Friends of Gryphon Football: George Bortolato
George Bortolato has fond memories of his playing days in the red, black, and gold. The Burlington resident and father of two boys came to the U of G in the late 1980s where he got the chance to play in the Guelph secondary. Gryphon Football was strong and the opportunity for a young man from Stoney Creek’s Saltfleet District High School seemed massive at the time.
“It was a really rewarding experience,” says Bortolato, who immediately thinks about the friendships he developed that have lasted a lifetime.
“It was a good program when I was there. Coming out of a small high school, it was neat. You had a two-a-day training camps. The coaching was great, you’re watching film, the detailed planning, the training. All those things were significantly different from the things we had experienced coming into university football.”
Almost 30 years later, Bortolato has been able to reconnect with the program that meant so much to him. And like many other former players, he’s done it through Friends of Gryphon Football. The growing group has surpassed 100 official members and has helped re-establish connections for several people who want to show their love and support for a program that played a significant role in their lives.
It began a few years ago with a simple concept – provide a value-based experience to alum who purchase a monthly membership at the red, black, or gold level.
“The FOGF is all about involvement and being informed about what’s going on with the program,” says Randy Dimitroff, a member of the 1984 Vanier Cup team, who was tasked with establishing and operating the group.
That link between the past and present had been difficult to maintain over the years. But the emergence of FOGF has changed the direction and enabled players from several different decades to come together as one. Working with the Department of Athletics, the group’s aim is to raise funds to enhance the program; be a source of information for alumni, parents, and community partners; provide a vehicle for the exchange of ideas to constantly improve the program; and to facilitate the organization of events that promote participation and interaction with Gryphon Football.
“We’re becoming more linked than ever with the past alumni,” says Dimitroff. “More and more people are reconnecting with the program. We want to keep people informed and make them feel like their time here was worth something.”
FOGF does exactly that in several ways. The membership (gold being the top level) allows the individual access to both the annual Gryphon Football Gala in May and the FOGF Golf Tournament in July, in addition to a special package of Gryphon Football merchandise. The members meet every two months and are able to take part in additional events, like last summer when they were able to watch and mingle with the eventual Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers as they practiced at Alumni Stadium.
That was a wonderful experience for Bortolato, who was a teammate of Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea when the two attended the U of G. The group had lunch at the Pavilion and then met with the Blue Bombers, including former Gryphons Johnny Augustine and John Rush.
“It was really cool,” says Bortolato. “I left with a really good feeling about the character of those players.
“That was an event that created great memories. And it was a nice connection when they won the Grey Cup.”
Bortolato, who is part of the FOGF board, cherishes the opportunities to come back to campus now, especially when his boys Grady and Holden are with him. He spends his professional time as a consultant but when he’s around Alumni Stadium, the memories of being a Gryphon player and U of G student come flooding back.
It all felt so big when he was going through it. And he’s even more impressed with what Gryphon Football looks like all these years later.
“When you look at what the school has today, it’s amazing,” he says. “The facilities, the Pavilion, the uniforms – it feels like what I would expect a Division 1 environment to be like.”
“The quality of players coming out is fantastic. Everything has just gone to an entirely new level.”
Bortolato notes that program has become an even bigger part of the community. Joining FOGF has helped him find that link all over again, and not just with the players from his years on campus but those from multiple eras.
They all have something very special in common.
“It’s an opportunity to give back to the school,” says Bortolato. “It gives you a deeper connection with the football program and the University.”
For more information on becoming an FOGF member, visit https://www.gryphonfootball.com/friends-of-gryphon-football
Written By: David DiCenzo