In professional sports, there are clear parameters. You have to be tall. You have to be heavy. You have to be physically dominant. In 1989, Michael Clemons, a graduate of the College of William & Mary, met none of these criteria. Standing 5-foot-6 [168 cm] and weighing around 170 pounds [77 kg], he was an anomaly, reports toronto1.one.
When the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs drafted him, he was the last player added to the roster. Coaches looked at him with a patronizing smile. He was too small. After one season, he was cut. For most, this would have been the end of the dream. For Michael “Pinball” Clemons, it was only the beginning of his journey to the heart of the city he would soon call home—Toronto.
Childhood and the Path to the Dream
Michael Clemons was born on January 15, 1965, in Dunedin, Florida. His childhood was not easy: the boy was raised by a single mother, Anna Marie Bryant, who worked as a church clerk and later became the first African-American in an administrative position in the city. She was the one who instilled in her son the values of hard work and faith, which became the foundation for his future success.
At eight years old, Michael discovered football, playing for the local Dunedin Golden Eagles. Despite his short stature, he was a true natural athlete who impressed with his speed and agility. In high school, he also played baseball and basketball, but he saw football as his chance to get a higher education. Thanks to his outstanding achievements and high grades, he received offers from many universities, including the prestigious Harvard. However, since Harvard did not offer athletic scholarships, Clemons chose the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where he earned a degree in economics.
Even in college, coaches initially doubted whether such a small player could withstand the rigours of collegiate football. Clemons quickly dispelled all doubts, becoming the team’s star and earning All-American honours in 1986. After a brief period in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his fate took a decisive turn north.
The Birth of “Pinball”: A Career with the Toronto Argonauts
In 1989, Clemons signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). When Michael landed in Toronto, he knew nothing about the city. He was an American from Florida who was simply looking for a place that would let him play football. The Canadian league, with its wider and longer fields, gave fast and agile players like him a chance.
It didn’t take him long to make his mark. On the field, he was electric. He moved with such chaotic and elusive speed that much larger defenders would literally bounce off him, just like a pinball. That’s how his nickname was born—”Pinball”—coined by the team’s coach at the time, Bob O’Billovich, and it stuck with Clemons forever.
He didn’t just run; he “danced” on the field. His style of play was the embodiment of joy and unstoppable energy. Fans, who had never seen anything like it, instantly fell in love with him.
In his very first game, he impressed everyone by returning seven kicks for 108 yards, immediately earning player of the game honours.
His career was phenomenal. In 1990, he set a professional football record with 3,300 all-purpose yards in a season and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. He was a key figure on the team that won three Grey Cups (1991, 1996, 1997). His partnership with legendary quarterback Doug Flutie in 1996 and 1997 went down in league history.
In 1997, Clemons broke his own record, gaining 3,840 all-purpose yards in a season—an achievement that remains unsurpassed to this day. Over his 12-year playing career, he set the all-time CFL record for combined yards with 25,438. He also became the only player in professional football history to surpass the 5,000-yard mark in four different categories: rushing, receiving, kickoff returns, and punt returns. He was the face of the team. But unlike many stars who leave as soon as their playing careers end, Clemons’s story in Toronto was just beginning.
More Than a Player: The Birth of a Leader
Immediately after finishing his playing career in 2000, Clemons took an unprecedented step: he literally took off his helmet and put on a headset the same day, becoming the team’s head coach. It was a chaotic transition, but “Pinball” rose to the challenge.
As a coach, he led the team to another Grey Cup victory in 2004. He became the first African-American head coach to win the championship and the first person in league history to win a championship as a star player and as a head coach with the same team.
His journey within the organization continued: he held the positions of president, CEO, and vice-chair. In 2019, he returned to the heart of the team, becoming its 20th general manager. And success followed again: in 2022, the Argonauts under his leadership won their seventh Grey Cup. This victory made his record in Grey Cup games flawless—7 wins in 7 appearances as a player, coach, and manager.
However, Michael Clemons’s true greatness extends far beyond the football field. He didn’t just work in Toronto—he lived and breathed the city. Alongside his wife, Diane, he dove actively into community work.
Michael Clemons with his wife, Diane
His infectious energy, constant smile, and genuine desire to help made him a community icon. He became one of Canada’s most sought-after motivational speakers, visiting schools and hospitals across the country, inspiring youth with his example. He was invited to speak by major corporations, all looking to charge their employees with his signature optimism.
His philosophy is simple but powerful: “It’s not about what happens to you, but how you react to it.”
In 2007, he and his wife founded the Pinball Clemons Foundation, with a mission to provide educational opportunities and mentorship for underprivileged youth. Through the foundation’s work, over 200 schools have been built in eight countries, two orphanages in Haiti, and hundreds of scholarships have been awarded.
At the same time, he works tirelessly with youth in Toronto itself, visiting schools in troubled neighbourhoods and proving to kids, by his own example, that circumstances do not define your future.
A Canadian by Choice
April 28, 2015, was a special day in Michael Clemons’s life—he officially became a Canadian citizen. For Toronto, it was a symbolic moment. The man who came here as an “American import” officially became one of them. His words at the ceremony deeply moved the entire country: Michael Clemons admitted that his love for Canada came as a surprise to him. He came to this country almost 26 years ago to pursue his passion for football. He said that this passion never faded, but over time it was surpassed by an even stronger love—for the country itself. It was Canada that became the place where all his childhood dreams, born far away in Florida, came to life.
Born an American, he became a Canadian by choice of the heart. His three daughters—Rachel, Raven, and Rylie—were born in Canada, further strengthening his bond with his new homeland. And as Michael often says in his speeches: he didn’t choose Toronto; the city chose him.
Legacy and Recognition
For his outstanding career and community work, Michael Clemons has received countless awards: he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (2008) and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2016), awarded the Order of Ontario (2001), and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012). His jersey number, 31, has been permanently retired by the Toronto Argonauts—an honour only four players in the club’s history can claim.
The story of Michael “Pinball” Clemons is a unique example of how you can be great without being tall. He is living proof that leadership is not about dominance, but about service. For thousands of people in Toronto, he is not just a football legend but a true treasure, a man who chose this city as his home and makes it better every day. He is an inspiration, a motivator, and a man who proved that even if you are considered “too small,” you can become the biggest figure in your city.