Rory Iron's won the Name Game for having the best name in the whole Canadian Junior Football League. (Canadian Junior Football League)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Iron Sharpens Iron

Rory Iron crowned champion for best name contest in CJFL

May 14, 2020 | 2:39 PM

Prince Albert’s Rory Iron has always had a phenomenal name, but that was made official this week. Iron won the Name Game put on by the Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL).

All 17 of the CJFL teams nominated one of their players with a great sounding name and put in a March Madness-like bracket to decide the overall winner.

Iron, who finished his first year as a defensive halfback with the Regina Thunder, had to beat some great handles to win the championship and did so in style.

In the finals, Iron beat out Chopper Hippe of the Edmonton Wildcats with a staggering 68.5 per cent of the votes. He also defeated Treasure Prodon of the Valley Huskers, Mixon Madland of the Kamloops Broncos and Connor Shoebottom of the London Beefeaters in the previous rounds.

“I really like the other names. ‘Iron’ is a pretty cool name, I’m not going to lie. I really like the other names in the contest and I really thought some of the other names were going to pull through, but people really like the name ‘Iron,’” Iron said. “I can take a bit more pride in that.”

Raiders lead series 3-1

Raiders fooled by Rebels in Game 4

9h ago

High-stakes flight

Canadians gather to watch Artemis II moon launch

14h ago

Crime Watch

RCMP make arrest after patrolling Kinistino area break and enter suspects

15h ago

Iron didn’t really know the Name Game was even going on until halfway through the bracket. It was only when he started getting tagged on Instagram and his family became loud supporters of a campaign to get him to win.

“I hadn’t known about the contest until the second round of the Name Game. That’s when I started getting tagged in the Instagram photos for the contest. My family members and my aunties, mostly, they were really cheering for me and voting for me,” he said.

Iron received positive feedback on his name for a long time, especially in football playing for the River Riders and the St. Mary Marauders senior football team last year.

“Going back to high school days, the coaches really liked my name. They always said in practice, ‘Iron sharpens Iron.’ We proved that in practice. I really liked that saying and I stuck with it.“

–

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW