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
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
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
- ^ 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.