Ben Cahoon and Uzooma Okeke to be inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

MontrealAlouettes.com

REGINA – The Montreal Alouettes would like to congratulate team alumni Ben Cahoon and Uzooma Okeke for their respective inductions into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Cahoon and Okeke, who were teammates for nine years with the Alouettes from 1998 until 2006, have been selected as part of the Class of 2014.

Ben Cahoon played all of his 13 seasons as a slotback in the CFL with the Alouettes, becoming the league’s all-time pass receptions leader at home on October 11, 2010 against the Calgary Stampeders, catching his 1,007th career pass and surpassing Terry Vaughn prior to retiring that off-season as a Grey Cup champion.

WATCH: BEN CAHOON’S RECORD RECEPTION »

The slotback’s sure hands and reliable route running helped him and quarterback Anthony Calvillo pair-up to become one of the league’s best pass-and-catch duos over the years. Remembered for routinely making highlight-reel plays across his 224-game career, Cahoon recorded 1,017 receptions over 13 seasons for totals of 13,301 career yards and 65 touchdowns.

The three-time Grey Cup winner was at the top of his game when the stakes were the highest, being voted the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in two Grey Cup appearances in 2003 and 2009 as well as the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons. He is the Grey Cup’s all-time leading receiver with 46 career receptions and 658 receiving yards in the league’s championship game.

“Ben has been and continues to be a great role model to many,” said Alouettes General Manager and Head Coach Jim Popp. “His determination to be the best and his quest for perfection have allowed him to wow not just his fans, but his opponents as well. His highlight reel of great catches can compete with anyone who’s ever played the game. It’s no surprise to see Ben elected as a first ballot hall-of-famer. Ben is a Canadian Football League legend, and any new and upcoming CFL stars will be compared to the lore of Ben Cahooooon for years to come. Making Montreal Proud!”

Cahoon, whose last name has become part of game day lore at Percival Molson Stadium, also showcased his versatility by kicking a game-winning 22-yard field goal in overtime in a 30-27 victory over the Toronto Argonauts on August 2, 2007.

WATCH: BEN CAHOON’S GAME-WINNING… FIELD GOAL? »

In 2004, he was part of an Alouettes receiving corps which consisted of four receivers each reaching the 1,000-yard single-season receiving mark – leading the way with 1,183 yards. The following year, the Alouettes would repeat the feat albeit with Cahoon as the only player from the previous year to eclipse the plateau for a second consecutive season.

A three-time CFL All-Star and ten-time East Division All-Star, Cahoon was born in Utah of Canadian parents and grew up in both Alberta and Montreal. He was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in the first round (sixth overall) of the 1998 CFL Canadian Draft.

Fellow inductee and teammate Uzooma Okeke also played 13 seasons in the CFL, spending the final 10 years of his on-field career in Montreal from 1997 to 2006, playing in five Grey Cups with the Alouettes in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006, returning the trophy to the city for the first time in over 25 years in 2002.

A seven-time CFL and East Division All-Star, the native of Beaumont, TX was also named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1999 and the East Division’s top lineman on three separate occasions in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Over the course of his career, he protected two of the CFL’s all-time greatest quarterbacks in Anthony Calvillo and Tracy Ham.

“Uzooma was a cornerstone for the Alouettes at the toughest position to play on the offensive line, left tackle, for a decade,” said Popp. “His consistent play, dominating performances, and a powerful punch that could stop even the best defenders in their tracks, which I haven’t seen another player match over the last two decades, helps land him this Hall of Fame nod. A tough position to get the appreciation that it is deserving of, Uzooma represents a group of offensive lineman that have been outstanding for the past 18 seasons in Montreal. Making Montreal Proud!”

He began his career with the Shreveport Pirates in 1994, playing two seasons in the Port City before moving to the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1996.

Okeke is currently in his 17th season with the Montreal Alouettes and seventh as a scout since retiring as a player prior to the 2007 season. His responsibilities include evaluating current professional and free agent players, assisting with the team’s yearly draft preparations, weekly advance scouting and tracking NFL transactions.

Also being inducted in the builder category in 2014 is Montrealer Wally Buono, who is currently the Vice-President and General Manager of the B.C. Lions. Buono played ten seasons as a linebacker and a punter with the Alouettes. He played in 152 career games, winning the Grey Cup twice in 1974 and 1977. He began his coaching career with the Montreal Concordes as an assistant coach in 1983. His 254 wins and five Grey Cup victories as a head coach make him the all-time leader in CFL history.

The Class of 2014 will be enshrined at a ceremony during Hall of Fame weekend, which will take place during the 2014 CFL season.