Oct. 13, 2026
Two-Minute Drill with Dr. Andrew Buckley
October in Calgary means Halloween is around the corner and, this year, so is the Grey Cup. Dr. Andrew Buckley, BSc’16, MD’21, PGME’24, knows a little something about both Calgary football and the big game. The former Dinos and Calgary Stampeders quarterback won back-to-back Hec Crighton Trophies as the top player in Canadian university football; twice earned the Russ Jackson Award for excellence in athletics, academics and citizenship; and was later named U SPORTS Male Athlete of the Year. He also made a little Grey Cup history of his own, becoming the first Canadian quarterback since Russ Jackson in 1969 to score a touchdown in the championship game when he found the end zone for Calgary in 2016.
Then and Now; A former Dinos QB, Dr. Buckley is now a Sport Medicine Physician certified by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine at Banff Sport Medicine.
Now a physician and still very much connected to the football community Buckley joined us for a conversation about his journey from the Dinos to the CFL and beyond. But, before we let him go, we changed gears for a little rapid fire, covering everything from the football movie he used to watch 20 times a season to the creature that still has him calling for backup from his wife.
Q: Halloween’s coming up. Do you have any favourite scary movies?
A: So, you know the movie Dawn of the Dead?
Q: Yeah.
A: They made a spoof of it called Shaun of the Dead, and it’s like a comedic scary movie. I watched that when I was, like, 13 and it terrified me. I slept on the floor with a baseball bat that night. So, I wouldn’t call it a favourite, but it’s certainly the most memorable scary movie because it’s this comedy zombie movie that just knocked my socks off.
Q: Is there anything that Andrew Buckley has an irrational fear of?
A: Spiders. I just hate spiders. I always get my wife to kill them for me. I see them and my whole body tenses up … It is a legitimate phobia.
Erik Glavic, BA'12, also played Quarterback for the Dinos and was the first player in CIS history to win the Hec Crighton with two different schools.
Q: Who’s the one teammate you want beside you in the huddle if you’re doing a two-minute drill?
A: Erik Glavic. He was the Dinos quarterback before me and, you know, (I had) big shoes to fill. He’s a guy that won two Hec Crighton Trophies (one wit St. Marys and another with the University of Calgary). We’re playing on the same touch football team now. He’s a quarterback, as well, so he’s mostly playing quarterback. I play receiver. But he would be the guy, just because of his unmatched competitiveness. He’s intense. He’s a fun guy to play with.
Q: What’s the hardest hit you ever took?
A: I think it was playing against the University of Manitoba in my fifth year. I think I was diving for a first down and I got spun around like a clock. I didn’t feel so good after that one.
Buckley was selected by the Calgary Stampeders in the 2015 CFL Draft. In the 2016, he became the first Canadian-born quarterback to record a touchdown in the Grey Cup game since 1969.
Q: What’s one thing fans misunderstand about being a CFL player?
A: I think they maybe misunderstand how legitimate the football is. I think, yes, there is a skill difference between the NFL and CFL, but it is pretty damn close. Every year, we’d have guys that would go play NFL and then guys that would come down from the NFL. For example, when I was playing, we had quarterbacks come into training camp who had spent three, four, five years on an NFL roster and they were, really not very good. Same with lots of other positions. I think people don’t appreciate that maybe the CFL takes a different type of athlete to be successful. Having played against guys that have played in the NFL made me respect the CFL a whole lot more.
Q: Favourite stadium you ever played in?
A: I think I really liked playing in the new Winnipeg stadium, now known as Princess Auto Stadium. It’s a hard place to play because it’s just so loud and it feels like the fans are right on top of you. You can’t hear yourself think in there … Difficult place to play, but great environment.
Friday Night Lights tells the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team in Odessa, Texas. The 2004 film is based on H.G. Bissinger’s acclaimed 1990 book, Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream.
Q: What’s your favourite football movie?
A: I think Friday Night Lights has got to be my favourite. That came out at such a pivotal time when I was probably in my second or third year of football. I went and watched it in theatres with my Wildcats football team. I would watch it 20 times a season just to get fired up before games.
Q: Do you have a favourite Halloween candy?
A: Something that’s sweet and gummy, like a Swedish Berry or Sour Patch Kids. Something that you can really chew on and sink your teeth into.
Q: Speaking of food, you’re in Canmore now. What’s one Canmore place you’d recommend without hesitation?
A: We really like Bridgette Bar out here. It’s great. We also go to a place called Crazyweed quite often and they’ve got a nice dinner spread. So those would be the first two that come to mind.
Q: Is there anything that you and your dad are overly competitive about? (Editor’s note: Andrew’s father, Dr. Richard Buckley, MD’83, played tight end and slotback with the University of Calgary Dinosaurs (as they were known then) in the 1970s.)
A: My dad is wicked competitive. If you play anything with him, whether it’s checkers, chess, tennis, he’ll want to go and win. I don’t think I’m actually that competitive with him anymore. I just like to go out and do stuff and play. Some of that competitive juice has burned off a little bit for me. But yeah, my dad, he’ll crank it up.
Did you know?
Not only does your FREE UCalgary Alumni Perks membership get you exclusive savings from local businesses in your community. But it also includes $9 tickets to ALL Dinos athletic events? Download the app for details today!