Ron Stewart (football player)
Encyclopedia
Ronald L. Stewart is a former Canadian running back for Queen's University
and the Ottawa Rough Riders
of the Canadian Football League
.
between 1953 and 1957, where he was the team's most valuable player three times and played on two Yates Cup
championship teams (1955 and 1956). He was voted MVP of the 1957 season.
Ron Stewart, though smaller than most players at 5 foot 7 inches, went on to a 13 year career with the Ottawa Rough Riders
from 1958 to 1970. Stewart was an Eastern Conference all star running back in 1960, 1961 and 1964.
Stewart played on Grey Cup
winning teams in 1960
, 1968
and 1969
, and also played in the 1966 Grey Cup
on the losing side. He especially starred in the 1969 Grey Cup with 2 TD receptions from Russ Jackson
, for 80 and 32 yards. On the 80 yarder, with the score 9-7 in favor of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
, Jackson read the blitz from his right side and threw a screen pass to Stewart on that side, who slowed down deliberately to pick up blockers, running untouched into the end-zone for a lead his team would not relinquish on their way to a 29-11 victory.
Thanks to solid offensive line-play from tackle Moe Racine
and others, Stewart rushed for 5,690 yards on 983 attempts and tallied 42 touchdowns in his career. He capped his 1960 season by winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award
and by setting the CFL record for rushing yards in one game with 287 against the Montreal Alouettes
on October 10, 1960. His totals were 139 rushes for 1,020 yards that year. Stewart was voted the winner of the Lionel Conacher Award
as Canada's top male athlete of the year.
Stewart has been inducted into the Queen's University Sports Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
(1977) and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
(1989).
with a law degree. After his retirement from football, he was appointed the ombudsman for the federal correction system in 1977, which post he held until his retirement in 2003.
Since his retirement, Stewart has been the subject of an investigation by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada
, Sheila Fraser
. Her report of November 28, 2006 made allegations regarding Stewart, who the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported was accused of "often skipping work and collecting $325,000 in improper or questionable salary, vacation pay and expenses during a six-year period of his 26 years in office." The file was handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
for investigation.
The list of allegations included:
- hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable payments, including money for days he spent on vacation
- travel to cities hosting the Grey Cup championships that he billed as a trip taken to “investigate inmate complaints”
- the purchase of two computers used by his family
- collecting nearly $100,000 for vacation pay (claiming he hadn’t taken a vacation for 14 years of his 26-year stint as ombudsman)
- handing out performance bonuses over six years and of budget surpluses to staffers, disguised as overtime payments, that totaled over $260,000
Mr. Stewart eventually agreed to pay back $77,500 of the money.
Queen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
and the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
of the 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....
.
Rough Rider career
Born in Toronto, Stewart played football at Riverdale Collegiate on Gerrard St.in Toronto and then at Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
between 1953 and 1957, where he was the team's most valuable player three times and played on two Yates Cup
Yates Cup
The Yates Cup is a Canadian sports trophy, presented annually to the winner of the Ontario University Athletics football conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport federation. It is the oldest still-existing football trophy in North America, dating back to 1898 and surpassing both the Grey...
championship teams (1955 and 1956). He was voted MVP of the 1957 season.
Ron Stewart, though smaller than most players at 5 foot 7 inches, went on to a 13 year career with the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
from 1958 to 1970. Stewart was an Eastern Conference all star running back in 1960, 1961 and 1964.
Stewart played on 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 teams in 1960
48th Grey Cup
The 48th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1960 season on November 26, 1960.The Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Edmonton Eskimos 16 to 6 at Vancouver's Empire Stadium before a crowd of 38,102 fans-Box Score:...
, 1968
56th Grey Cup
56th Grey Cup was played November 30, 1968, and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Calgary Stampeders 24 to 21 before 32,655 fans at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium...
and 1969
57th Grey Cup
57th Grey Cup, the Canadian Football League's championship game, was played November 30, 1969 and the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 29 to 11 before 33,172 fans at Montreal's Autostade.-Box Score:First Quarter...
, and also played in the 1966 Grey Cup
54th Grey Cup
The 54th Grey Cup was hosted at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 26, 1966. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Grey Cup after 53 years of competition for this trophy, losing eight times in the game itself, but defeating on this day with Eagle Keys as head coach the...
on the losing side. He especially starred in the 1969 Grey Cup with 2 TD receptions from Russ Jackson
Russ Jackson
Russell Stanley "Russ" Jackson, OC is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. Jackson spent his entire 12-year professional football career with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League...
, for 80 and 32 yards. On the 80 yarder, with the score 9-7 in favor of the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
, Jackson read the blitz from his right side and threw a screen pass to Stewart on that side, who slowed down deliberately to pick up blockers, running untouched into the end-zone for a lead his team would not relinquish on their way to a 29-11 victory.
Thanks to solid offensive line-play from tackle Moe Racine
Moe Racine
Moe "The Toe" Racine is a former placekicker and offensive lineman for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1958-1974 of the Canadian Football League. He was a part of four Grey Cup winning teams with the Rough Riders.-High school:Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada, Moe Racine attended St. Lawrence High...
and others, Stewart rushed for 5,690 yards on 983 attempts and tallied 42 touchdowns in his career. He capped his 1960 season by winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award
The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually rewarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. This is the second-last award to be given during the CFL Awards banquet, which takes place the week before Grey Cup weekend in the same city where it is hosted. The two nominees...
and by setting the CFL record for rushing yards in one game with 287 against the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
on October 10, 1960. His totals were 139 rushes for 1,020 yards that year. Stewart was voted the winner of the Lionel Conacher Award
Lionel Conacher Award
The Lionel Conacher Award is an annual award given to Canada's male athlete of the year. The sports writers of the Canadian Press first conducted a poll to determine the nation's top athlete, of either gender, in 1932. Separate polls for the best male and female athletes were conducted beginning...
as Canada's top male athlete of the year.
Stewart has been inducted into the Queen's University Sports Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
(1977) and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
(1989).
Accusations
Stewart graduated from the University of OttawaUniversity of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
with a law degree. After his retirement from football, he was appointed the ombudsman for the federal correction system in 1977, which post he held until his retirement in 2003.
Since his retirement, Stewart has been the subject of an investigation by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada
Auditor General of Canada
The role of the Auditor General of Canada is to aid accountability by conducting independent audits of federal government operations. The Auditor General reports to the House of Commons, not to the government...
, Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser
Sheila Fraser served as Auditor General of Canada from 2001 to 2011.Ms. Fraser was born in Dundee, Quebec, Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University in 1972. She then became a chartered accountant in 1974 and FCA in 1994...
. Her report of November 28, 2006 made allegations regarding Stewart, who the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported was accused of "often skipping work and collecting $325,000 in improper or questionable salary, vacation pay and expenses during a six-year period of his 26 years in office." The file was handed over to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
for investigation.
The list of allegations included:
- hundreds of thousands of dollars in questionable payments, including money for days he spent on vacation
- travel to cities hosting the Grey Cup championships that he billed as a trip taken to “investigate inmate complaints”
- the purchase of two computers used by his family
- collecting nearly $100,000 for vacation pay (claiming he hadn’t taken a vacation for 14 years of his 26-year stint as ombudsman)
- handing out performance bonuses over six years and of budget surpluses to staffers, disguised as overtime payments, that totaled over $260,000
Mr. Stewart eventually agreed to pay back $77,500 of the money.