA between the CFL and the CFL Players Association in effect then, Hefney’s insurance coverage ran out on Oct. 1, 2016. He was in debt, facing another major surgery, and his physical injuries meant he couldn’t find a job.
The Canadian Football League Alumni Association helped out with about $7,000 to fund Hefney’s rehab, and a Gofundme campaign started by Barber generated $15,000, with donations coming from several CFL players including Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell and new CFLPA president Solomon Elimimian.
On Wednesday, Elimimian said the association pushed for extended medical benefits with Hefney in mind during collective bargaining in 2019. When asked if the CFL or CFLPA should so something specifically to provide aid for Hefney now, Elimimian was noncommittal.
“I believe that something should be done where a case like Jonathan Hefney’s doesn’t happen again, and that’s one thing that we have to work toward. … It was really an unfair situation. That’s why we worked so hard to try to close the gap in terms of coverage. Our hope is there won’t be a situation like Mr. Hefney’s again, where he’s not covered and he has to resort to making bad choices.”