Alumni Profile: Jock Climie, Arts'89, Law'94
What makes a good sports commentator? Knowledge of the sport. Check. Pleasant demeanor. Check. Trustworthy. Check. Quiet confidence. Check, check. Jock Climie, Arts’89, Law‘94, brings all of this to The Sports Network (TSN) studio panel during the Canadian Football League (CFL) season. In fact, Mr. Climie has employed all these traits throughout his career as a professional football player and lawyer, and credits his success, in part, to his time at Queen’s.
A son of two Queen’s alumni, Mr. Climie’s father encouraged him to go to university saying, “You can go anywhere you want, as long as it’s Queen’s.”
With a natural athletic ability, he was a pass receiver for the Gaels football team for his three years as an undergraduate and first year of law school. Then the CFL came calling.
“I wanted to play for the CFL, of course, but I also wanted to continue studying law. So I arranged to study part time,” he explains. At the time, Queen’s Law wasn’t set up to accommodate students on a part-time basis. However, considering their star student – a successful undergrad, a law student in good standing, and a Gaels football player – they granted him his request and he completed his law degree over four years instead of two.
With his law degree in hand, and a call to the bar, Mr. Climie chose to work two jobs, one as a professional football player and one as a labour lawyer. “I got a taste for labour law while articulating with the Department of Justice in 1996 and loved it. That really charted my course,’ he says.
For 12 years, Mr. Climie deftly managed his two careers. With the CFL, he played the slotback positions primarily with the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Montreal Alouettes. A three-time divisional CFL All-Star, he retired from the league with 56 touchdowns and 627 receptions (top 10 all-time) for 9,619 yards.
As a lawyer, he joined the Ottawa firm of Emond Harnden. He is now a partner with the firm. In 2002, TSN approached him to be a commentator on the sports panel during the CFL season. He has been entertaining and informing a Canadian football-hungry audience ever since. As a 12-year CFL veteran, Mr. Climie brings an abundance of knowledge and insight, offering analysis and commentary from a former player’s perspective.
“It’s all about balance. I’ve combined a career in law with a passion for sport and football,” says Mr. Climie. “I have a rich family life and friends, and a successful career. I enjoy it all. I like to think that I learned about balance while I was at Queen’s, where academics was important and so too was athletics.”
Mr. Climie is married with three young children and lives in Ottawa. He has the same advice for his children as he does for the current Gaels football players: “Be in the moment. Stay focused and enjoy.”
