| No. 43, 44[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive lineman |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1965-03-28)March 28, 1965 (age 60) Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 255 lb (116 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | North Toronto |
| University | Simon Fraser |
| CFL draft | 1988: 3rd round, 22nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 1988 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1988–1993 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1994–1995 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Awards and highlights | |
Leon Hatziioannou (Hat-zee-AH-no;[2] March 28, 1965) is a Canadian former professionalfootballdefensive lineman who played eight seasons in theCanadian Football League (CFL) with theOttawa Rough Riders,Winnipeg Blue Bombers andToronto Argonauts. He was selected by the Rough Riders in the third round of the1988 CFL draft after playingcollege football atSimon Fraser University.
Leon Hatziioannou was born on March 28, 1965, inToronto.[1] He attendedNorth Toronto High School.[3] Hatziioannou playedcollege football for theSimon Fraser Clan ofSimon Fraser University, with his final year being in 1987.[1]
Hatziioannou was selected by theOttawa Rough Riders in the third round, with the 22nd overall pick, of the1988 CFL draft.[4] He dressed in five games for the Rough Riders during the 1988 season.[1]
On Saturday October 15, 1988, Hatziioannou received a call fromWinnipeg Blue Bombers head coachMike Riley, who had been trying to contact him all day, that he had been traded to Winnipeg.[5] Hatziioannou was the "future considerations" in an earlier Ottawa–Winnipeg trade forRoy Dewalt.[5][6] Hatziioannou then played for the Blue Bombers in an October 16 Sunday afternoon game after having already played for the Rough Riders in Ottawa's October 14 Friday night game two days earlier.[5]The Winnipeg Sun speculated that he may have been the first CFL player to play for two teams in the same weekend.[5] Hatziioannou won the76th Grey Cup with the Blue Bombers in 1988 and the78th Grey Cup in 1990. Overall, he dressed in 85 games for Winnipeg from 1988 to 1993.[1] He was released on June 30, 1994, before the start of the 1994 season.[7]
Hatziioannou was signed to the practice roster of theToronto Argonauts on July 11, 1994.[8] He was later promoted to the active roster and dressed in 14 games for the Argonauts that year.[1] He dressed in nine games in 1995 and spent part of the season on the injured list.[1][9] Hatziioannou became a free agent on February 15, 1996, and was not re-signed by Toronto.[10] He finished his CFL career with totals of 113 games dressed, 125 tackles, eight sacks, and four fumble recoveries.[1]