They were teammates for most of their Canadian Football League careers, celebrated two Gray Cups and spent countless hours together off the field. So it’s only fitting that Josh Bourke enters the Canadian Football Hall of Fame with John Bowman.
“Life is crazy. After football you tend to move away from the game and the guys you played with, but John and I still talk on a semi-regular basis,” Bourke said.
Bourke and Bowman were teammates with the Montreal Alouettes for nine seasons, between 2007 and 2015. They helped the franchise win back-to-back Gray Cup titles in 2009 and 2010 before Bourke finished his career with the Toronto Argonauts in 2016.
Bowman spent his entire CFL career, from 2006 to 2020, in La Belle Province and remains the team record holder for the number of career sacks, with 134.
Moreover, the list of 2023 inductees has a Montreal/Quebec flavor to say the least.
Offensive lineman Lloyd Fairbanks, who spent four of his 17 seasons in the CFL with the Concordes and Alouettes, will also be inducted as a player. Also, Larry Smith – former Alouettes running back, former team president and former CFL commissioner – as well as long-time coach Jacques Dussault will be immortalized as builders.
Joining this group will be Solomon Elimimian, a former linebacker for the British Columbia Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders, as well as Larry Crawford, a defensive back and punt return specialist with the Lions.
The new members will be officially inducted Friday at Tim Hortons Stadium in Hamilton, then honored Saturday at halftime of the game between the Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Montreal selected Bourke, a six-foot-seven, 315-pound athlete, in the third round of the 2004 CFL draft, but that season he returned to Grand Valley State University. Bourke then signed with the Green Bay Packers and spent all of 2006 with the NFL club without appearing in a single game.
Bourke knew the Canadian Football Hall of Fame would visit him one day, but he didn’t expect it to happen now.
“It’s a great honor,” he said. “The fact that I was able to be admitted so early took me by surprise, but I am very grateful. »
The Alouettes won a multitude of games during Bourke’s time in Montreal. However, some of his fondest memories took place off the football field, he said.
“I loved giving back to this community and being deeply involved. Great friendships were made in Montreal, not only with teammates, but also with people from all walks of life.
“I firmly believe in getting out of your comfort zone and your four walls and building relationships with people you wouldn’t normally build relationships with. I have a lot of interesting friends, which is pretty cool. Obviously the Gray Cups have been amazing, but I’ve been fortunate to play with so many great players over the years. »