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Toronto – Canadian offensive lineman Joe Eppele will officially retire from the Canadian Football League as a member of the Argonauts during the team’s Friday night game at Rogers Centre.
The British Columbia native was originally selected by the Toronto Argonauts with the second overall pick in the 2010 CFL Draft following his 4-year career at Washington State University. In four seasons with the Boatmen, he played in 60 regular season games with 31 starts. A fan and locker room favourite, the 6-8, 300-pound offensive guard played an integral part in anchoring one of the CFL’s best offences to the 100th Grey Cup championship in 2012.
Commented Eppele, “I would like to thank my family, teammates, the Toronto Argonauts organization, and this amazing city of Toronto for providing me with the opportunity of a lifetime. I have been truly humbled by the constant love and support shown to me throughout my years with the Double Blue. I have cherished every moment, from the lowest lows to the absolute peaks of my career. It has been an honour to suit up with, learn from, and share the field with some of the best men this game has to offer and I could never explain the lasting impact you have all had on my life. I will remain forever grateful. Argos Forever! ”
During his time as an Argonaut, Eppele was a committed member of the Toronto community. He was an ambassador for the team’s Huddle-Up Bullying Prevention program, presented by Tim Hortons, and founded “Big Joe’s Little Giants”, a personal initiative that worked to assist youth who came from abused or neglected family situations.
Commented Argonauts General Manager Jim Barker, “We drafted Joe in the first round of the CFL Draft and we couldn’t have been happier with the player and the person we got. As an Argonaut, Joe was an excellent role model on and off the field. He had a powerful physical presence on the field and he was well-liked in our locker room. He was also an outstanding citizen within our community and a good ambassador for youth throughout Toronto. We are proud that he will retire in Double Blue.”
Eppele was selected by the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the second round of the 2013 CFL Expansion Draft. He still lives in the GTA where he owns his own gym, is enrolled in the MBA program at the DeGroote School of Business, and is a sales representative for a supplement company.
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