Ryan Hunter: The Canadian Football Star Who Won Two Championships
Ryan Hunter is a Canadian gridiron football offensive lineman who has played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) since 2022. He has also been a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He is one of the few players who have won both the Super Bowl and the Grey Cup, the championships of the NFL and CFL respectively.
In this article, we will take a look at Ryan Hunter’s remarkable career, from his high school days in Buffalo, New York, to his college years at Bowling Green State University, to his professional journey in both leagues. We will also highlight some of his achievements and awards, as well as his personal life and interests.
Early Life and Education
Ryan Hunter was born on April 1, 1995, in North Bay, Ontario. He moved to Buffalo, New York, during high school, where he attended Canisius High School. He played for the school’s football team as an offensive lineman, and was named the best offensive lineman in Western New York. He also shared the 2012 The Buffalo News Player of the Year Award with his teammate Qadree Ollison.
After graduating from high school, Hunter enrolled at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, where he played college football for the Bowling Green Falcons. He redshirted his first year, and then played in 52 games for his next four years. He started all 12 games of his junior year at right tackle, and all 12 games in his senior year at left tackle. He earned All-Mid-American Conference honors in both seasons.
Professional Career
Ryan Hunter was not selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, but he was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts as the final pick (9th overall) of the first round of the 2018 CFL Draft. However, he did not sign a contract with the team at that time.
Kansas City Chiefs
Instead, Hunter signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. He spent the 2018 season on the Chiefs’ practice squad, and was promoted to the active roster in 2019. He played in three games for the Chiefs that season, including Super Bowl LIV, in which the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 . Hunter became one of the few Canadians to win a Super Bowl ring.
Los Angeles Chargers
On September 5, 2020, Hunter was waived by the Chiefs during final roster cuts. On October 1, 2020, he was signed to the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Chargers on January 5, 2021, and again on January 11, 2022. However, he was waived by the Chargers on August 30, 2022, and did not play in any regular season games for them.
Toronto Argonauts
On September 23, 2022, it was announced that Hunter had signed with the Toronto Argonauts, returning to his CFL rights holders. He played in nine regular season games for the Argonauts as an offensive lineman. He also started in both playoff games for them, including the 109th Grey Cup game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on December 12, 2022. The Argonauts won the game 27-24 on a last-second field goal by Boris Bede. Hunter became one of the few players to win both a Super Bowl and a Grey Cup in their career.
Awards and Honors

- Super Bowl champion (LIV) with Kansas City Chiefs
- Grey Cup champion (2022) with Toronto Argonauts
- All-Mid-American Conference First Team (2016 and 2017) with Bowling Green Falcons
- The Buffalo News Player of the