The image on the ticket doesn't really look like him much, or at least not the way I remember him.

As you probably know, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have been my team for as long as I can remember. Garney Henley has been my favourite player. (Note that doesn't mean there are not a lot of other great Ticats; even to this day when I meet Angelo Mosca, I get more than a little awestruck.)

Henley was my favourite partly for the way he looked, a lot for the way he played and certainly for what he did for me one late fall day after a game at what was then known as Civic Stadium.

Slight and not terribly athletic looking, Henley was one of the most talented players to don the black and gold. In those days, and we are talking the 1960s and 1970s, he was what was known as a "two-way threat," playing both offence and defence.

He was fast, full of energy, playing with speed, agility and experience. He seemed to have a sixth sense for always being in the right place at the right time. And he made lots of big plays.

But Henley was my favourite because of what happened at a game in either 1970 or 1971. While I can't remember the exact game, I have never forgotten the exact moment.

When a game ended in those days, fans were allowed to go onto the field to run on the grass, meet players and get autographs. The big score for most of us kids though was getting something from a player and the prize attraction was usually a chin-strap.

(The biggest deal was fighting for your life to get an actual CFL football when they were kicked into the end zones. Man, you had to be pretty tough to wrestle one of those from someone or just really lucky to have it kicked near you and grab it. The plan was then to run like mad or have a series of elaborate plays to pass and punt the ball to friends in a dire effort to escape the stadium with one. It rarely happened.)

Back to my story: It was after a Tiger-Cat victory. As soon as the gun sounded, I dashed straight for No. 26. He had played a terrific game. I said: "Can I have your chin-strap." He paused for what seemed like an eternity, finally shrugged and said "Sure," ripping it off the side of his helmet and handing it to me. It was a Tiger-Cat moment I have never forgotten.

Fast forward to today. This afternoon at 4 p.m. the Tiger-Cats take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. They need another win. Times have been tough for this city's favourite team for some time.

I don't know if Garney Henley will actually be there. But his mug is on today's ticket with the notation: "Henley caught four touchdowns as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats won over the Saskatchewan Roughriders 67-21 on Oct. 15, 1962."

Wouldn't a little bit of the Henley magic be nice today?

David Estok is The Spectator's editor-in-chief. editorfeedback@thespec.com