Arek Bigos
| No. 5[1] | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Placekicker |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 25, 1973 Rumia, Poland |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 178 lb (81 kg) |
| Career information | |
| University: | Waterloo |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Arek Bigos (born July 25, 1973) is a Polish former professional Canadian football placekicker who played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played CIAU football at the University of Waterloo.
Early life
[edit]Arek Bigos was born on July 25, 1973, in Rumia, Poland.[1] He was a soccer player growing up and played the sport semiprofessionally.[2] In 1989, Bigos and his family emigrated from Gdańsk to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada in order to "escape the communist regime."[2] His family ran the Country Burger restaurant in Mississauga.[2] While in Canada, Bigos became a Toronto Argonauts fan.[3] He was a member of the Waterloo Warriors football team of the University of Waterloo from 1993 to 1997.[4][1] He finished his university career as the team's all-time leading scorer while earning Ontario all-conference honors three times and All-Canadian honors twice.[4] He led the CIAU in field goals in 1997.[5] Bigos was also the team's punter during his final season at Waterloo.[3]
Professional career
[edit]Bigos signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1998. He made a 42-yard field goal during the team's first preseason game.[6] He was released on June 20 before the start of the 1998 regular season.[7] Bigos was reportedly offered a spot on Montreal's practice roster but turned it down due to work commitments as a Toronto-based financial planner.[6][3]
Bigos was then signed to the practice roster of the Toronto Argonauts.[3] After two weeks on the practice roster, he was promoted to the active roster and made his CFL debut on August 13 against his former team, the Alouettes.[3] Bigos made two of two field goals as the Argonauts won 24–20.[3][8] Noel Prefontaine had been serving double-duty as Toronto's placekicker and punter but was relegated to just punter after Bigos took over the placekicking duties.[3] Bigos played in 12 games for Toronto during the 1998 season, converting 23 of 36 field goals and 32 of 32 extra points.[1] He led the team with 111 points that year.[5] The Argonauts finished the year with a 9–9 record and lost in the Eastern semifinal to Montreal 41–28.[8] He became a free agent after the season and re-signed with the Argonauts on January 18, 1999.[4] However, Bigos suffered knee ligament damage during a workout and was then released on May 13, 1999.[9][10][1] His salary while with the Argonauts was reportedly CA$30,000.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Arek Bigos". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c Rivet, Christine (October 18, 1996). "First-year punter among elite". Waterloo Region Record. pp. C6. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Bigos back in big way". Niagara Falls Review. The Canadian Press. August 25, 1998. pp. A9. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Football". Fort McMurray Today. January 19, 1999. p. 6. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "One Kick Wonders". Toronto Argonauts. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b Zurkowsky, Herb (August 13, 1998). "Williams finds new home". The Gazette. pp. C11. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Zurkowsky, Herb (June 21, 1998). "Cornerback Miles survives Als' first cuts". The Gazette. pp. B2. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ a b "1998 Montreal Alouettes (CFL)". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Hamilton, Ian (February 24, 1999). "Survey supplies interesting tidbits". The Leader-Post. pp. B2. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ Hamilton, Ian (May 19, 1999). "Carey realized he missed football". The Leader-Post. pp. B2. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- ^ "CFL Salary Survey". Star-Phoenix. February 25, 1999. pp. B6. Retrieved August 4, 2025.