Jason Arakgi admits he never dreamed about owning an all-time CFL record when he was first drafted by the BC Lions back in 2008.
“When I first got here, I was 21 years old,” Arakgi recalls. “I was a kid that just wanted to run down field and make tackles. Nine years later I have a wife, two kids and I am still just a kid who wants to run down field and make tackles.”
Now, the Leos’ special teams wizard will be etched in league history forever.
Arakgi became the CFL’s all-time leader in special teams tackles in Friday’s 37-9 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. And in classic Arakgi fashion, he took care of business right away by taking down Troy Harrison on the game’s opening kickoff.
The nine-year veteran surpassed former Blue Bombers’ legend, and current club President, Wade Miller into sole possession of the all-time lead.
Always known for his classy and humble nature on and off the field, Arakgi claims the milestone would not be possible without the excellent support of his teammates over the years.
“Breaking the all-time special teams tackle record has meant a lot to me,”Arakgi said. “I’ve been very fortunate, very blessed to have played for one organization, a great organization. I’m just very fortunate to have been able to play with a lot of great players, a lot of coaches and to do it all with this proud organization.”
The record is simply icing on the cake for a player who has had an outstanding career in orange. Along with establishing himself as one of the CFL’s most reliable kick coverage stalwarts, Arakgi was a West Division All-Star in 2009, won the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Award that same year and helped the club capture it’s sixth Grey Cup victory in 2011. Would he trade all of the individual accolades for another ring this November? You can count on that.
“This record is great. I am very happy that I have reached this milestone, but it wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t get it done this year. The main goal is winning the Grey Cup and that’s what we’re here to do, for this team, the organization, the city and the province of BC.”
‘Unsung Hero’ is one of those terms that gets thrown out there a lot. People assume every player, in any sport, that doesn’t stand out on the scoresheet every game is one of those. That’s not the case, but Arakgi’s photo may as well come up whenever somebody types it in on Google. Wally Buono has always maintained if your Canadian player content contributes greatly to the special teams unit, your organization is much better off as a result. That’s exactly where Arakgi comes in.
“Jason has been a great BC Lion, not only on the field, but off the field. He’s also very good in the community. We are going to need his kind of leadership to get everybody picked up to go on the road and play two very tough games.”
Arakgi himself will be the first to tell you the real hero in his family is his brother, Major Nick Arakgi who serves as an officer with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. The older Arakgi’s military experience includes a tour of duty in Afghanistan where he helped mentor the Afghan National Police.
“My brother is my hero and always has been, “Arakgi said. “It was great to have my entire family here to see me break the record, but it would have been nice if we had a better result. Now we have to rally when we head east.” Included in the family entourage was Jason’s Father Nick Senior who played eight CFL seasons with Montreal and Winnipeg.
The good news for Arakgi and company is the Lions have responded really well to adversity in 2016. Perhaps the timing is perfect for a nine-day road trip at the mid-way point of the season. After facing the REDBLACKS next Thursday, the club will stay in Ottawa for four days before heading to Toronto for an August 31st tilt at BMO Field.
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com