Passing Of Bob Ackles Stirs Both Sides Of The Border

Bob Ackles was only a member of the Miami Dolphins staff a short while.  Part of the Jimmy Johnson regime.  For the NFL and the CFL, his tenure in sports touched the lives of many.  Earlier today it was announced that Ackles had died from a heart attack at the age of 69.

From north of the border where Ackles began his career to the southern state of Texas, everyone who had contact with his life or witnessed his touch on the sport that so many love today are both in shock and mourning.  Tributes and praises continue to flow from those who called the man their friend, their employer, and their teacher.

"“Bob loved life and was always a joy to be around,” Jimmy Johnson said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Kay and the family.”“Bob Ackles is one of a handful of men who made a visible impact on professional football on both sides of the border,” Jerry Jones said in a statement. “He was a very good person who had a great love for the sport.”“Bob started every day with a smile and kept that same upbeat disposition no matter the circumstances,” Dolphins President Bryan Wiedmeier said in a statement. “As someone who worked his way up the pro football ladder from the bottom, he never forgot his roots. He would treat ball boys and interns the same way he did coaches and players, with respect, appreciation, and admiration.”"

Ackles began his career as the BC Lions at the age of 15 as the waterboy for the Lions.  He would stay in Canada for most of his career until Jimmy Johnson added him to his Cowboy staff and later his Dolphins staff.  Ackles would leave his GM job for the NFL.  He would also work for the Eagles and Cardinals before heading back to the BC Lions eventually becoming the team President.

• “We have lost a dear friend in Bob Ackles, a man who was passionate about many things not the least of which were family, the B.C. Lions football club and the Canadian Football League.” – Team owner David Braley

On Monday afternoon, much the way Bob Ackles would have wanted, the BC Lions were back on the practice field.