Alouettes mourn loss of ‘a true soldier’ following passing of FB Michael Soles

Photo courtesy: Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

Fan favourite Alouettes fullback Michael Soles has passed away at the age of 54 following a sixteen year battle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“Our thoughts go to his family and friends,” Alouettes General Manager Danny Maciocia, who coached Soles in Montreal, said in a statement Thursday.

“He was a great football player and always saw the Alouettes like his second family. He fought until the end and despite being sick, he never gave up and was always smiling. He had a great influence on my career and was more than a friend for me.”

Soles, a native Pointe Claire, Quebec, first earned national attention as a two-time All-Canadian at the University of McGill, rushing for 2,231 yards in just 20 regular season contests. In 1987, he led McGill to a 47-11 Vanier Cup victory over a heavily favoured UBC Thunderbirds squad, winning the game MVP for his incredible 203-yard rushing performance.

Soles was selected in the first round, fifth overall, by Edmonton in the 1989 CFL Draft and stayed with the club through the 1995 season. He established himself as a regular contributor running the football and a weapon catching passes out of the backfield, winning a Grey Cup with the team in 1993 and earning a North Division All-Star selection in 1995.

In 1996, Soles returned to Montreal to play for the Alouettes, where he instantly became one of the most impactful blockers in CFL history by opening running lanes for Hall of Famer Mike Pringle. Soles was named an East Division All-Star that year, winning the Lew Hayman Trophy as the Most Outstanding Canadian in the East.

Soles played with the Alouettes until 1999, finishing his CFL career with 579 carries for 3,007 yards rushing, 325 catches for 3,501 yards and 70 combined touchdowns. Upon his retirement, Mike Pringle credited the fullback for much of his early success with the Als. Soles was inducted into the McGill Hall of Fame in 2000.

“Soles was the face of the Alouettes when the team made a return in the league. He was a true leader on the team and in the community,” declared Alouettes President Mario Cecchini. “We will all remember a fighter, a true soldier and he will be missed”.

Soles is survived by his wife Catherine, sons Anthony and Matthew, and daughter Justine. The thoughts of thousands of CFL fans are with them.