Godfrey Onyeka Is Calgary Nominee for Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Award
Published on October 2, 2025 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Calgary Stampeders News Release
The Calgary Stampeders are pleased to announce defensive back Godfrey Onyeka is the team's nominee for the 2025 Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Award.
The Canadian Football League honour is given annually to the Canadian player who best demonstrates the attributes of the country's veterans, such as strength, perseverance, courage, comradeship and contribution to Canadian communities. The award, which has been presented annually since 2010, was created in memory of Jake Gaudaur - the CFL's longest-standing Commissioner and a distinguished World War II veteran.
A seven-year CFL veteran in his first season with the Stampeders, Onyeka wasted no time in establishing himself as a contributor to the club and as a popular teammate.
In particular, Onyeka's work on special teams - a part of football noted for high-speed collisions and ferociousness - demonstrates his courage and determination. Through 14 games, Onyeka leads the Stampeders in special-teams tackles and he is often the first man downfield on punt and kickoff coverage.
When injuries created a void in Calgary' defence, the team called on Onyeka to fill in. Through leadership by example and his force of personality, Godfrey is one of the newcomers to Calgary whose arrival in the locker room helped turned the team's fortunes around.
Onyeka battled serious injuries in back-to-back seasons to get his career back on track in 2024. After being limited to six games over two seasons, he played all 18 games in 2024 and has not missed a single game in 2025 through the first 17 weeks of the 2025 campaign. Despite seven years of CFL experience, Onyeka does not rest on his laurels and has a drive to keep improving. He frequently puts in extra work on the practice field, in the gym and in the meeting room and no player asks more questions of the coaches in a quest to better understand his assignments.
Both at home and on the road, the gregarious Onyeka makes friends. Always smiling, he chats at length with fans and frequently seeks out a youngster in the stands in order to play a game of catch. Despite being in his first season with the Stampeders, Onyeka has quickly become a very popular colleague as was made very obvious by the excitement of his teammates in Week 12 when Godfrey made an exceptional play to record his first interception. He is very intelligent and treats everyone in the organization - players, coaches and staff - with warmth and respect.
As a new Canadian - he and his family came to the country from Nigeria when he was 11 years old - Onyeka feels a tremendous love his adopted home, and feels a duty to give back. He does so joyfully, and is a frequent participant at community events.
"I wasn't born here," says Onyeka, "but most of me becoming who I am happened in Canada."
Onyeka has made a meaningful impact in the Calgary community through his dedication to youth development and wellness. He contributes to CGY Champs, Calgary's exclusive health and wellness online program, by helping create engaging content that supports the social and emotional learning of K-8 students. He has also given his time to coach youth flag football at Learn to Play camps, sharing his knowledge and passion for the game while mentoring kids on and off the field. His commitment to empowering the next generation through sport and education exemplifies true community leadership.
In 2024 as a member of the Roughriders, he was a frequent volunteer at Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Regina, helping prepare for dinner, the post-meal cleanup and setting up the shelter for the night.
The Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Award winner will be announced at the CFL awards on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Winnipeg as part of Grey Cup Week.
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