Rocco Romano was a standout offensive lineman who served two stints with the Stampeders — in 1987 and from 1992 to 2000. The Hamilton, Ont., native was drafted by Calgary in the first round (5thoverall) of the 1987 CFL Draft. He was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
He was a division all-star in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 and all-Canadian in 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999. He was Calgary’s nominee for the CFL Outstanding Lineman award on three occasions and was a two-time winner of the award as the West Division’s top lineman, taking home the DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy in 1994 and 1996. He won the Presidents’ Ring for motivational and leadership skills on and off the field as voted by teammates in 1997 and was added to the Stampeders Wall of Fame in 2008.
Rocco played on Calgary Grey Cup championship teams in 1992 and 1998. The photo of Rocco aboard the Touchdown Horse after the Grey Cup win over Hamilton in 1998 at Winnipeg Stadium is one of the unforgettable images in Stampeders history. He was very active in the Calgary community during his playing career, most notably with the Variety Club and currently still is a strong ambassador in the community.
In between his stints in Calgary, Romano spent time with Saskatchewan, Toronto, Ottawa and BC. He resides in Calgary and is currently working in the oil and gas industry for Carson Energy Services Ltd. and also is the President of the Calgary Stampeder Alumni association.
