Anthony Calvillo Sees Success In The CFL

By: Jeremy Seeley -- Athletic Media Relations Student Assistant

1993

Some people graduated from high school. Some had children. Duran Duran made a comeback with the album Duran Duran 2. Moviegoers were terrorized by life-like dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. The FBI laid siege to the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. The Mississippi River flooded. Terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in New York City. But if you ask a Utah State football fan, 1993 was the year USU beat Brigham Young University. And Anthony Calvillo was the quarterback....

Calvillo had a record-breaking game against BYU. He completed 31 of 57 passes for 472 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for 65 yards and two touchdowns. His 57 passes without an interception still stands as a school record.

"That game brings back a lot of memories for me," Calvillo said. "For the first time, many members of my family were there to see me play. It was really fun to play in front of them. The atmosphere of the game was crazy. I'll remember all my life how the fans tore down the goal post after the game. That was the first time we'd defeated BYU in a long time. It was a memorable game."

Nine years later and two time zones away, Anthony Calvillo is still playing football. One of the Canadian Football League's leading quarterbacks, he now plays for the Monteal Alouettes. He currently owns a 95.1 efficiency rating and leads the CFL in yards per pass.

He was recently named CFL Player of the Week for his stellar performance against the Calgary Stampeders as he passed for 296 yards, completed two touchdown passes, and ran for 61 yards. His outstanding play helped the Alouettes improve their 2002 record at that point of the season to 8-0.

"I am very happy here, and I've always been," he said. "Montreal gave me the opportunity to play in a quality team, with a shot at many championships."

Before becoming a professional athlete, Calvillo was a star at USU. At Utah State, Calvillo rocked the record books while leading the high-powered Aggie offense to USU's first bowl game victory. The Aggies beat Ball State 42-33 in the Las Vegas Bowl in 1993.

"Living the experience of playing in and winning a bowl game is awesome," Calvillo said. "All of my family member about 50 people were there. It's always great to play in front of family members, especially when they don't see you often. It was my last game with some good friends, and the fact that we won was also very memorable. It was very emotional for me."

Nine years later, Calvillo's name peppers the pages of USU record books. He holds the records for most passes in a game (57), in a season (469), and passes per game (42.6). He also had six 300-yard games in one season. Calvillo set the record for most offensive yards in a game (537 versus BYU), in a season (3260), and is USU's career yards-per-game leader with 265.4.

Calvillo graduated from USU with a degree in Physical Education in 1994. After graduation, he was

drafted by CFL expansion team Las Vegas Posse. The team failed, but Calvillo was picked first overall in the Posse dispersal draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played three seasons with the Tiger-Cats before being released as a free agent in 1998.

The Montreal Alouettes signed Calvillo during the same year. During his first season with Montreal, Calvillo played backup, but impressed his coaches by completing 57 percent of his passes.

He got the starting nod the next season, and came up big. He finished the 1999 season as the top-rated passer in the league with a 108.4 rating, leading his team to a 12-6 record as the Alouettes finished second to the British Columbia Lions.

In 2000, Calvillo came out strong once again, leading his team to another 12-6 season. His leadership and skill as a quarterback earned him a unanimous selection as starting quarterback to the CFL All-Star Team.

In nearly nine seasons in the CFL, Calvillo has passed for more than 25,000 yards 15,000 while playing for Montreal has completed 1500 passes with a career completion percentage of 57.7.

As far as statistics go, Calvillos career has been a success, but he sets a higher standard for himself. " I don't rely on stats; for me, winning is everything. As long as I win each and every game I start, that's the bottom line."

Calvillo has had a lot of opportunities to enjoy his "winning is everything" mentality. The Alouettes have the best record in the CFL (9-1) and have a chance to finish with the best record ever in the CFL.

But winning involves more than just having the best record. Despite his success as a quarterback, Calvillo has yet to win a CFL championship."I just want to win some championships," he said. "That's all."

Though the championship ring has not yet found its way onto Calvillo's finger, a ring of a different, more important sort has.

"I am now married," said Calvillo. "Alexia and I exchanged rings last July 20 a day I'll always remember. She is great and supports me in my career. I am glad to be with her. Believe me, it was worth the wait."

He is now a star quarterback for a winning team in a professional league. Calvillo has come a long way since he played at Utah State, but Calvillo still remembers his time at Utah State fondly.

"USU gave me great experience and that's one of the reasons I am here now, playing great football," he said. "First of all, it gave me an opportunity to do what I love most, play football. I see USU as a very good stage in my life that helped me later play pro football."