It would be easy to make the argument that Wally Buono is the single most important figure in Calgary Stampeders history.
There are a few others who deserve to be talked about in that context, of course, and this isn’t about ranking one over the other.
But there is no question that Buono would be right near the top of any shortlist.
His 13 years with the Stampeders transformed the franchise, turning it into a perennial powerhouse and his impact is still very much felt to this day around McMahon Stadium.
Buono is a massive figure in Stampeders history, plain and simple, and when you speak with him it’s impossible to ignore how he seems almost like a part of the connective tissue between so many eras of Calgary football.
Because when Buono speaks about his time in Calgary, it’s almost exclusively about other people. It’s about everyone who helped him and the Stampeders teams he coached reach the incredible heights they hit.
“It makes you think about all the people that were involved, and all the people behind the scenes and all the people between the lines, too,” the ever-humble Buono explained.
“It’s a time of reflection and at the stage we are in our lives, sometimes those are the things that make you reflect on how blessed you’ve been and what a great life you’ve had.”
Buono will officially be added to the Stampeders Wall of Fame on Sunday during the team’s game against the B.C. Lions.
In a 10-minute conversation ahead of the game, Buono focused much more on the people who helped him win three Grey Cups in Calgary instead of on his own accomplishments. That’s just who he is and who he’s always been. A fierce competitor who had a special knack for getting the most out of the people he worked with and the players he coached.
In no particular order, Buono talked about the gratitude he felt towards Normie Kwong, who was team president when the Stampeders hired him to be head coach in 1990.
Kwong, of course, played with the Stampeders in the late-1940s, which really brings the historical connections we’re talking about into focus.
So, too, did Ezzrett (Sugarfoot) Anderson, who Buono thanked for the work he did helping young American players adjust to life in Canada and the CFL while he was head coach.
Buono took time to mention the contributions of guys like Roy Shivers, Cal Murphy and George Hopkins, who is still with the Stampeders, so it’s not as if the historical ties have been severed. There’s a line that can be traced back through the 1940s right up until the 2020s.
And, of course, Buono brought up Stan Schwartz, who did more behind the scenes for the Stamps over the years than just about anybody.
“We had a great product on the field it wasn’t always the most stable organization financially but Stan, God bless him, did a good job of keeping the boat afloat and never allowed the money issues to affect football ops,” Buono said. “That was a tremendous comfort.”
Throughout our conversation, Buono made sure to mention the names of just about everyone he could think of who helped him during his time in Calgary – it’s this writer’s fault if someone isn’t mentioned here, not Wally’s.
But Sunday will be about the man himself, and rightfully so.
The Stampeders he coached went to six Grey Cups and won three. They were the class of the CFL throughout the 1990s, and the likes of Doug Flutie, Allen Pitts, Rocco Romano, Alondra Johnson and many, many others wrote their names in Calgary sports lore.
Many of the players from those famous Stampeders teams will be at McMahon Stadium on Sunday night to honour and thank the man who led them to so many victories.
And Buono can’t helped but be moved by that.
His tenure in Calgary was a special period in the city’s football history, but as a coach, you don’t always get to enjoy it in the moment.
So a day like Sunday is one you cherish.
“When you reflect back and when we moved to Calgary we had a young family, my four kids, my son was born there,” Buono said.. “They grew up being Stampeders, they grew up going to McMahon Stadium they grew up with the beautiful summer nights and the freezing November evenings. Calgary was a great place not only to coach, but a great place to bring up your family.
“It was more than just a job, and obviously in football you can allow your family to be a part of what you do because they can come to practice, come to the games and enjoy the victories. It’s a great experience and not just from a business perspective.”
Sunday is about history at McMahon Stadium.
Buono is a towering figure in a Stampeders story that goes back many, many decades and continues to this day.
“That’s the thing about the CFL, you become lifers,” Buono said. “Pat Clayton was a lifer, George (Hopkins) is still a lifer … People that have been affected and had a great opportunity or a great experience, they’ll always have a love for the league. When you tap them on the shoulder for help, the majority of times they’re ready to come because there’s a love and a loyalty to the CFL.”