Bobby Singh

Infobox Gridiron football person
Name=Bobby Singh
team=
number=
status=Inactive
import=no


ImageWidth=200
Caption=Bobby Singh at Calgary Stampeders training camp in 2007
DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1975|11|21|mf=y
Birthplace=Fiji
Height_ft=6
Height_in=4
Weight_lbs=323
Position=Guard
number=77, 52, 62
College=Hawaii
Portland State
CFLDraftedYear=1999
CFLDraftedRound=1
CFLDraftedPick=8
CFLDraftedTeam=Calgary Stampeders
playing_years=1999
2001
2002–2003
2004–2006
2007
2008
playing_teams=St. Louis Rams
Los Angeles Xtreme
Calgary Stampeders
BC Lions
Calgary Stampeders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
career_highlights=
CFLAllStar=
Awards=
Honors=
Records=
ProBowls=
NFL =
CFL =

Bobby Singh (born November 21 1975)cite web | url = http://www.bclions.com/index.php?module=roster&func=display&ros_id=130 | accessdate = 2007-04-06 | title = Bobby Singh #62 | publisher = BCLions.com] is a professional Canadian football and American football guard, currently a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League. Born in Fiji and raised in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, he attended the University of Hawaii and Portland State University. After stints in the NFL and XFL, he returned to Canada and played five years in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions, winning the Grey Cup in 2006 with the Lions. While with the Lions in 2005, he was elected to the Board of School Trustees of British Columbia School District 38 Richmond.cite web | url = http://www.sd38.bc.ca/SBO/Trustees | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | title = Board of School Trustees | publisher = School District 38 Richmond]

Early years

Singh was born in Fiji to parents Malkit and Mindy. The family moved to Richmond, British Columbia when Bobby was two years old.cite web | url = http://www.richmondfirst.ca/singh.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | title = Bobby Singh | publisher = Richmond First Voters Society] He attended Garden City Elementary School, Palmer Junior Secondary School, and graduated from Richmond Senior Secondary School. Throughout his school years, he was active in sports, including football, basketball, and track and field.

College years

After graduating from high school, he earned a full football scholarship to the University of Hawaii. He played sparingly in 1995, but in 1996 started eleven games for the Warriors and was named an all-WAC Conference Academic. He transferred to Portland State University in 1997, where he was named first team All-Big Sky in his junior year, and All-American/All-Conference/Scholar Athlete of the Year in his senior year. He was a team captain for both his years at Portland State. He graduated with a degree in sociology.

Professional career

Singh was drafted in the first round, eighth overall by the Calgary Stampeders in the 1999 Canadian College Draft. He signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams, winning a Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXIV while on the Rams' practice roster. He underwent back surgery, was released after the season, and spent the 2000 season recovering. In 2001, he signed with the Los Angeles Xtreme of the XFL, playing in six regular season and two playoff games, and winning that league's first and only championship, the Million Dollar Game. He then signed with the San Diego Chargers, but was released at the end of training camp.

In 2002, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, becoming a starter by the fifth game of the season and playing in sixteen regular season games. After a strong season with Stampeders in 2003, he was named as a finalist for the CFL's Outstanding Canadian Award and CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award. Singh signed with the BC Lions in March 2004. During the 2004 season, he missed five games due to a triceps injury. He started all but two games of the 2005 season, including the Scotiabank West Championship (the CFL West Division final), which the Lions lost to the Edmonton Eskimos by the score of 28-23.cite web | url = http://www.cbc.ca/bc/story/bc_lions-new20051121.html | accessdate = 2006-08-22 | title = Lions' Grey Cup dream shattered | author = CBC News | publisher = CBC.ca | date = 2005-11-21] Singh was the only member of a troubled Lions' offensive line—the team gave up a league-worst 74 sacks—who did not allow a sack,cite web | url = http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/football/cfl/lions/story.html?id=30eff718-5dbf-4747-a352-806eb56e05ed | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | title = Singh weighs his options | author = Mike Beamish | publisher = Vancouver Sun | date = 2005-11-23] and was the Lions' 2005 nomination for Outstanding Lineman.cite web | url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/BC/2005/11/04/1292545-sun.html | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | author = Bob Mackin | title = From the Lions' den | publisher = SLAM! Sports | date = 2005-11-04] In March 2006, Singh signed a four year contract with the BC Lions.cite web | url = http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=e5557033-7bad-4c06-8bb9-902737e0c2ed&k=73638 | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | title = Happy Buono hands over the belt | author = Kent Gilchrist | publisher = Vancouver Province | date = 2006-04-15] Singh dressed for twelve games in 2006, as well as the West Division final and Grey Cup, which the Lions won over the Montreal Alouettes 25-14, but missed six games due to injury and was used sparingly late in the season. He was released by the Lions on April 5, 2007. Lions head coach and general manager Wally Buono called it a "difficult decision" necessitated by the CFL's new salary cap,Cite web|url=http://tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=202887|title=Lions release OL Singh|accessdate=2007-04-06|publisher=TSN.ca|year=2007-04-05|author=TSN.ca Staff] though Singh had offered to take a pay cut.Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/04/05/bobby-singh-lions.html?ref=rss|title=Lions cut lineman Bobby Singh loose|accessdate=2007-04-18|publisher=CBC Sports Online|year=2007-04-05] Within a week, Singh had signed with his original CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders.Cite web|url=http://tsn.ca/cfl/news_story/?ID=203643|title=Report: Singh agrees to deal with Stamps|accessdate=2007-04-10|publisher=TSN.ca|year=2007-04-10|author=TSN.ca Staff] Though he had entertained offers from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts, Calgary's proximity to Vancouver was a factor in his decision to sign with the Stampeders, and would allow him to fulfill his duties as school trustee.Cite web|url=http://www.richmondreview.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=45&cat=23&id=961480&more=|title= Next stop Calgary for school trustee|accessdate=2007-04-18|publisher=The Richmond Review|year=2007-04-12|author=Martin van den Hemel] He was released by Calgary just prior to the 2008 CFL season, and was signed by Winnipeg on Sept. 18, 2008. Singh is the only player to win a Super Bowl, XFL Championship and a Grey Cup.fact|date=August 2008

Outside football

Singh is involved in a variety of volunteer and community work in the Vancouver area, such as youth football programs and the Richmond Boys and Girls Club. In November 2005, he was elected to the Richmond School Board, taking the seventh and final School Trustee position with 9152 votes.cite web | url = http://www.richmond.ca/cityhall/elections/results/2005results.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-02 | title = 2005 Election Results: Richmond General Local and School Election | publisher = City of Richmond] He also started a security company, Xtreme Security Ltd., during the 2005-2006 off-season. He lives in Steveston, British Columbia with his wife Alexis and their three children.

References

External links

* [http://www.cfl.ca/index.php?module=roster&func=display&ros_id=130 Bobby Singh] at CFL.ca