Hamilton honours former Tiger-Cats linebacker with ‘Simoni Lawrence Day’

Former Tiger-Cats linebacker Simoni Lawrence was recognized on Wednesday with two events being held in the city where he has spent the last decade of his career.

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath declared February 21 “Simoni Lawrence Day” and invited members of the public to come together at City Hall to celebrate the career and profound community contributions of the renowned football player.

“Simoni has been an extremely important figure in our great city for over a decade and has dedicated thousands of hours to giving back to our community and for that, we are truly grateful,” Horwath said in a statement.

I am so excited to invite everyone to City Hall to celebrate our very own Simoni Lawrence. He has had an outstanding career with the Hamilton Tiger Cats and has become a notable figure within our community. Simoni has dedicated thousands of hours in Hamilton that have left a long… pic.twitter.com/fxGDAhojRb

— Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) February 16, 2024

The event saw the mayor present Lawrence with the keys to the Snowmoni Lawrence snowplow.

It was followed by a special sold-out event at Tim Hortons Field called “The Graduation” gave fans a chance to celebrate Lawrence’s legacy at the home stadium.

READ MORE: Simoni Lawrence announces retirement from playing football

Lawrence announced last week that he is retiring from football after eleven years in the CFL. He says hanging up his cleats was a difficult choice, but remaining with the franchise was an easy one.

“I love the people, the community…playing football in Hamilton is why i was able to play so long. I wake up in pain, and then i see everyone else going to work and say I gotta go to work too.”

It’s now known that Lawrence will remain a part of the team as an official brand and community ambassador.

“Even though my playing days are over, I’m excited to begin my new role as Hamilton Sports Group’s official brand and community ambassador, and I look forward to growing and making this city and organization a better place,” Lawrence said of the new role.