Burke Dales

Burke Dales (February 16, 1977 – January 6, 2024) was a Canadian professional football player who was a punter in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played CIS Football with the Concordia Stingers. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2002.

Over his nine-year career, Dales played for the Calgary Stampeders, Edmonton Eskimos, and Montreal Alouettes. Dales was born in Collingwood, Ontario, and raised in Brockville, Ontario.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers After playing at Concordia University, Dales attended the Pittsburgh Steelers 2002 training camp. He also tried to make the team as a kick-off specialist. When he placekicked, he used the straight-on style which had not been seen in the NFL since the 1980s.

Montreal Alouettes Dales attended Montreal Alouettes's 2003 training camp and sat out the remainder of the 2003 and 2004 seasons before signing with Calgary in 2005.

Prior to the Stampeders' 96th Grey Cup victory in 2008, Dales was offered a new contract to re-sign with Calgary for the 2009 CFL season but withheld signing until seeing if he could get interest from a National Football League team.

Dales re-signed with the Stampeders on March 24, 2009, after failing to gain interest from NFL teams and a reportedly higher offer from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would have meant losing his off-season employment.

Edmonton Eskimos After becoming a free agent in 2012, Dales signed with the Edmonton Eskimos on February 19, 2012.

On July 22, 2013, he was released by the Eskimos.

Montreal Alouettes On October 30, 2013, Dales was signed again by the Montreal Alouettes.

Dales announced his retirement on May 16, 2014.

Personal life and death Dales' sister, Stacey, is a former Women's National Basketball Association player who currently works as a reporter for NFL Network. His cousin Jason Arnott played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League.

Dales died in January 2024, at the age of 46.