| No. 18 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Slotback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1971-08-10)August 10, 1971 (age 54) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| University | McMaster |
| CFL draft | 1994: 2nd round, 17th overall pick |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1995–1996 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 1997–2001 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
| 2002–2003 | Toronto Argonauts |
| 2004–2006 | Hamilton Tiger-Cats |
Coaching | |
| 2007 | McMaster Marauders Offence and Special Teams |
Operations | |
| 2007–2012 | CFLPA Director Marketing |
| 2012–2014 | CFLPA President |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Stats at CFL.ca | |
Mike Morreale (born August 10, 1971) is a Canadian formerfootball player and current sports executive. He was a receiver in theCanadian Football League (CFL) before becoming the commissioner of theCanadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL).
A graduate ofCardinal Newman Secondary School, where he earned athlete of the year honours and was footballMVP twice, Morreale played his university football with theMcMaster University Marauders from 1991 to 1994. He finished his Marauder career with 116 receptions for 1,880 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns and had 217 yards on 27 punt returns and 185 yards on nine kickoff returns. He also carried the ball four times for 33 yards and averaged 33.7 yards on 36 punts. He was a CIAU second team All-Canadian once and a two-timeOUAA All-Star at wide receiver.[1] He was named to the McMaster Hall of Fame in 2005 and a member of the McMaster University Football Team of the Century.[2]
Morreale began his 12-year CFL career in 1995 with theToronto Argonauts. He moved on to theHamilton Tiger-Cats in 1997 and played there for 5 seasons before rejoining Toronto in 2002. He rejoined the Tiger-Cats in 2004. His best season was 1998, when he caught 67 passes for 1076 yards and played in the Grey Cup, and won theCFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award. He also won twoGrey Cup championships, in 1996 with Toronto, and in 1999 with Hamilton, when he was named theGrey Cup Most Valuable Canadian.[1] In 2000, Morreale was awarded the Tom Pate Award for his contributions on and off the field in the CFL.
He was the CFL spokesman for the War Amps Champs program in 1997 and raised $26,000 for Hamilton Children's Hospital in the 1999 Morreale Macaroni campaign. He is also a first cousin ofToronto Argonauts legendPaul Masotti.[1]
Morreale and fellowHamilton, Ontario native linebacker Rob Hitchcock were released from theHamilton Tiger-Cats on June 19, 2007.[3][4][5] He officially announced his retirement on August 27, 2007, and joined the McMaster University football coaching staff. He was honoured by the Tiger-Cats at a halftime ceremony during the 2007Labour Day Classic along withRob Hitchcock.[6][7]
Upon his retirement, Morreale became theCanadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA) Director of Marketing, before being elected as the ninth President of the CFLPA in 2012, serving until 2014.[citation needed]
Morreale works as a colour analyst forU Sports football and was the colour analyst for the Hamilton Tiger Cats onCKOC from 2018 to 2019; afterCHML reacquired the Tiger Cats radio rights, Morreale was retained as a studio contributor.[8]
Morreale was the co-founder of theCanadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and became the league's inaugural commissioner in 2018.[9] In January 2023, he signed a six-year contract extension with the CEBL to continue as commissioner beyond the 2028 season.[9]