Marken Michel earns Calgary Stampeders’ Herm Harrison Memorial Award

On Thursday, the Calgary Stampeders announced that receiver Marken Michel has been awarded the Herm Harrison Memorial Award for this year.

This honor, created in 2013, recognizes exceptional community service. Herm Harrison played tight end for the Stampeders from 1964 to 1972, achieving West Division all-star status six times and being named a league all-star three times.

After his playing career, Harrison remained in Calgary and actively supported various community initiatives. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993, and the Stampeders honored him by retiring his No. 76 jersey.

During his career, Harrison recorded 443 catches for 6,693 yards and 43 touchdowns before passing away in November 2013.

Michel, a 31-year-old from Florida, is in his fifth season with the Stampeders and actively participates in many of the CFL club’s community programs. This includes the Every Yard Counts initiative, which involves player visits to the Alberta Children’s Hospital the night before each home game.

Additionally, Michel frequently leads teammates into downtown Calgary to distribute food and water to those in need.

“One of the toughest questions in life is what is my purpose and my assignment in life?” Michel stated. “What you wake up thinking about and what you think about constantly before you go to sleep is a clue as to what your purpose and assignment is in life.

“Your assignment is any problem you were created to solve on the Earth. What you love is a clue to the gift and wisdom you contain to complete your assignment. What you hate is a clue to something you are assigned to correct. What grieves you is a clue to something you are assigned to heal. These are my constant reminders to make a difference.”

Previous winners of the award include Rob Cote (2013), Randy Chevrier (2014), Bo Levi Mitchell (2015-16), Joshua Bell (2017), Rob Maver (2018-19), Kamar Jorden (2021), Colton Hunchak (2022), and Reggie Begelton (2023).