High School – 1995 – 1999

Starred on many teams while at Chatham Collegiate, playing football, basketball and volleyball – won multiple most valuable player awards in tournaments and championships

1997 – was captain of the senior football team that won the Kent County championship

1998 – played for the Windsor AKO Fratmen of the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) – as a 17 year old, started at defensive end in the 21-year-old and under league

1999 – AKO won the CJFL National Championship in Windsor, with John recording 2.5 sacks in the game – during that undefeated (13-0) season, was an all-star selection at defensive end and recorded interceptions at linebacker


University – 2000 – 2003

2000 – was on football scholarship at Rutgers University, in New Jersey, a Division 1 school – as a true freshman, started all 11 games that season on special teams as the long snapper – played at defensive end against the National Champion Miami Hurricanes and at outside linebacker against Notre Dame University – recorded tackles on special teams against Virginia Tech, Boston College, Syracuse and Navy – earned a 3.67 grade point average and was honored as an Academic All-American

2002 & 2003 – after sitting out a transfer year, played at the University of Windsor

2002 – was voted team captain and started every game for Windsor at right or left tackle

In the CFL draft after final year, was the 1st pick in the 3rd round making him the highest CFL draft pick ever selected from the University of Windsor


Professional – 1997 – 2010

Played for 13 years in Canadian Football League (CFL), with Saskatchewan (1997-2001), with Edmonton (2002 to 2008) except for a 13 game stint with Hamilton in 2005, and with Calgary (2010)

Played in a total of 4 Grey Cup (CFL Championship) games, 3 with Edmonton, helping them win the championship in 2003 and 2005 but losing to Montreal in 2002

1997 – was a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders who lost the Cup to Toronto

2008 – played beside his younger brother, John, on the offensive line in Edmonton where they lost to Montreal in the Eastern Conference finals

2010 – after a year of retirement, returned to play one last year for the Calgary Stampeders

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Professional – 2005 – 2009

Played 5 years in the Canadian Football League (CFL) – 2005 – 2007 – with the Calgary Stampeders – 2008 – 2009 – with the Edmonton Eskimos.

2005 – in rookie season played seven games at fullback and tight end on short yardage and goal line formations – was the sixth man on the offensive line, seeing limited action

2006 – fought and won the position of starting center during the preseason and played all 18 regular season games at that position – team made the playoffs but lost to John’s brother Dan’s team, the Edmonton Eskimos, in the first round – while playing centre, allowed zero sacks the entire regular season and his offensive line was recognized as having the lowest number of sacks allowed (27) in the CFL

2007 – started the first thirteen games at centre but a shoulder injury sidelined him – in final regular season game, returned from injury and turned in one of the best performances of his professional career against a very stout British Columbia Lions front seven

2008 – during the offseason, was traded to Edmonton where he played side by side, with his brother Dan who played left guard – started all eighteen games at centre – Eskimos fell short of a Grey Cup (CFL Championship game) appearance by 1 game, losing in the Eastern Final to the Montreal Alouettes – At end of season, was Edmonton’s nominee for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award

2009 – dressed for all 18 regular season games but saw limited action due to two separate knee injuries suffered in the pre-season and again in week five

After the season, he was released by Edmonton and re-signed by the Calgary Stampeders – May of 2010 – during off-season, retired as a player due to continued knee injuries


John currently (2017) lives in Chatham with his wife, Melissa and daughter Audrey. He is the Corporate Health, Safety and Environmental Manager for Thompsons Limited.