2017 Hall of Fame Inductee Geroy Simon with his bust after his induction into the CFL Hall of Fame at a ceremony held in Hamilton, Ont., on Thursday, September 14, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter Power
Geroy Simon is officially an Edmonton Elk.
Simon was announced Tuesday as the Green and Gold’s new assistant general manager and is set to play a key role under new Elks general manager and head coach Chris Jones.
A native of Johnstown, Penn., Simon joins the Double E after spending the past seven seasons as part of the B.C. Lions front office, most recently as Director for Global Scouting and US Regional Scout.
“I first met Geroy at the NFL Combine three years ago in Indianapolis and after getting to know him, I knew he’d be a great fit if I ever got the chance to hire him” said Jones.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to have someone with his CFL experience join our group, as he brings a great skillset to our staff and has learned from one of the best in Wally Buono during his time in B.C.”
“Geroy is going to play an important role as we rebuild the organization and get it back to a perennial Grey Cup contender.”
Simon will be responsible for assisting Jones in all areas of football operations, including scouting, signing players, assisting with the salary cap, and managing the team’s negotiation list.
“I’m happy to be a part of a storied organization that’s won so many championships. It’s a great organization in the CFL and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Chris to try and win a championship,” said Simon.
“Edmonton’s been a thorn in my side during many of my years in the CFL, so I’m happy to join the club and get to work.”
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
A 15-year veteran of the CFL as a player, Simon broke into the league in 1999 with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before going on to spend 12 seasons with the B.C. Lions from 2001 to 2012.
While with the Lions, Simon set franchise marks for receptions (904), receiving yards (14,756) and touchdowns (93).
The University of Maryland product spent his final CFL season with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2013, winning his third Grey Cup after victories with B.C. in 2006 and 2011. His 16,352 career receiving yards remain the most in CFL history.
Simon’s first taste of football operations came in 2014 with the Riders, before returning to B.C. in a front office capacity in 2015.
GEROY SIMON’S CFL RESUME
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2015-21: B.C. Lions | Director of Global Scouting and US Regional Scout, Director of Canadian Scouting
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2014: Saskatchewan Roughriders | Club ambassador and area scout
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2013: Saskatchewan Roughriders | Receiver
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2001-12: B.C. Lions | Receiver
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1999-00: Winnipeg Blue Bombers | Receiver