Chuck Winters
Encyclopedia
Charles "Chuck" Winters (born February 7, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan
) is a former Canadian Football League
linebacker
and defensive back
who played for the Toronto Argonauts
.
Winters retired from the Argonauts on December 19, 2008, after six great years as a linebacker and defensive back. During his time with the Argonauts, he appeared in 82 regular-season games and eight playoff contests and was a member of the Argonauts' 2004 Grey Cup
-winning team. In the 2007 season, he posted a career-high 38 tackles and led the team with 6 caused fumbles.
Winters grew up in the tough Herman Gardens
project of Detroit, Michigan
. When he was in middle school, gang violence began permeating the projects. For many, adolescence is one's search for acceptance. Like his head coach and many of his teammates, Winters sought acceptance in organized sports such as baseball
and football
rather than joining violent street gangs.
Although he escaped the vicious cycle of violence himself, his 19-year-old brother Malik was murdered in a drive-by shooting
in 1998. Winters knows all too well the feeling of fear that one has walking the streets of Detroit and he is committed to working in the Greater Toronto Area
community to ensure that its streets remain safe for all and that youth have a variety of life options from which to choose.
Winters hails from Detroit's St. Martin de Porres High School (closed 2005) where he won the MHSAA State Class C Football Title twice. While at St. Martin de Porres, Winters was an All-American in two sports football and baseball. Also, Winters was drafted in the tenth round in the 1992 amateur baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals. SMDP is the same school that produced fellow CFL player Kevin Glenn
and former National Football League
player Troy Kyles
of the New York Giants
.
During his college football
years, Winters was a standout player at the University of Michigan
from 1992-1996 in football and baseball. At the end of his college career he was drafted once again in the twentieth round by the Kansas City Royals. After leaving the game of football for a brief period of time, he spent several years playing in the Arena Football League, with the Detroit Fury
and the Las Vegas Gladiators
. While playing in the AFL, Winters won the 2002 "Hero award" awarded to the individual who exemplifies the most commitment to the local community and charity events.
Winters spends a great deal of time working with various organizations and is a great motivational speaker
. He has an immeasurable impact on young people, and draws on his personal trials and struggles to illustrate his points.
Winters has been an active part of the Toronto Argonauts
Stop the Violence campaign and has often spoken to students at different schools across Toronto
. As of 2008, Winters has become a board member for the Stop the Violence initiative and continues to do countless community appearances in the GTA area and in the United States. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=09XaxzVFtiE
During his career with the Argonauts, Winters made more than 900 appearances in the community. He was nominated three times for the Canadian Football League Players' Association Tom Pate Memorial Award
, given annually to the CFL player who displays outstanding charitable efforts and superior community involvement and leadership.
Winters is the co-owner along with former Argonaut and native detroit resident Jerome Davis of Mississauga-based Last Play Training, a company designed to inspire youth to excel in both life and athletics. Also, Chuck is a certified teacher and holds a masters degree in Marketing.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
) is a former Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who played for the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.
Winters retired from the Argonauts on December 19, 2008, after six great years as a linebacker and defensive back. During his time with the Argonauts, he appeared in 82 regular-season games and eight playoff contests and was a member of the Argonauts' 2004 Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
-winning team. In the 2007 season, he posted a career-high 38 tackles and led the team with 6 caused fumbles.
Winters grew up in the tough Herman Gardens
Herman Gardens
Herman Gardens was a public housing project located in the northwest area of Detroit, Michigan.-History:First built in the year of 1943, Herman Gardens, known as "the Gardens", had 2,144 units of mostly two-story multi-family buildings...
project of Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. When he was in middle school, gang violence began permeating the projects. For many, adolescence is one's search for acceptance. Like his head coach and many of his teammates, Winters sought acceptance in organized sports such as baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
rather than joining violent street gangs.
Although he escaped the vicious cycle of violence himself, his 19-year-old brother Malik was murdered in a drive-by shooting
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
in 1998. Winters knows all too well the feeling of fear that one has walking the streets of Detroit and he is committed to working in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
community to ensure that its streets remain safe for all and that youth have a variety of life options from which to choose.
Winters hails from Detroit's St. Martin de Porres High School (closed 2005) where he won the MHSAA State Class C Football Title twice. While at St. Martin de Porres, Winters was an All-American in two sports football and baseball. Also, Winters was drafted in the tenth round in the 1992 amateur baseball draft by the Kansas City Royals. SMDP is the same school that produced fellow CFL player Kevin Glenn
Kevin Glenn
Kevin Glenn, Jr. is a professional Canadian football quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. He was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders as an undrafted free agent in 2001...
and former National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player Troy Kyles
Troy Kyles
Troy Thomas Kyles is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He attended Howard University. He was with the New York Giants in 1990 and the San Francisco 49ers in 1992....
of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
During his college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
years, Winters was a standout player at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1992-1996 in football and baseball. At the end of his college career he was drafted once again in the twentieth round by the Kansas City Royals. After leaving the game of football for a brief period of time, he spent several years playing in the Arena Football League, with the Detroit Fury
Detroit Fury
The Detroit Fury were an Arena Football League team. The team began play in 2001 and was based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit, at The Palace of Auburn Hills, also the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons. The team was co-owned by William Davidson, who owned the Pistons, along with...
and the Las Vegas Gladiators
Las Vegas Gladiators
The Cleveland Gladiators are an arena football franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio which plays in the Arena Football League. The team is part of the East division of the AFL's American Conference. The Gladiators play all of their home games at Quicken Loans Arena, which they share with the NBA's...
. While playing in the AFL, Winters won the 2002 "Hero award" awarded to the individual who exemplifies the most commitment to the local community and charity events.
Winters spends a great deal of time working with various organizations and is a great motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
. He has an immeasurable impact on young people, and draws on his personal trials and struggles to illustrate his points.
Winters has been an active part of the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
Stop the Violence campaign and has often spoken to students at different schools across Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. As of 2008, Winters has become a board member for the Stop the Violence initiative and continues to do countless community appearances in the GTA area and in the United States. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=09XaxzVFtiE
During his career with the Argonauts, Winters made more than 900 appearances in the community. He was nominated three times for the Canadian Football League Players' Association Tom Pate Memorial Award
Tom Pate Memorial Award
Every year the Canadian Football League Players' Association presents the Tom Pate Award. It is not a "Jock Award," but rather an award given to players who display qualities that distinguish them from their peers....
, given annually to the CFL player who displays outstanding charitable efforts and superior community involvement and leadership.
Winters is the co-owner along with former Argonaut and native detroit resident Jerome Davis of Mississauga-based Last Play Training, a company designed to inspire youth to excel in both life and athletics. Also, Chuck is a certified teacher and holds a masters degree in Marketing.