Canadian Football Hall of Famer Bob Ackles finished his career at the top, but he started at the bottom as a water boy. Ackles was born in Sarnia, Ontario and began his Canadian Football League (CFL) career in 1953 at age fifteen, with the BC Lions in their founding year. His next eleven years were spent working his way up through the ranks of the organization becoming the director of football development in 1966, assistant general manager in 1971, and general manager from 1975 until 1986.

After all these years in Canada, Ackles went on to pursue opportunities outside of his home country. He spent six years with the National Football League (NFL) as Vice President of Player Personnel for the Dallas Cowboys, and was instrumental in the development of the Extreme Football League (XFL). In 2002, Ackles returned back to Canada and the BC Lions as President and CEO. This was also the year he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and two years later, he was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. Though Ackles died in 2008, his story lives on through the pages of his 2007 autobiography, humbly titled The Water Boy.