Rick ranks among the BC Lions’ all-time greatest defensive linemen logging 142 games for the club through nine seasons. Rick came to the Lions as a territorial exemption in 1981 following his career at Simon Fraser University. The Grey Cup season of 1985 was one of his finest as he was named to the West Division All-Star squad after recording eight sacks and a fumble recovery. Following the 1987 season, he was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but returned to the club after a brief retirement to log two more seasons with the Lions before retiring for good in 1990. The hallmark of Rick’s career as a Lion was one of consistency at a position often dominated by imports. Over a span of 160 CFL games, he recorded 66 sacks and added another 4.5 in two Grey Cup appearances. In the 1983 Grey Cup game played at BC Place, he was named the Most Valuable Canadian.
Rick was voted a member of the Lions’ 50th anniversary dream team. He played his high school football at Sardis Senior Secondary. Rick passed away in 2016 but posthumously contributes to the progress of safety in the game having donated his brain to the Canadian Concussion Centre for research purposes.
