Craig Macartney
Spur Ottawa Writer

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ottawa’s 1976 Grey Cup victory, the CFL Ottawa Alumni Association hosted a weekend of festivities with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group. As part of the reunion, each of the 1976 players present were introduced during half time at the Redblacks’ July 31 game against the Toronto Argonauts.

Leading up to the festivities, two notable Ottawa players from the 1976 game shared with Spur Ottawa how God has played a role in their lives and how that Grey Cup victory opened doors to share His love.

Former Ottawa Rough Riders Kicker Gerry Organ says Ottawa sports franchises have had a strong Christian presence at least as far back as that game. He believes this Christian presence strengthens the Church as a whole.

“People are definitely encouraged in their souls when prominent people of integrity live out their Christian lives. It is a great motivator for other believers to be more vocal and remain steadfast in their faith.”

Organ says he was never looking for fame, but he is grateful God used him.

“I still get recognized surprisingly often. I just thank God and He gets the glory as long as my life resembles the person He wants me to be.”

“The prominence was something God orchestrated. I had no intention of being a professional athlete,” he says. “It just happened and I was happy to go along with it. God used me where He placed me in football for His purposes, and I am very grateful for that.”

Together with several other Christian members of the Ottawa Rough Riders, Organ went on be very involved with Athletes in Action, a sports ministry arm of Power to Change.

“When I came to Christ, in 73, all my life changed. I was in the middle of a very visible and successful football career and basically I turned it over to God,” he says. “I still get recognized surprisingly often. I just thank God and He gets the glory as long as my life resembles the person He wants me to be.”

Although he didn’t look for media attention, Organ says winning the Grey Cup opened many opportunities to speak, both locally and nationally. In fact, the evening of his Grey Cup victory, Organ shared his testimony in a Brampton church.

Wayne Tosh is another star from the 1976 game, but the star defensive back is also one of the men who influenced Organ towards Christ.

“My faith in God’s love motivated me to play to the best of my ability.”

“I was fortunate to grow up in a Christian home, so biblical teachings and Christian principles were part of my upbringing,” he says. “God blessed me with many athletic abilities since childhood. My abilities led me to a career that presented opportunities to share my faith. Not too many people were interested in hearing about Wayne Tosh the man, but being a Grey Cup champion created lots of attraction.”

Tosh says his faith made him stronger as an athlete. He knew his gifts were from God, so he never thought he got there on his own.

“When I played football, my relationship with Christ meant that I never played alone. When I faced strong opponents, I had no cause for fear. My faith in God’s love supported me and motivated me to play to the best of my ability.”

Tosh also credits the prominence he gained with strengthening his Christian walk, by holding him to a high standard.

“As believers, we should want to share the joy of the Lord with others. Once I started to openly share my faith, I knew I would be watched to see if I ‘walked the talk.’ I think this just strengthened my faith and my relationship with Christ.”

In addition to helping introduce Athletes in Action to the CFL, Tosh went on to become the first chaplain for the Ottawa Rough Riders. He and Organ, along with their former team member Rod Woodward, also founded the Athletes in Action All-Star Game. The “All-Star Bowl” brings together the 100 best high school players in the area to showcase their talent for university scouts, but also offers biblically-based teaching. The All-Star Bowl still runs annually, more than 40 years after they started it.