Former Stampeder was ‘one of the special ones’
A heart attack early Monday claimed the life of former Calgary Stampeders star Tim Petros. He was 58.
The loss of the talented offensive player for both the Stampeders and the University of Calgary Dinos was felt throughout the city Monday, especially among the football fraternity.
“He will be missed by a good number of people,” former teammate and good friend Greg Vavra said. “Between Tim, Tom Spoletini and myself, we were like brothers for many years.
“I can’t remember Tim ever rubbing anybody the wrong way,” continued quarterback Vavra, who played in both the Stamps and Dinos offensive backfield with Petros. “Even the guy he was butting heads with for 60 plays a game across from him on the field he would wind up being very cordial with at the end of the game, because Tim had respect for all. He was just a very kind loving person who played a very physical game. “He was one of the special ones.” As a Calgary native and product of John G. Diefenbaker High School and the University of Calgary, Petros played for his hometown Stamps from 1984 to 1990. In 100 career CFL games with the Red & White, he rolled up 2,228 career rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while hauling in 141 passes for 1,007 yards. His best season was ’88, when he led the Stamps with 737 rushing yards and scored nine touchdowns while making 49 receptions for 304 yards.
But it was how his sparkling traits rubbed off on others that truly made him a standout, say friends and teammates.
“He taught me to say less and do more — keep your mouth shut and your feet moving,” Vavra said. “That’s how he made the Dinos as an undersized, very-average-speed running back who became the stalwart of our offence. And he did the same in the pros — he converted from a running back at 170 pounds to a fullback of 195, 200 pounds in the CFL.
“He made it work with his heart. He didn’t have the physical skills that a lot of his teammates had, but he had a bigger heart than all of us.”
Petros is survived by his wife, Laura, and two children — son Nik and daughter Jordan.
“Very unique kind-hearted generous man, who was dedicated to his family,” Vavra said. “He loved his kids like all parents do, and he would give a stranger the shirt off his back.”
Word is Petros suffered his heart attack Monday morning, and although they arrived on scene quickly to his home in the Calgary community of Point Mckay, paramedics indicated there was no chance of reviving him.
“Totally shocking,” said Greg Peterson, who played alongside Petros with the Stampeders. “He was a great person, a great teammate and a great guy to be around. He was a fun, fun guy, always playing practical jokes on me and others. The main thing about him was just that he was a great teammate and everybody on the team loved him.
“He was just such a tough, fierce competitor who could get the job done.”
In addition to his football career, Petros followed the family tradition by working in the food-service industry. He worked at his father’s restaurant — Nick’s Steakhouse & Pizza, located across the street from Mcmahon Stadium — before starting a business that saw him prepare frozen pizzas for sale at local markets. In 2013, he opened Tim’s Gourmet Pizza in Cochrane.
The Stampeders themselves broke the news of his untimely death Monday afternoon.
“It is with great sadness that the Calgary Stampeders learned of the death of alumnus Tim Petros,” said the Stampeders in a statement.
Petros was a fifth-round selection of the Stampeders in the 1983 CFL draft. He ran for a Vanier Cup-record 260 yards and was named the championship game’s MVP when the Dinos won the ’83 national university championship with a 31-21 victory over the Queen’s Golden Gaels.
“I think what he brought to the team was a great deal of passion,” said legendary Dinos head coach Peter Connellan, for whom Petros played in the mid-’80s.
“He had a very strong drive to win, and he was very committed. He was a leader. If you asked Tim to do something, Tim was glad to do it.”