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Roy Gerela, the Legendary Placekicker from Alberta

Roy Gerela may not be one of the most famous players the NFL has ever seen, but the Alberta-born Placekicker had a career to be envied, and will forever hold a place in the record books thanks to his performances in the 1970s, when he won three Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Roy Gerela is the first Canadian to ever win a Super Bowl. When Gerela helped the Steelers defeat the Minnesota Vikings in January 1975, he ensured his place forever in history with the win. The 16-6 win in Louisiana might not have been the most memorable Super Bowl in history, as you can see for yourself on the Steelers’ video https://www.steelers.com/video/steelershistory-super-bowl-ix-16674249, but for Gerela it gave him a record that can never be taken away. 

Gerela was born in 1948, hailing from Sarrail, Alberta, a small area located in the Canadian Rockies. He was brought up in Powell River, in the neighboring province of British Columbia. In his early career, Gerela came through the college football system, playing for the New Mexico State Aggies, before being picked up by the Houston Oilers in the 1969 draft.

Steelers period of domination

But it was upon his move to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1971 that Gerela’s career really started to flourish. With his unique ‘soccer’ kicking style, now regularly used in the NFL, Gerela quickly gained cult status among Steelers’ fans, with a group calling themselves ‘Gerela’s Gorillas’ – also creating a fanclub known by the same name.

To further add to Gerela’s now legend and growing cult status, he also went on to win two more Super Bowls with the Steelers.

In what was a period of dominance under the guidance of Chuck Noll, Gerela won the Super Bowl with the Steelers in 1975, 1976, and 1979, becoming not only the first Canadian to win the Super Bowl, but the first Canadian to win a hat trick of Super Bowls. 

Sadly for Canadian NFL fans, and Steelers’ fans, a repeat of these glory days seems a long way off. As shown by the Canadian betting sites found at https://legalbetcanada.com/alberta-betting/, a win for the Steelers in the Super Bowl isn’t likely to happen anytime soon. The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs look the most likely in 2023. 

Induction to the BC Sports Hall of Fame

As a previous resident of British Columbia – due to his Powell River upbringing – Gerela qualified for induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Gerela finally received the coveted recognition his career deserved when he was inducted back in May 2019.

Sadly for Canada, the legacy of Roy Gerela doesn’t seem to have been built on. Allan Kennedy won two Super Bowls in the 1980s (1981 and 1984), playing for the San Francisco 49ers. But in general, winners from north of the border have been sporadic.

Canadians currently playing in the NFL

Canada is well represented in the NFL this year, though. The likes of Chase Claypool, Jevon Holland, and Benjamin St-Juste are all doing well. But none of these guys look set to challenge Kennedy’s record, never mind that of Gerela’s – which can be found on the NFL website: https://www.nfl.com/players/roy-gerela/stats/career.

Claypool’s Chicago Bears side, and St-Juste’s Washington team both sit bottom of their respective tables (NFC North and NFC East). While Holland’s Miami Dolphins side saw a promising season fall away after a disappointing slump in form at the back end of 2022.

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