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Kellen Forrest for Dinos Athletics

Special for the Postmedia network

Dan Federkeil (BA 2011) never expected to become one of the most decorated Canadian soccer players of his generation.

But when he joined the University of Calgary Dinos football team at the age of 17, it was the start of something special.

The Medicine Hat native finished his career as one of the few athletes to win both the Super Bowl and the Gray Cup, and will now enter the Dinos Hall of Fame as one of the most successful players that the program has ever produced.

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When he joined the Dinos as a defensive lineman, his first year was supposed to be a developmental year. But plans changed quickly.

“That was the plan, wasn’t it?” I’m supposed to redshirt the first year and progress from there,” Federkeil said.

However, injuries to the starting defensive end thrust Federkeil into the spotlight, and he never looked back.

At 17 years and two months, he became the youngest player to wear the colors of Scarlet & Gold.

In five years on the Dinos defensive line, Federkeil recorded 111 tackles and 13 sacks. He was a two-time All-Canadian and was named the 2005 Dinos Male Athlete of the Year.

Federkeil arrived at 17 and left professional hope behind. He believes much of the credit for his development should be given to his Dinos teammates.

“I think what helped me improve the most were my teammates,” Federkeil said. “The fun level of competition we had for certain topics was very helpful. I’m sure most people involved in sports understand how taxing it can be, so mentally and emotionally you exhaust yourself as much as you physically. Even though we didn’t have the most successful team, it was still a really good group of guys.

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This group of guys helped Federkeil get drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in the first round of the 2006 CFL Draft. But Federkeil didn’t want to play a pushover for the Argos and instead set his sights south of the border.

Federkeil’s goal of playing in the NFL became a reality when he signed with the Indianapolis Colts. However, the move to the United States was also accompanied by a change in position.

The Colts wanted Federkeil on the offensive line. And even though he didn’t have much experience on offense with the Dinos, the Colts didn’t need to see much.

“This is all really a result of a little distance work with our offense with the Dinos,” Federkeil said of the trade. “They liked the way I got the ball, knowing the number of snaps better than reacting to the ball. And yes, they trained me as an offensive lineman. They liked what he saw. They liked the possibilities available to them.

They made the right choice, as Federkeil ended up playing four seasons with the Colts and started off with a bang when he won the 2006 Super Bowl in his rookie season.

Injuries ended his time in the NFL, but Federkeil wasn’t ready to hang up his cleats just yet. After taking some rest to allow his body to recover, Federkeil saw the opportunity to return to the court.

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“I was watching, funny enough, a Stampeders game and I thought, ‘I could do better than that guy,’” Federkeil said.

He wasn’t wrong. Federkeil went on to start 59 regular season games, four playoff games and three Gray Cups with the Calgary Stampeders, winning the ultimate prize in 2014.

Federkeil announced his retirement from professional football in February 2018, marking the end of a storied career he never saw coming.

“Growing up, we didn’t think, ‘Hey, this guy is going to be a future star,'” Federkeil said.

That’s exactly what he became.

Federkeil will be inducted into the Dinos Hall of Fame during a ceremony Monday, along with other members of the Class of 2024: Sam Effah (track and field), Hayley Wickenheiser (hockey), Erica Wiebe (wrestling), Les Gramantik (coach, athletics) and Gord Franson (builder, football).

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