“Queen’s football shouldn’t be thanking me. I should be thanking Queen’s football.” – Doug Jeffries

With his trademark humility, Doug Jeffries was appreciative and gracious during induction ceremonies into the Queen’s Football Hall of Fame on the weekend. “My heart is full of  memories, gratitude and appreciation for this prestigious award.”

Two years ago when he was inducted into the Kingston & District Sports Hall of Fame, Jeffries called it, “the cherry on top.”

This is another significant career ‘topping’ for Jeffries, who knew something about ‘cherries on top’ when he worked part time at the Gananoque Dairy Queen in high school – headed for an unparalleled 46-year career as an iconic Kingston sportscaster.

In addition to covering the football Gaels for CKLC & CKWS, Jeffries spent years as the Public Address announcer for Queen’s games on Saturday afternoons at Richardson Stadium. Jeffries recalled one frantic fall afternoon when the game time was changed and the Queen’s band was nowhere to be found as kickoff approached.

At the last minute to avoid embarrassment for everyone involved, Jeffries took to the mic to sing ‘O Canada’. His pitch may not have been perfect, but his enthusiasm was and it perfectly captures how Doug Jeffries always went above and beyond for Kingston sports.

Jeffries wingman, Mike Postovit, flew under the radar for 41 years covering local sports at CKWS-TV / Global News. Originally from Windsor, ON, he spent his early working years following in his Dad’s footsteps – working in the foundry at the Ford motor plant before embarking on a four-decade career covering sports in Kingston.

“We covered local sports like a blanket, from Kingston to Brockville to Belleville,” Postovit told Global News. In his acceptance speech Postivit said he was “honoured, humbled and privileged to join the Gaels Football Hall of Fame.”

Highlights for Postovit included a trip he made with the team to the U.K in 1992. Later that year he was on the the sidelines covering the Gaels 1992 Vanier Cup win at Skydome in Toronto. “I wouldn’t trade any of my time reporting on Queen’s athletics, and in particular Gaels football, for anything.”

Before the night was out Postovit was back in his former role – interviewing former quarterback Tim Pendergast for Global News.

Now in his mid-80’s, Maurie Jackson was very proud to make the trip from Toronto to represent his father, the legendary Max Jackson. “If you can’t play a sport, be one”, was Jackson’s signature signoff at the end of every sportscast.

A Kingston icon, Max was a tireless supporter of Queen’s, local sports and handled radio & TV sports duties at CKWS for 26 years. Max was the PA announcer for the football Gaels at the original Richardson Stadium on campus. He started the Lions Club Baseball League in 1950 for Kingston youngsters, ran a junior golf tournament for decades, was a longtime coach of the Kingston Vics Jr B hockey team and scouted for the Boston Bruins. Max was also the play-by-play voice of Kingston Aces Senior hockey and Kingston Canadians junior hockey.

Maurie said, ‘My Dad was very proud of his hometown of Kingston and of his country. I know that he would be very humbled and honoured to receive this award.”

Longtime Whig Standard reporter and Sports Editor Claude Scilley was also honored in the media category. Scilley covered Queen’s sports throughout his Whig Standard career from 1972 to 2013. He cited the importance of Queen’s football in the community, and how special it was to start covering the football Gaels for the local daily.

Scilley said he learned a lot covering the Gaels, “I learned about courage and dedication, about how collective commitment to a goal could overcome any obstacle.” During his writing career Scilley was acknowledged as one of the top sports journalists in the O.U.A. and was part of the weekly U Sports Top Ten voting panel .

It was a special night to celebrate the rich history of Queen’s football, and emcee Tim Cunningham, a water boy with the Gaels back in 1968, did a masterful job of illustrating what it meant for these former student-athletes to wear the tri-colour. Saturday afternoons steeped in history at Richardson Stadium – and what a tremendous honour it is – to be among the few that wind up here, the newly elected members of the Hall of Fame.

Kingston’s Frank Halligan was recognized as a builder. A dedicated Kingston high school coach and convenor, Frank grew up around Queen’s football and was on the coaching staff of the Gaels for seven seasons. Halligan was mentored by Frank Tindall, Doug Hargreaves and the legendary Hal ‘Moose’ McCarney.

Halligan remembers attending his first Queen’s game as a 12-year-old with his mother at the old Richardson Stadium and he was hooked. Watching the Gaels in the sleet and mud, seeing Queen’s legends Don Bain, Cal Connor, Merv Daub and Bill Miklas inspired Halligan to play the game and take up coaching.

Halligan had a 30-year coaching career, and he recognized the sacrifices made by his wife Patty and their children, the same sacrifices families make for every coach – allowing them to pursue their passion.  

Former Queen’s quarterback Tim Pendergast has built quite a legacy as a teacher and coach at Holy Cross Secondary. Back in 1992, he was the steady hand that led the Gaels to a Vanier Cup championship surrounded by an incredible cast of talented teammates.

Pendergast reflected on the tough start he had in his early years at Queen’s. In 1987 when he was fourth string quarterback, and briefly dropped to fifth on the depth chart when a receiver was slotted in ahead of him.

The next year at training camp veteran teammates told Pendergast, “you should have been here last year.” Pendergast, replied, “I was here.” So far down the depth chart no one noticed.

But all that changed quickly when Pendergast became team captain and starting quarterback. In 1991 during a playoff game versus Bishops, he threw for a jaw dropping 496 yards. And in 1992, it culminated with Queen’s winning the Vanier Cup and posting the only shutout in Vanier Cup history.

Pendergast is all over the Queen’s record book. Second all-time at Queen’s in career completions, third all-time in passing yards (he amassed over 4,400 career passing yards) and third in touchdown passes.

Kingston’s Joel Dagnone, a former star at Regiopolis High School, was a standout in the Queen’s defensive backfield on that 1992 Vanier Cup team. Dagnone was the Gaels Defensive player of the year and a first team conference all-star.

The following season, he was team Captain, second team all-Canadian and an academic all-Canadian. Today, Dr. Dagnone is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Queen’s University and is often on duty in the ER at KGH.

Former Queen’s coach Pat Sheahan coached the Gaels for almost two decades, including the 2009 Vanier Cup championship. Sheahan reflected on “chasing ghosts” at Richardson Stadium. Having to follow in the footsteps of legendary coaches like Frank Tindall and Doug Hargreaves.

Rounding out the class of 2025, is linebacker Sam Sabourin, linemen Derrick Wiggan & Osie Ukwuoma, running back Ryan Granberg, kicker Dan Village and center Cam Innes.

Also enshrined on this special night – coaches Pat Tracey and Ron Augustine.

The inaugural Queen’s football Gaels team from 1882 was also honoured.

Mark Potter is a longtime Kingston broadcaster and covered the football Gaels for over a decade, just missing out on the 1992 Vanier Cup win.