Leo Cahill, La Salle-Peru

Leo Cahill

LA SALLE-PERU

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Accomplishments

● A 1946 La Salle-Peru alumnus, he became a wellknown coach and GM in the

Canadian Football League from late 1960s to mid-1990s ● Coached the Toronto

Argonauts twice from 1967-72 and 1977-78 before becoming GM from 1986-88;

Also the GM of the Ottawa

Rough Riders in 1996 ● Received the Annis Stukus

Trophy in 1971 as the

Canadian Football League

Coach of the Year ● CFL TV commentator for

CBC from 1981-85 ● Inducted into the Ontario

Sports Hall of Fame in 2013

By Bobby Narang

Bettye Nissim’s fondest memories of her father consisted mainly away from the football field. Her father, Leo Cahill, was a bigger-than-life personality in the world of professional football, especially in Canada. He carved out a nearly three decade career in football, doing the majority of his coaching, administration and television commentary work in the Canadian Football League. NOW WHERE are they

Cahill is one of the Class of 2022 inductees in the NewsTribune’s Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

Throughout his busy life, Nissim said her father always managed to find time to spend with her.

“I didn’t learn anything about sports at all,” Nissim said. “He did his thing. I was a little girl. My parents divorced when I was 5 years old. My

dad moved a lot. I remember spending the summers with him in Toronto and talking to him on the phone for hours. I visited Canada a lot. It was great. Toronto was a lot of fun in the summer. My dad was so busy, but he would always take me out and spend time with me. He was a great dad.”

Nissim said her father’s vast background in football opened many doors for him, including becoming friends with Elvis Presley when he was the general manager of the Toronto Southmen in the World Football League. Presley was part owner of the franchise.

“Elvis gave my dad one of his necklaces,” Nissim said. “I saw the necklace. He used to say Elvis would call him to play racquetball. He was very friendly with Elvis. I didn’t really know him, but my dad said I went to play with his little girl at his house one time.”

Nissim said her sister, Christy Aldridge, also recalled meeting “The King of Rock and Roll.”

“It was, of course, exciting to meet Elvis,” Aldridge said.

Cahill, a 1946 La Salle-Peru graduate who starred for the Illinois football team, passed away on Feb. 15, 2018, at the age of 89.

Christy Aldridge said she also fondly recalls her time with her father in Toronto when he coached the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts for two separate stints before becoming general manager from 1986-88.

Aldridge said her father’s numerous jobs in football led to some odd moments. She said her name was once mentioned in a Toronto newspaper after “getting my tonsils out.” She said her father made “football in Toronto fun and entertaining.”

“During his time in Toronto and Memphis, I experienced what it was like to be a young daughter of a public figure,” Aldridge said. “Those were exciting times. He was constantly in the media, and later he had his own radio and television shows. Everywhere we went in public, people wanted to talk to him or get an autograph. We had an unlisted phone number before private numbers were fashionable because fans would feel free to call at all hours.”

Born in Utica, Cahill played in the 1947 Rose Bowl for Illinois. Even with his numerous achievements and honors in professional football, Bettye Nissim said her father cherished playing for the Illini.

“He was so proud to win a Rose Bowl, and he was one of the youngest players on the team,” she said. “That meant a lot to him.”

Hailing from a town with less than 2,000 people, Cahill managed to use football as a vehicle for a long career that allowed him to meet several famous people and travel the globe.

“I remember going to see my dad and being around his friends,” Nissim said. “I even got to ride in the golf cart helmet on the field when he was in Memphis. That was really exciting to me. My father was a very determined, strong-willed guy. He was a great dad and came from a good family. My grandparents were great people.

“When my dad passed away, I talked to a lot of people and received a lot of text messages. I heard he was a tough, solid guy. I was lucky to spend Sunday dinners with him the last few years. Those were good times. We always had fun together. He was a regular guy from a small Midwestern town. He was very proud that he came from Utica, even though he had a great background with stories galore.”

Congratulations

to all of the 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees

You’ve Made The Illinois Valley Proud!

1651 Midtown Road Peru 815-223-5219