Tony D’Angelo Equipment Room

“Respect is for those who deserve it, not for those who demand it.”

It seemed like any other Saturday morning for Tony D’Angelo. The 86-year-old Gryphon Football legend sat in the backyard of his Guelph home, looking forward to an outdoor visit with his family, which had become the new norm during the pandemic. Like usual, he was in Gryphon gear, sporting a jacket and a hat that represented the institution he gave almost 30 years of his life to.

But the gathering quickly changed when a group of about 10 men surprised D’Angelo. They brought him something special and unique. The collection of former Gryphon Football players wanted the individual who influenced their lives in many ways to know that he was still loved – and that his name would be permanently attached to the Alumni Stadium equipment room he had made famous. They pulled back their masks, said their names, and the years they played football for the red, black, and gold.

D’Angelo’s eyes lit up as he began to recall the faces he had not seen for decades. Then they handed him a plaque, which had a meaningful inscription: “Respect is for those who deserve it, not for those who demand it.”

“I couldn’t believe it when I saw all these guys,” an emotional D’Angelo says in his thick Italian accent. “I couldn’t talk. It was something special.

“I used to call them ‘my boys.’ I still call them that.”

Those words on the plaque will be on the wall of the Gryphon Football equipment room. Former players David Irwin and Steve Burns were two of the countless members of the program impacted by D’Angelo’s presence. In February, the long-time friends had an idea. They were aware of the naming opportunities for different parts of the Pavilion and were shocked that the equipment room was still untouched.

“It can’t be anyone else,” Irwin says of the feisty man every Gryphon Football player knew. “You can’t name the football equipment room at the University of Guelph and not have Tony D’Angelo on it.

“It would not be right.”

Irwin and Burns chipped in a chunk of their own money to begin the road to the $10,000 required to officially name the room. What happened next was both amazing and understandable. They reached out to former player, coach, and current Advancement Team coordinator Bill Brown, as well as Athletics and Student Affairs Senior Development Manager Chris Moulton to help notify Gryphon Football alum. And just as Irwin and Burns were ready to ramp up the fundraising effort, Moulton told them the goal was already met. The response from former players was swift and overwhelming.

“Tony made it easy,” says Irwin, a Gryphon Hall of Fame receiver, who played on the Yates Cup winners of 1992. “It’s a testament to who he was and the lives he impacted.”

Antonio D’Angelo was born in the small Italian town of Pennadomo, in the province of Chieti. He immigrated to Canada in October 1956 and married his love Maria a couple months later. The father of two daughters – Adriana and Enza – had a tendency to leave lasting impressions on those he met. And he did exactly that while working a construction job on campus. It’s not hyperbolic to say that D’Angelo’s fingerprints are imprinted on the University of Guelph. He was literally laying the cement at the new Athletics centre when William Mitchell himself came to the site and was impressed with both the quality of D’Angelo’s work and his overall ethic.

“Years later, there was an opening at the University in the issuing room, and Mr. Mitchell was doing the hiring,” says his daughter Adriana. “My father was made aware of the position. He interviewed and was hired.”

That was in 1969 and the beginning of a career that formed numerous bonds over the subsequent decades. D’Angelo was in charge of many U of G facilities, including the rinks and pools, while also working with several sports teams. He quickly became a respected figure on campus for his attention to detail, not only by those in Athletics but among professors and staff. He was a sought-after squash opponent and once, famously, questioned William Winegard when the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, whom D’Angelo did not recognize, tried to make his way into a restricted room.

But it was in the “Cage” where the charismatic man was in his element. D’Angelo had a love of sport and was an accomplished soccer player himself. He found common ground with the Gryphon players he was tasked with helping suit up. And he would always go the extra mile, like when he approached the University’s Director Housekeeping Ed Martin to secure some floor products to shine the helmets.

“Tony truly was a great judge of character,” says Burns. “He was there watching the games every Saturday and he knew who was scoring the touchdowns and making the big plays. But he always treated everyone the same. I didn’t start until my fourth year but he made me feel like a special part of the team. Maybe an extra pair of socks in the locker or a pat on the back.

“He was so respected. He was like a life coach, showing us how to treat people. He taught us a lot on that side of things.”

Irwin has strong memories of his initial meetings with D’Angelo, who was a positive presence immediately.

“One of the first things you do is get your equipment issued,” says Irwin. “There he was, in the old stadium, in those double-half doors that opened up. That was his domain. You certainly didn’t want to set foot in there if he didn’t invite you in.

 “I thought, ‘Who is this larger-than-life character?’ He definitely stood out.

“Tony obviously supported the team but he really cared more about you as a person than what you did on the field. He didn’t have a pecking order that way. He treated everybody the same and it was all about respect. If you gave him respect, then he would give you respect. But if you didn’t, he didn’t care about what you did on the field. If you weren’t respectful and carried yourself the right way, guess what, you were not going to get the good shoulder pads or the best pants.

“He had some control there and he would flex his muscles when he had to.”

D’Angelo was always there when his boys needed him. Burns recalls starting for the first time in his career and after making a tackle, his ear pad popped off, requiring a fix. He feared not getting back in the game and losing the place he had worked so hard to earn. But D’Angelo made the repair in a blink and sent Burns back out there right away.

In Irwin’s rookie year, he made the catastrophic error of sleeping in for the first preseason game, which was on the road. The bus was about to leave and Irwin tore down to the stadium, terrified of what was to come. But D’Angelo had already loaded his bag on to the bus, which meant all Irwin had to worry about was the wrath of the coaches.

That was Tony. He would do anything for his boys, including having them over for lasagna and steak dinners (no leftovers ever) or handing out salami and mortadella paninis that Maria had so thoughtfully made. By 1999, D’Angelo was ready to retire. But Athletics Director Dave Copps had a plan. Copps was set for his own retirement in 2002 and he asked D’Angelo to stay on with the football team until that time. So the legend extended his stay.

“I loved to work at the University of Guelph because of the people,” D’Angelo says. “I liked sports and I found the right place and good people. Mr. Mitchell gave me the chance to do everything. I took care of everybody.

“My relationship with the boys was great. They knew what I wanted. I wanted them to be honest. Don’t fool around with me and I will work for you.”

 On that recent Saturday afternoon in the backyard, with his old boys around him, D’Angelo shed some tears. Former player Rob Di Gravio was instrumental in arranging the whole presentation. When the pandemic took away the opportunity to give D’Angelo the news in the formal setting of the Gryphon Football Gala, other arrangements had to be made. Di Gravio’s dad is D’Angelo’s cousin and they set up the day like it would be a regular family gathering. The voice was a little more hushed then back in the day but as they all shared stories and some pizza, the 86-year-old grandfather of four (and great grandfather of one) quickly transformed back into the energetic leader who had helped guide generations of University of Guelph football players.

D’Angelo is already recognized in the Gryphon Hall of Fame as a builder but to know that his name would forever be displayed at the facility where he had worked for so many years hit him differently. He read the words on the plaque over and over, showing his gratitude to those who came to see him.

“It’s a very great honour,” D’Angelo says. “I am very proud.”

Those former players in attendance shared a common theme in their speeches – that Tony D’Angelo gave them lessons that they all applied in their lives.

“I think of Tony frequently,” says Irwin. “I always try give people respect but they have to earn it.

“It wasn’t something that just worked in the locker room at Guelph 30 years ago. We’ve taken it forward in our lives.”

Written By: David DiCenzo