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East West Connection
Former Eskimo Quarterbacks are rivals on the field — but brothers in Christ.
by Annette Wierstra
Football is war. Two armies meet and battle their way down the field for the ultimate goal — the touchdown. At the centre of the fray are the generals, two quarterbacks trying to lead their team to victory.
When the Montreal Alouettes and the BC Lions face off they are headed by two of the foremost quarterbacks in league, Tracy Ham and Damon Allen. When they meet on the field they play to win.
Both teams are having an excellent year on the field. They could be meeting in the Grey Cup in November. The quarterbacks and their teams would love to have the chance to fight for the big prize — and obliterate the other side.
Off the field it’s a different story.
IT’S A GAME OF EXPERIENCE
The two quarterbacks met in 1987 when playing for the Edmonton Eskimos and have been friends ever since. Now Ham is out East and Allen is on the West coast but they are still tied by common ground.
“A lot of the football player I am I got from Damon because he taught me a lot when I was a young player,” says Ham.
“When he first came into the league Tracy had a lot of ability to play the game,” says Allen. Allen spent a lot of time working with Ham, teaching him about football. Both players continue to share with other players the knowledge they have gained as two of the most experienced quarterbacks in the game.
“We need strong quarterbacks to have a strong league and I’d like to see a strong league,” says Allen.
TWO OF THE BEST
Both Allen and Ham have carved out impressive CFL careers. “Once you realize you have a gift to do something then you want to be the best at it,” says Ham.
And they are doing a good job at becoming two of the best quarterbacks in the league. Their lists of accolades is long and growing. Allen is quickly approaching Ron Lancaster’s CFL record for passing yards. And Allen and Ham are one and two for the CFL record for rushing yards.
They both have two Grey Cup wins under their belts. They were together in Edmonton for the 1987 Grey Cup win. And Allen was back in Edmonton for his second Grey Cup championship in 1993. Ham was playing with the Baltimore expansion team in 1995 when they won the Grey Cup.
“In football that’s the ultimate goal for a football player, individually and as a team, to have the opportunity to play in the final game,” says Allen. “It’s what you work for as a professional, a collegiate or even high school,” agrees Ham.
HOW LONG WILL THEY STAY?
Allen and Ham have both had exceptional longevity in the CFL, Allen’s playing his 15th season and Ham, his 13th. How have they lasted so long in a very physical sport? Especially with most of the opponents trying to mow down the quarterback.
“You have to stay in condition and have an understanding of the game,” says Ham. “You need an understanding of your strengths and weakness.”
“I think it has a lot to do with experience,” says Allen, “knowing when to get rid of the football, when you have to run with it and get down when you have to.”
Allen feels really blessed to play as long as he had. With a football career devoid of major injuries so far, Allen is good condition to play longer. “It’s really out of my hands,” says Allen. “God has sustained me to play for 15 years and possibly for two or three more.”
With three operations on his knee in a year and a half span, Ham is facing a harder situation. His knee has forced him to sit out some games this year. “It’s been a tough season physically,” says Ham. “What I’ve had to learn to do is trust God in everything.” While he’s not sure if he’ll be playing football next year, Ham does know that God has a plan for his life.
A COMMON RELATIONSHIP
Allen and Ham have more in common than football. They have a strong personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Both men grew up in Christian homes, taught by their parents that Jesus is Lord. But that didn’t give either Allen or Ham an automatic relationship with Christ.
Ham was raised as a Southern Baptist. “I was baptized at a very young age. I knew God, but I didn’t have a relationship with Him,” says Ham. Through high school, college and even his early CFL years Ham was living life for himself. “I wasn’t doing right,” says Ham, “but I knew I was doing wrong.”
A football player is taught if he to does more sprints, lifts more weights, studies more playbooks he can overcome anything. “In football you are taught never give up,” says Ham. “With God, I had to surrender.” Although Ham could feel God pulling at his heart, “I was really in a battle between the flesh and the spirit.” But one day, home in Florida, Ham gave his life over to Christ.
Allen also had to grow into a personal relationship with Christ. “From day one I was taught that God created everything and everything we have comes from him,” says Allen. But through his youth Allen started to lean on his own strength and God was not a priority. “Though out high school and college I knew when to pray but I was still living under my own strength,” says Allen. It wasn’t until a CFL conference that Allen rededicated his life to Christ. “Now my main focus is keeping Him my number one priority in my life.”
A NEW ATTITUDE
Once Ham became a Christian it changed his attitude towards the people around him and his teammates. He started being more considerate of his teammates on and off the field. “Playing football does not give me a green light to act how I want to act and then after the game’s over I have to become a Christian again,” says Ham. He had to learn to think before he said anything to his teammates.
Allen believes as a Christian on the team he has a chance to be an example to teammates and fans. “A lot of times we are being watched and being challenged at the same time to see if we’ll fall into temptation,” says Allen.
WINING AND LOSING
On the field both players believe they have a God-given gift to play football and they play as hard as they can. “I think there’s a misunderstanding that Christians are soft,” says Allen. “But we’re just as rough and competitive on the field as anyone.” Ham agrees, “Some people don’t think we have the desire to win or we don’t hurt when we lose.”
Allen and Ham want to win as much as any other athlete. The difference is that they have help dealing with the emotional ups and downs of the game. In sports you lose sometimes. “I don’t know anyone that’s won every game they play,” says Allen. “We are already victorious in Christ. If you give 100 percent effort and use all the talents that God has given you, you can be satisfied with how you played.”
It feels good to win and it hurts to lose but through it all God still loves his children. “In wins or losses I still understand the grace of God and goodness of God,” says Ham.
And what if the Alouettes and the BC Lions meet in the Grey Cup final? They both relish the idea. “That would be nice,” says Allen. Neither believe it would affect the friendship. Winning and losing is all part of the game — although they both want to win.
“Ultimately, you are playing to glorify God because He’s the one who created you,” says Allen. “If you lose or if you win, you give Him the praise.”
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DAMON ALLEN
Born: July 29, 1963
Birthplace: San Diego, California
Position: Quarterback
Size: 6'0", 170 lbs
Last Amatuer Club:
Cal State University at Fullerton
He and his wife Desiree have three daughters, Amanda, Alyssa and Ateya
Awards
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