Former Ottawa Rough Rider and long-time football coach Rick Sowieta has been posthumously awarded the 2017 Commissioner's Award at this year's CFL Awards.
The award honours the person or group who have shown outstanding dedication to Canadian football.
“When a team needed a coach, and especially if a program was in trouble, Rick would always step up," CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie said at the awards show at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa. "When he passed this summer Ottawa lost a favourite son, and the game lost a devoted friend. In remembering Rick, we hope to pay tribute to all those who work selflessly to build the game of Canadian football.”
Sowieta played for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the 1980s.
After his professional career, he dedicated himself to coaching football at all levels, from community football with the Canterbury Mustangs, to high school at St. Mark and St. Patrick’s, with the University of Ottawa Gee Gees, the junior Ottawa Sooners, and the semi-pro Ottawa Bootleggers. He was also involved in the CFL and Rough Rider Alumni Associations.
Sowieta was also a restauranteur, owning places like Rick's Cantina, Las Palmas, and the Salsa Shack.
He died this past August after a battle with cancer.
Two Ottawa REDBLACKS players were up for CFL awards this year, but did not win. Diontae Spencer was nominated for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player and Brad Sinopoli was nominated for Most Outstanding Canadian. The awards went to Calgary's Roy Finch and Winnipeg's Andrew Harris, respectively.