Athlete - Football
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2021
From Port Hood, N.S., Bruce Beaton was from a farming family of seven and while he loved sports, given his responsibilities on the farm, he didn’t have many opportunities to play. However, Beaton took his opportunities to compete, and being surrounded by many great athletes in his small Nova Scotia farming community he developed a desire to excel in sport.
Throughout high school, Beaton’s competitive edge caught notice of those in the sporting community.
It started as a conversation with fellow Port Hood native and first-year hockey Axeman, Rob McInnis (brother of NHL Hall of Famer Al McInnis), which then made its way to then football head coach Sonny Wolfe. Beaton received a letter from Wolfe indicating he’d like to meet Bruce to discuss the possibility of attending spring camp in 1988. Reluctantly, Beaton agreed to attend spring camp.
Despite his hesitancy, Bruce Beaton began his football career at Acadia University as a spring camp walk-on. An interest in football became a passion, leading Beaton into five years of university football and a successful 13 year CFL career.
At Acadia, Beaton started out as a defensive lineman. In 1990, he was named as an AUAA defensive lineman all-star and a second-team CIAU all-Canadian. Quite an accomplishment for one who began his football career less than two years earlier.
Beaton's time on the defensive line was short-lived, as he then transitioned to the offensive line where he excelled as an offensive tackle, becoming a two-time all-Canadian offensive lineman in 1990 and 1991 along with his AUAA all-star recognition.
At 6’5” and 285 pounds, Beaton’s size, strength, and athletic ability were a huge advantage, but even greater was his desire to excel physically and mentally.
In the 1991 CFL draft, Beaton was selected eighth overall by the BC Lions. He returned for his final season as an Axeman before suiting up for his first CFL game in 1992.
After one season with BC, Bruce moved to the Ottawa Rough Riders for the 1993 and 1994 seasons before joining the Calgary Stampeders in 1995. The move from a financially troubled Ottawa franchise to the Stampeders was good, but his next move to the Montreal Alouettes helped his professional aspirations blossom.
In a dispersal draft, Beaton moved to the Alouettes where he began his transformation into a CFL all-star offensive lineman. With Montreal, he was named to the CFL East All-Star team.
His last, and the most important move was to Edmonton where he played from 1998 until his last season in 2005.
A three-time CFL All-Star, seven-time division All-Star, and nominee for the CFL Award as top offensive lineman for four straight seasons with the Eskimos. Bruce retired after winning his first Grey Cup in his 11th season in 2003.
Away from football, Beaton had a successful business in Kentville where he returned to live. Yet, Beaton was inspired by the arrival of his son Sam, to win a second Grey Cup ring for his one-year-old. With Beaton back, the Eskimos captured the 2005 Grey Cup.
From a humble beginning in northern Nova Scotia to a rewarding career in football, Bruce Beaton’s story is not typical of today’s professional athletes, yet very worthy of his induction into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame.