CFHOF Profile: Gene Makowsky
There is something special about football in the middle of the country as there is no bigger hotbed than the prairies.
Specifically the CFL lives and breathes in Saskatchewan where the Saskatchewan Roughriders are so much more than just a team.
It is no secret that the Riders are the most popular team in the CFL with almost an entire province shutting down for game days.
It is a way of life in Rider Nation and the fans travel from anywhere and everywhere to ensure that there is even a presence at away games.
That type of love has an effect on the hopes of many people in the province as it acts like the state of Texas in the USA.
When the biggest thing in the province is football kids grow up wanting to make it to that spot and where that rider green uniform.
There are plenty of kids growing up wanting to play in the CFL but obviously not everyone can do it and even fewer can do it without moving to somewhere else.
That love has also produced plenty of great talent from Saskatchewan but there is a pattern that forms with players from Rider Nation.
They bread them big in the prairies where many families are farmers and raise their children to work from dawn ‘til dusk on the farm.
For that reason many of the players that come out of Saskatchewan are what most would call “farm strong.”
It is a different type of strong as it is not gained from time in the gym and may not result in extremely defined muscles.
Instead it is a bunch of big guys that could outmuscle anyone who spent their lives in the gym trying to get stronger.
That lends itself perfectly to being a lineman and it seems like almost every year there seems to be a new Saskatchewan lineman coming into the CFL.
Every time a new Saskatchewan lineman comes into the draft it is almost a guarantee that they will have some type of impact on the league whether for a short time or a long time.
There are plenty of kids dreaming of making it to the pros and although only a handful can make it there is plenty of inspiration for them.
Some of that inspiration is in a man named Gene Makowsky who has spent his entire life in Saskatchewan and happened to be one of the greatest lineman in CFL history.
Born and raised in Saskatoon, Makowsky made his way through every level of football without having to leave the province he loved.
He moved from his high school in Saskatoon to the University of Saskatchewan to play for the Huskies in his hometown.
After a great career with the Huskies, Makowsky was drafted in the second round by his home province Roughriders.
That is where he stayed for his entire 17-year career and is now currently serving as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.
Makowsky is a Saskatchewan boy through-and-through and for that he has become a fan favourite for Rider Nation.
During his playing career Makowsky was a tough lineman that led the line in every season he played.
He put together the most seasons as a Rider and still stands at the top of record book for most games played as a member of the Riders.
With a total of 284 games in Rider Green, Makowsky is a football hero in the CFL and throughout the province of Saskatchewan.
Making that kind of impact throughout 17 seasons as one of the toughest lineman in the game is the entire reason why he enters the hall of fame.
He is the accomplishment of a dream that so many Saskatchewan born players have had and will go down as one of the greatest lineman in not only Saskatchewan history but CFL history.
The Sport Addiction 