A CFL draft pick and a member of the Warriors football Ring of Honour, Michael Malott (BA' 26) cements his Warrior legacy with induction into the Warriors Hall of Fame. 

The lone dual-sport inductee into the Class of 2026, Malott is one of the all-time premier fullbacks to grace the gridiron for the black and gold. 

With three successive OUA first team all-star selections (1993-95), and a second -team All-Canadian nod in 1993, Malott made a living in Waterloo by using his athleticism in multiple disciplines. Racking up yardage on the football field, he would do the same while competing for the Warriors in Track and Field. 

"I bled black and gold on the field. Track and Field was what elevated my speed for the three years I ran," Malott says. 

Reminiscing on his time spent as a Warrior, Malott, a native of Guelph, Ontario, pinpointed the importance of the family atmosphere that defined the success of Warriors Football through the 90's.  

On the field, through the mentorship of legendary Warriors head coach, and now fellow Hall of Fame member Dave "Tuffy" Knight, Malott's legendary 1993 campaign had him finish second in the nation with 842 rushing yards. 

On the track, Malott had former national sprint coach, and Warriors Hall of Famer, Brent McFarlane as a mentor. 

"The mentality and message from Brent and Tuffy was not much different. You get what you give. If you give it your all, you're going to be productive. The internal competitiveness that we had made us all better," Malott mentioned. "I still talk to Tuffy about once a month  – still to this day – just to check in and say hello. We're about 30 years removed from him coaching me, but he still continues to be a mentor in my life, very much so." 

"Right around 1993/94, we had the number one defence in the country. All of us on the offence knew that if we could get by them, then we could get by anybody." 

"We went toe to toe every day in practice, but at the end of the day, I got to shake hands with many who are also in the [Warriors Football] Ring of Honour and the Hall of Fame. If you look at the plaques in the Ring of Honour, between '92 and '98, there's got to be at least 25 guys up there." 

Malott isn't far off. The actual figure is 17 Ring of Honour inductees, including Malott and Knight, who played or coached for the Warriors between 1992 and 1998, which represents just under half of the 34 total honourees. 

The numbers and subsequent honours reflected Malott's growth at Waterloo, but it meant little without the bonds and memories shared with his teammates and coaches. 

When asked about if the honour of induction into the Warriors Hall of Fame crossed his mind, Malott praised his football family as the focal point of his enjoyment for the university game. "We still get together even to this day," he said. "Whether we text, or meet for golf tournaments, we're still connected." 

"I can't emphasize enough, that it was truly a family-oriented team. Guys would go out of their way – whether it was academically, athletically, or personally – to make sure everyone was okay. That still exists to this day." 

Malott also attributes the development as both a player and a person to those who grew his passion for both football and track in the first place, his family and youth coaches, who were there every step of the way.  

"If I had to highlight four people who made me the player I was, and the person I've become…it would be my mom, my uncle Ed, Rick Milne who was my high school coach in Guelph, and Tuffy. Those four were truly the stewards in giving me the advice to make me be successful." 

Today, Malott, a recent recipient of his Bachelor of Arts in General Liberal Studies, is a field representative for the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC), and is still a regular at Warrior Field. 

"I've pretty much made it to every home game for the last ten years or so, ever since Bert (Chris Bertoia) took over as head coach. I did the ceremonial kickoff at homecoming last year, and I was feeling a bit brave. I was asked how far I wanted to kick from  – and gave it a go from 30 yards – it just fell short about two feet under the bar." 

Malott's experience in Waterloo as a player even influenced a future pathway for his son, Joshua, who went on to suit up for the Warriors himself in 2023. 

A full-circle moment for Malott - who did not want his presence on the Ring of Honour to distract his son in any way – instead, did the opposite. As Joshua once told him, "It's amazing. You deserve to be up there." 

"I've been blessed in that sense," Malott ended with.  

The perfect encapsulation of a Warrior fit for the Hall of Fame. 

The Warriors Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be inducted on Friday, September 18, as part of this year's Homecoming festivities. Register now to attend the event and don't miss the Warriors Homecoming game the on Saturday, September 19 when the Warriors face the Windsor Lancers on the gridiron.