Many football fans know John Farlinger by his voice, not his name.

When they tune their radios to Edmonton Eskimos broadcasts, it’s Farlinger they hear, along with the venerable Bryan Hall. Except for a short hiatus from 1989 to 1991, Farlinger has been a constant in the broadcast booth.

Like his football career, Farlinger goes about his job as color analyst for 630 CHED in workmanlike fashion, but is overshadowed by Hall, who does the play-by-play and most of the talking.

But being overlooked doesn’t bother the former Eskimo safety. He knows and accepts his role, just like he did during his 10-year CFL career.

“I was a very average player who had to work very hard and take the mental part of it as far as I could,” he says.

Farlinger says besides winning two Grey Cups — 1975 and 1978 — one of the proudest moments in his life was when former Eskimo Larry Highbaugh credited him with helping the team win six Grey Cups in a row during his Wall of Fame induction at Commonwealth Stadium.

“He said a journeyman player like myself was actually a much bigger help than most casual observers know,” Farlinger adds.

But that’s the essence of a team, he says.

“At the start, we were just a bunch of average athletes, but we were so cohesive, it made us very effective,” he says of the Eskimo squad that went to five straight Grey Cups. “But more than that, we studied hard, we watched film. There were sometimes when the coach had to pull us off the field because we wanted to stay out there until we had everything down 100 per cent.”

Farlinger retired from football in 1978 and one week after his last Grey Cup game, started in his new career as a travel consultant. He now lives in St. Albert, where he operates his successful business, Farley Travel, as well.

The McNally High grad says the decision to stay in Edmonton after his playing career ended was an easy decision.

“This is where I played and the only time I really ventured away from Edmonton was when I played at the University of Calgary,” he says.

After high school, Farlinger worked on the oil rigs in the Arctic. After two years the novelty wore off so he was gladly accepted his parents’ advice to attend university. It was at the University of Calgary where he was recruited to play football, even though his experience with the game was limited at best.

“When I got to the university of Calgary, even though I was a pretty good athlete, I had absolutely no football experience,” he says. “By the time I had got to B.C. (the first CFL team to draft Farlinger out of school) I had played maybe 20 games of football.”

B.C. traded his rights to Calgary and he tried out for Calgary that year. Farlinger was the last player cut out of training camp, but the Eskimos called him and put him on the practice roster.

Farlinger says his first season with the Eskimos was special because none of the stars like Warren Moon had arrived yet. The dynasty was in its infancy and he was there to help lay the groundwork for a successful decade.

“It was probably the greatest team ever assembled in terms of their commitment to each other and to winning,” Farlinger notes. “They didn’t have guys that held out during training camp or negotiated in the media or didn’t get along.”

Farlinger says he thrives on his dual role of doing the complete travel arrangements for the Eskimos and analyzing the play on the field during Eskimos games.

“It’s probably best diversity you can ever ask for. It’s a nice combination because I always liked football and I still like football. I find it very enjoyable and fun to do the broadcasts.”

As a player, Farlinger admits to never being concerned about his legacy. But he was concerned with how he would be perceived in life after football.

“You don’t want to be known as a football player who has a travel agency, you want to make your mark in the travel business and be a successful travel agency owner.”

He and his teammates returned with a vengeance following year. After an impressive regular season Santucci rushed for 186 yards in leading the Huskies to the AUAA title. Following a breathtaking 19 -17 win over Sir Wilfred Laurier at Huskie Stadium in the Atlantic Bowl, team captain Santucci led the Huskies into C.N.E. stadium to face McGill University in the Vanier Cup. After a huge effort by the St. Mary's Saint Mary's defense, Santucci - Saint Mary's number one running back - raced into the end zone to wrap up the game and the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union Championship. Santucci was the AUAA leading rusher, All-Star and MVP, but was especially appreciated for dedication to team, character, durability and many intangibles he brought to his team.