Toronto Argonauts’ GM Pinball Clemons, wife Diane honoured with Meritorious Service Medal

Photo courtesy: Toronto Argonauts

Toronto Argonauts’ general manager Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons and his wife Diane have been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada.

The prestigious awards were handed out by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon in a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Wednesday. Meritorious Service Decorations (Civil Division) are awarded to individuals who have performed an exceptional deed or activity that brings honour to Canada. It recognizes Michael and Diane’s outstanding contributions to providing marginalized youth with access to education through the Pinball Clemons Foundation.

Founded in 2007, the foundation partners with charities in the Toronto area and in developing countries, providing financial assistance to students in need and mentoring programs to help them transition into the workforce. The couple play a hands-on roll in the efforts to move participants from the margins to the mainstream, led by Pinball’s infectious enthusiasm.

Clemons played 12 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts from 1989 to 2000 as a star running back, slotback, and return specialist. He was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player in 1993, a two-time league all-star, three-time East Division all-star, and won the Tom Pate Memorial Award in 1996.

The native of Dunedin, Fla. recorded 25,438 all-purpose yards over his long career, which remains a CFL record. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2008, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2009, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, and his No. 31 is retired by the Argonauts.

After retiring, Clemons served two stints as Toronto’s head coach and became the first Black head coach ever to win a Grey Cup. He also served as the team’s chief executive officer in 2008, vice chairman from 2009 to 2019, and general manager from 2019 to the present. In total, he has won seven Grey Cups, including three as a player, one as a head coach, two as vice chairman, and one as general manager.

Away from the field, Clemons was named to the Order of Ontario in 2001 and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. His wife, Diane, is a Juno-nominated singer and motivational speaker. The pair have been together since university, are naturalized Canadian citizens, and have three daughters.