{{Short description|Canadian football player (1966–2021)}} {{for|the American convicted mass shooter of the same name|1976 Wichita Holiday Inn shooting}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Use Canadian English|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox gridiron football person | name = Michael Soles | image = | alt = | caption = Solzy | birth_date = {{birth date|1966|11|8}} | birth_place = Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada | death_date = {{death date and age|2021|7|7|1966|11|8}} | death_place = Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada | team = | number = 32 | import = no | position1 = Fullback/Slotback | height_ft = | height_in = | weight_lb = | college = McGill | CFLDraftedYear = 1989 | CFLDraftedRound = 1 | CFLDraftedPick = 5 | playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1989}}–{{CFL Year|1995}} | playing_team1 = Edmonton Eskimos | playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|1996}}–{{CFL Year|1999}} | playing_team2 = Montreal Alouettes | career_highlights = * Grey Cup champion (1993) * Lew Hayman Trophy ({{CFL Year|1996}}) * Vanier Cup (1987) * Ted Morris Memorial Trophy (1987) * Peter Gorman Trophy (1986) * CFL All-Star ({{CFL Year|1996}}) * CFL North All-Star ({{CFL Year|1995}}) }}
'''Michael Soles''' (November 8, 1966 – July 7, 2021) was a Canadian professional football player who was a fullback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at McGill University, where he was a two-time All-Canadian.
==Early life and collegiate football career== Soles was born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, on November 8, 1966.<ref name="McGill HOF">{{cite web|title=Michael Soles (2000) – Hall of Fame|url=https://mcgillathletics.ca/honors/hall-of-fame/michael-soles/37|access-date=July 8, 2021|publisher=McGill University}}</ref><ref name="CFL obit">{{cite news |title=CFL, Als mourn the passing of Michael Soles|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2021/07/08/cfl-als-mourn-passing-michael-soles/|date=July 8, 2021|access-date=July 8, 2021|publisher=Canadian Football League|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320001751/https://www.cfl.ca/2021/03/18/stampeders-mourn-death-former-gm-rogers-lehew/|archive-date=March 20, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> He attended St. Thomas High School in his hometown, where he played high school football.<ref name="CFL obit"/> He studied history and economics at McGill University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in 1989.<ref name="McGill HOF"/> As a Redman, he was honoured as a conference all-star three times and was a two-time All-Canadian.<ref name="McGill HOF"/><ref name="CFL obit"/> He also rushed for a then-team record 2,231 yards in 20 regular season games.<ref>[https://www.mcgill.ca/athletics/varsitysports/athletes/profiles/view/?id=810 McGill University Sports Hall of Fame: Michael Soles]</ref> The highlight of his university football career came in the 1987 Vanier Cup, when he led the underdog McGill team to an upset 47–11 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, who were the favourites. He rushed for 203 yards and had 2 touchdowns, and won the Ted Morris Memorial Trophy as the game MVP.<ref name="McGill HOF"/>
==Professional career== Soles practiced with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. He was subsequently drafted by the Edmonton Eskimos in the first round of the 1989 CFL draft (fifth overall selection),<ref name="Gazette obit">{{cite news|title=Courageous Pointe-Claire football great Michael Soles dies at age 54|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/cfl/montreal-alouettes/courageous-pointe-claire-football-great-michael-soles-dies-at-age-54|first=Herb|last=Zurkowsky|date=July 8, 2021|access-date=July 8, 2021|newspaper=Montreal Gazette}}</ref> the first player from a Canadian university to be chosen that year.<ref name="CFL obit"/> This started a seven-year career with the franchise. His best season came in 1992, when he led the franchise with a career-high 656 rushing yards.<ref>{{cite news|title=Miners searching for CFL gold in first year|url=https://newspaperarchive.com/medicine-hat-news-jul-06-1993-p-11/|page=11|date=July 6, 1993|access-date=July 8, 2021|newspaper=Medicine Hat News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Soles proud to be part of Montreal's football renaissance|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/425209736/|page=C14|date=November 18, 1998|access-date=July 8, 2021|newspaper=Montreal Gazette}}</ref> He won the Grey Cup the following year and was a Northern Division All-Star in 1995.<ref name="CFL obit"/>
After becoming a free agent, Soles signed with his hometown Montreal Alouettes in 1996. On November 2, 1997, he scored the franchise's first touchdown at the Percival Molson Memorial Stadium after their re-establishment.<ref name="CFL obit"/> Paired with the all-time CFL rushing great Mike Pringle, Soles became a blocking back, leading the way for Pringle and catching many short yardage passes.<ref name="Gazette obit"/><ref>{{cite news|title=Former Montreal Alouette Michael Soles dies after battle with ALS|url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/former-montreal-alouette-michael-soles-dies-after-battle-with-als/|first=Adam|last=Kovac|date=July 8, 2021|access-date=July 8, 2021|publisher=CTV News}}</ref> He was honoured as a CFL All-Star in 1996 and won the Lew Hayman Trophy that year as best Canadian player in the East.<ref name="CFL obit"/> When he retired, Pringle paid him a supreme compliment, saying he would have never gained the yards he did without Soles' blocking.<ref>[https://3downnation.com/2021/07/08/alouettes-mourn-loss-of-a-true-soldier-following-passing-of-fb-michael-soles/ Alouettes mourn loss of ‘a true soldier’ following passing of FB Michael Soles]</ref>
Soles finished his 11-year career with 3,007 rushing yards, 3,501 receiving yards (on 325 catches) and 45 touchdowns.<ref name="CFL obit"/>
==Personal life and death== Soles was married to Catherine until his death. Together, they had three children: Anthony, Matthew, and Justine.<ref name="CFL obit"/><ref name="Gazette obit"/> Matthew followed his father's footsteps to collegiate football when he was recruited by McGill in August 2019.<ref name=Zukerman>{{cite news|title=Matt Soles, son of football hall-of-famer Michael Soles, recruited to McGill|url=https://mcgillathletics.ca/news/2019/8/29/mcgill-football-lands-recruit-matthew-soles-son-of-hall-of-famer-michael-soles.aspx|first=Earl|last=Zukerman|date=August 29, 2019|access-date=July 8, 2021|publisher=McGill University}}</ref>
After retiring from football, Soles worked in finance. He and his family resided in the West Island of Montreal, in Beaconsfield.<ref name="Soles"/> He was elected to the McGill University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.<ref name="McGill HOF"/> Soles was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2005,<ref name="Soles">{{cite news|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/montreal-alouettes/Former+Alouette+Michael+Soles/7910323/story.html|title=Former Alouette Michael Soles "hopeful" in ALS battle|last=Soles|first=Michael|date=February 2, 2013|work=Montreal Gazette|access-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> but lived beyond the 2–5 year normal life expectancy for individuals diagnosed with the disease.<ref name="Gazette obit"/> His former Redmen teammates established the Michael Soles Football Award in 2014, collecting nearly C$229,000 for scholarships to support McGill's varsity program.<ref name=Zukerman/>
He died on July 7, 2021, at Lakeshore General Hospital in Pointe-Claire. He was 54 years old.<ref name="CFL obit"/><ref name="Gazette obit"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{81st Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soles, Michael}} Category:1966 births Category:2021 deaths Category:Edmonton Elks players Category:McGill Redbirds football players Category:Montreal Alouettes players Category:Players of Canadian football from Quebec Category:Sportspeople from Pointe-Claire Category:Anglophone Quebec people Category:Canadian football fullbacks Category:Neurological disease deaths in Quebec Category:Deaths from motor neuron disease in Canada Category:People from Beaconsfield, Quebec Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen