Some would say that Gary Jeffries is the best athlete to ever come out of the City of Burlington. During his high school years at Nelson, Gary participated in football, track, basketball, and hockey in the rep system. He was an accomplished athlete and leader in every sport.
Beyond high school, this multi-talented competitor played:
Junior B Hockey for the Burlington Mohawks in 1963
Senior Inter-County baseball for the Guelph C-joys in 1963 to 1966
Varsity hockey for the University of Guelph 1966 to 1968
Varsity football for the University of Guelph 1966 to 1968
Professional baseball in the Detroit Tigers system 1966 to 1969
Professional football for the Toronto Argonauts in 1972 and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1973

After his playing days, Gary went into coaching. In 1972 he was hired as the linebackers coach and defensive line coach for the Laurier Golden Hawks until his promotion to defensive coordinator in 1981. While serving as the defensive coordinator until 1988 he also assumed the head coaching duties for the Laurier women’s basketball team from 1984 to 1988. He then took over the men’s basketball program in 1989, holding that position until 1997. He had to leave all his football responsibilities during this period of time but rejoined the football team as their defensive coordinator in 1994. In 2002, Gary became the Golden Hawks head coach building a program that was second to none in the Ontario University Athletic Association. His exceptional athletic skills combined with a talent for leading and directing young men helped bring the Laurier football program to national prominence. In 2005 Laurier clearly established their football supremacy by winning the Vanier Cup, defeating the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. His teams were always very well prepared and competitive. After his many years of service at Laurier, Gary decided to step down in 2012. He took one last kick at the game he loved best by joining the McMaster Marauder Football team as the special teams coordinator from 2013 to 2015. Gary has been the recipient of many rewards over the life of his amazing athletic career. He was:

Athlete of the Year at the University of Guelph, 1967
Coach of the Year at Laurier, 1987
O.U.A. Football coach of the Year, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009
Canadian University Football Coach of the Year in 2003

Over the length of his years in sport, Gary has consistently presented the image of an honest, reliable, trustworthy competitor and leader. He played the game with honour and imparted these qualities to each of his players. We are proud to induct Gary Jeffries into the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame.