Tony Tompkins
Encyclopedia
Tony Tompkins is a Canadian Football League
wide receiver
and special teams player for the Montreal Alouettes
.
Standing at only 5'8", Tompkins is just one of many diminutive kick return specialists to have found success in the CFL. After attending Stephen F. Austin University, Tompkins signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
as the replacement for former kick returner Winston October. As a rookie in 2005
, Tompkins participated in the 93rd Grey Cup
in Vancouver
, where he set a record for the longest kickoff return in a Grey Cup
game by taking the ball 96 yards for a key touchdown, helping the Eskimos take victory.
After the Grey Cup, Tompkins believed that he was entering his option year, and as such that he would have a chance to try and sign with a National Football League
team. Tompkins, who did not have an agent when he signed his first contract, in fact signed a two-year contract with a club option, thus requiring him to report to the Eskimos for one more season than he expected. Tompkins's agent Alex Balic attempted to persuade the Eskimos to release Tompkins but they refused. Tompkins and Balic briefly considered legal action, but in the end Tompkins agreed to return to the Eskimos for the 2006 CFL season
. Tompkins made $40,000 CAD
with the Eskimos in 2006, well below the NFL league minimum and returned 75 punts for 501 yards, 57 kickoffs for 1,145 yards, and ten missed field goal returns for 209 yards, finishing with the Eskimos’ most all-purpose yards with 1,855. In the 2007 CFL season
, Tompkins led the Eskimos in punt return yardage, kickoff returns, and missed field goal return yards and finished the year second on the team in all-purpose yards.
In February 2008, Tompkins signed as a free-agent with the Alouettes.
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....
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and special teams player for 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...
.
Standing at only 5'8", Tompkins is just one of many diminutive kick return specialists to have found success in the CFL. After attending Stephen F. Austin University, Tompkins signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
as the replacement for former kick returner Winston October. As a rookie in 2005
2005 CFL season
The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:...
, Tompkins participated in the 93rd Grey Cup
93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, where he set a record for the longest kickoff return in a 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...
game by taking the ball 96 yards for a key touchdown, helping the Eskimos take victory.
After the Grey Cup, Tompkins believed that he was entering his option year, and as such that he would have a chance to try and sign with a 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...
team. Tompkins, who did not have an agent when he signed his first contract, in fact signed a two-year contract with a club option, thus requiring him to report to the Eskimos for one more season than he expected. Tompkins's agent Alex Balic attempted to persuade the Eskimos to release Tompkins but they refused. Tompkins and Balic briefly considered legal action, but in the end Tompkins agreed to return to the Eskimos for the 2006 CFL season
2006 CFL season
-2006 Rogers CFL Awards:* CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Geroy Simon , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions* CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Brent Johnson , BC Lions...
. Tompkins made $40,000 CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
with the Eskimos in 2006, well below the NFL league minimum and returned 75 punts for 501 yards, 57 kickoffs for 1,145 yards, and ten missed field goal returns for 209 yards, finishing with the Eskimos’ most all-purpose yards with 1,855. In the 2007 CFL season
2007 CFL season
The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on...
, Tompkins led the Eskimos in punt return yardage, kickoff returns, and missed field goal return yards and finished the year second on the team in all-purpose yards.
In February 2008, Tompkins signed as a free-agent with the Alouettes.