Tiger-Cats alumni come together to help fellow former football players who fall on 'tough times'

As a formeroffensive lineman with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats,Peter Dyakowskiknows how hard life after retirement in sports can be.

"Unfortunately sometimes some of our members fall on tough times after they're done playing or later in life,"Dyakowskisaid. "That's why we've got our support fund."

Dyakowski is helping to raisefundsto help former professional football players in need, and supportlocal youth football groups, with a St. Patrick's Day party on Friday.

Dyakowski played for theTiger-Cats from 2007 to 2016. He alsoran in the 2019 federal election for the Hamilton Mountain seat as a Conservative candidate.

He told CBCHamilton the Hamilton Tiger-Cat Alumni Association (HTCAA) usually raises money for itssupport fund through golf fundraisers but Dyakowski said he wanted to get extrafunding using this party, which runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Club at Tim HortonsField.

Crosstown Traffic, a cover band based in Dundas and Burlington, Ont., will be performing andDyakowskiexpects other alumni, including those from out of town, to be there.

'When the glory of football is faded'

Dyakowskisharedstories of football alumni that received help from thesupport fund, saying players sometimesneedhelp getting back on their feet and readjusting to life outside of physical competition.

"Not a lot of former players go on to bigger things after playing in the [Canadian Football League]," Dyakowski said. "We have a way to extend support to former players that fall on tough times when the glory of football is faded."

The local fund is similar to one by the same name run by theCanadian Football League Alumni Association, which offers "financial support to fellow alumni who are experiencing financial hardship due to a medical condition or the sudden loss of income."

Football-related injuries are known to plague players, during and after their sports careers.

Neuroscientist Chris Nowinski,founding CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said in an interview with CBCearlier this year that he worried in particular abouthow many of retired football playerssuffer from heart disease, or chronic traumatic encephalopathyand concussions.

"More people are dying from long-term effects than they are dying from acute effects. They're dying away from the cameras. They're not dying on the field," he said.

In Hamilton,Dyakowski said the HTCAA hasn't beenable tohelp as many people as he would likeeach year, but has beenvaluable for those it did.

According to Dyakowski, one alumnuswas able to receive needed financial support while he was in a mental health treatment program.

"In all the cases where we've given support to players more so than just the money that we provide is the sense that you let the guy know he's not alone," Dyakowski said.