Murphy tackles his toughest foe — life after football
Two- time CFL most outstanding lineman and former Lions stalwart, who relished his role as a villain, is leaving the game reluctantly
Rob Murphy — a massive building block for the B. C. Lions’ championship season in 2006 — is officially passing into retirement today, joining his former Ohio State roommate, Brent Johnson, in the next phase of life after football.
Johnson, 35, realized it was time when he made his official announcement in March to pursue a career in financial planning. Murphy, who turned 35 in January, perhaps was not so willing to move on.
Indeed, the last time I spoke with Murph, a two- time CFL most outstanding lineman with the Lions ( 2006- 2007), he still held out hope of playing one more season for the Argos, the team he joined as a free agent in 2009.
Earlier in May, both of us were guests at the most unlikely of venues — the tropics, at Turtle Beach resort in Barbados, where the CFL Players Association held its annual meeting and fantasy camp, sprinkled with flag football clinics at local schools. The CFLPA is partnering with Barbados Tourism Authority in hopes of making annual visits to the Caribbean island for a CFL spring convention and fan experience.
Murphy was there representing his team, for what is now regarded as his last official act with the Argos.
For seven days, Murph was mostly at poolside, a rum punch in hand, as CFL player reps and fantasy campers relaxed and co- mingled. Doug Brown, the retired Blue Bomber defensive tackle, longtime CFL defensive back Wes Lysack, free agent Kerry Carter, late of the Montreal Alouettes, Montreal tackle Josh Bourke, Winnipeg long snapper Chris Cvetkovic, Eskimos offensive linemen Kyle Koch and Patrick Kabongo, the Lions Rolly Lumbala, Hamilton quarterback Henry Burris looked more like a band of brothers than fierce rivals.
Matthew Scianitti of the National Post wrote an excellent feature on Murphy’s retirement a couple of days ago, in which Brown remarked on Murphy’s “dirtiest player in the CFL” reputation, which included repeated love- handle grabbing and testicle- twisting.
“I totally think he was a dick on the field,” Brown said, “and I wish you could print that.”
Scianitti granted Brown his wish.
Nonetheless, Brown probably said it with a wink, undetectable over a phone interview, and an impartial observer would never conclude there is any lingering malice between them, judging by their brazen acts of socializing at Turtle Beach.
According to Scianitti, after a 14th knee procedure, Murphy declared himself ready to play again in February. But there were no takers when the big left tackle entered free agency, and the Argos were lukewarm about re- signing him, especially at the big ticket Murphy would command.
In Barbados, Murphy told me he twice phoned Wally Buono to inquire whether the Lions were interested in signing him when it appeared B. C. was going to lose right tackle Jovan Olafioye to the NFL. But when Olafioye was rejected by the St. Louis Rams for medical reasons and quickly returned to the Lions’ embrace, that avenue was closed off — if, indeed, Buono even considered it.
Murphy got another ray of hope in early May when Edawn Coughman, the young man who replaced the injured veteran midway through last season, was arrested on a gun possession charge in Montreal.
Coughman, 23, told a bail hearing he had bought the gun legally in Georgia and was unaware that firearm possession laws were different in Canada. It was an act of such utter cluelessness — Coughman was soon released by the Argos, perhaps because of his apparent lack of brain cells — that Murphy shook his head in disbelief.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he told me. “Now, perhaps, the Argos will be calling me. They’ll need a left tackle.” But the call never came. Last week, Argo GM Jim Barker told a conference call of CFL reporters that Toronto was “striving to get younger and allCanadian” on the offensive line, even though he let the cat out of the bag by mentioning the signing of Chris Patrick, an import who most recently played with the Edmonton Eskimos.
“I honestly feel, with Wayne Smith [ a non- import] and Chris Patrick, left tackle is one of the best positions we have,” Barker said. “Chris is an experienced guy. This is a special opportunity for Wayne, which is why we went out and signed him. What will happen to Rob? It’s a bit of a loaded question. He’s rehabbing his injury, and waiting to see what will happen. He’s a guy who’s made a lot of money in this league ... but he’s not in our plans.”
Murphy’s decision to leave the Lions and sign with the Argos three years ago had something to do with his domestic situation — he is the father of triplets — the need to be closer to them and his wife, who lives in Jacksonville, Fla., and Rob’s parents in Cincinnati.
According to Scianitti’s revealing story, however, Murphy’s marriage deteriorated in his first season in Toronto and he is currently going through a divorce process. The player disclosed that he has spent $ 30,000 over the past two years flying to Jacksonville to sees his kids — Maddox, Grey and Rowan — a commute that would have been even more inconvenient and costly had he remained with Lions.
Coincidentally, also looking for work is free- agent tackle Jason Jimenez, who joined the Lions with Murphy at their 2006 training camp and may also have seen his final days in the CFL.
Both NFL castoffs were recruited by Lions player personnel director Bob O’billovich, now the GM of the Hamilton TigerCats. Playing the respective tackle positions, Murphy and Jimenez instantly changed the culture on B. C.’ s offensive line.
The Lions went from being milquetoasts to having a reputation as the most aggressive, despicable, under- handed O- line in the CFL.
While the heavily- tattooed, long- haired Murphy revelled in his biker image as a league villain and bad ass, Jimenez, outwardly less colourful, actually was the more controversial character.
His cut block on Calgary defensive lineman Anthony Gargiulo in 2007 ended the Stampeder’s career with a shattered leg.
Three years later, after moving on to the Tiger- Cats, Jimenez submarined his former teammate — Brent Johnson — on a late block that prompted the intervention of commissioner Marc Cohon. Jimenez was slapped with the highest fine possible under the collective bargaining agreement — a half- game paycheque — and triggered no shortage of debate about the incident and the ethics of hitting an opponent from behind.
And yet, thanks to their protection and tactics — legal or otherwise — the Lions acquired an image, quarterbacks Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce stayed on their feet, and B. C. won a Cup in 2006 because of them.
In 2012, though, words like “too old” and “finished” must sting, more than a little bit.
Murphy said he’ll be fine in retirement, maintaining he has career options in real estate and broadcasting ahead of him. But he’ll be entering that paradoxical zone so many football players face at the end, missing the game terribly but reminded of its terrible cost every morning when they try to get out of bed.
After 14 knee procedures, Rob Murphy is going to feel like an old man far too soon.