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Tim Tindale

Tim Tindale

Tim Tindale was an all-star fullback with the University of Western Ontario Mustangs from 1990 to 1994. After dominating the CIS Tindale landed with the Buffalo Bills, but his career ended quickly due to injury.

The following content is an excerpt from the University of Western Ontario Gazette, Volume 93 issue 20, written by Gazette Staffers Wes Brown and Chad Thompson, courtest Canadian Interuniveristy Sport

http://www.gazette.uwo.ca:

Tindale's former coach Larry Haylor said Tindale is the only two-time Hec Crighton Trophy winner in Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union history and if he hadn't fractured his leg in 1992, he would have been a three-time recipient.

"I always said Tim would be the guy I would pick first if I had to choose a team. At 5'11", 220 [pounds], he had very unique talents. He's one of those guys who will give you his soul in effort," Haylor said.

In 1994, after graduating from the kinesiology program, Tindale tried out for the Buffalo Bills as a free agent and made the squad. "It was an unbelievable life experience," he said.

As Buffalo is one of the larger football squads in the NFL, Tindale said at first he had to adjust to the new surroundings. "It was a shock at first with all the hype surrounding the team," he said. "It wasn't a big deal after the first few years."

With rumours of the treatment of Canadian players in the NFL filtering through fans and players alike, Tindale had the inside scoop and his pleasant experience contradicted the stereotypes. "On my first day of mini-camp, [Buffalo Bills coach ] Marv Levy came up to me and knew my name and all my stats. He was the head coach and he knew everything about me."

Tindale said the first exhibition game he played in a Bills uniform is a memory he'll never forget. "I remember walking down the tunnel and not knowing what to expect. There was a crowd of 70,000 people there to see a football game."

Haylor said he remembers watching Tindale's first NFL touchdown while on vacation. "We were huddled around a 7-inch TV screen. Tim broke a run for 44 yards and my wife and I were jumping up and down, cheering and screaming. People came storming into our room to see what was wrong."