Burke Dales, former Calgary Stampeders player, dead at 46

Burke Dales, a former Calgary Stampeders football player, has passed away at the age of 46.

Dales, originally from Collingwood, Ont., played for the Stampeders for seven seasons from 2005 to 2011, and was part of Calgary's Grey Cup championship team in 2008.

A Canadian Football League (CFL) all-star punter with a career 45.6-yard average, Dales made Calgary his home following his CFL retirement.

Friends of Dales say he will be remembered for more than his impressive kicking style and football achievements. 

"You always felt like you should be carrying that great cup with them, that you deserve the ring right beside him and it didn't matter who you were or what you did," said a friend of Dales, Greg Wing. 

Wing recalls meeting Dales over a decade ago while working at a car dealership together. 

Famously standing six feet three inches tall, the football player was known for his impressive stature — Wing says while shaking Dales's hand, you couldn't help but notice how big it was.

"He was a big guy with a big heart, a big laugh and a big personality, but he never made you feel small. You know, I know some big guys that'll make you feel small, but when you were standing next to Burke, you felt as big as he was," he said.

"He treated you like you were the only person in the room, that you were the most important person at the time, and you always felt like a million bucks when you were with Burke."

Ryan Ballantine, a football writer with the 3DownNation website and host of the Go Stamps Go podcast, is also among those who are mourning the loss of Dales.

"When he was playing here in Calgary, he was routinely an all-star, and deservedly so because of how well he played the game," Ballantine said.

When the football writer began