Legends of the Game

In the thirty-seventh edition of “Legends of the Game” we look at the career of Duane “Dewey” Jacobs.

Sam Laskaris of Windspeaker.com put together an excellent article detailing Jacobs’ life and career from July 11, 2019.

Here is Mr. Laskaris’ article in it’s entirety…

Duane Jacobs was among those inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame more than a decade ago.

Yet the former star player, who is Cayuga and grew up in Ohsweken, Ont., is thrilled with Wednesday’s announcement that he will be one of the 2019 inductees into the national hall, this time as an individual via the players’ category.

Back in 2008 Jacobs was part of the Six Nations Chiefs team that was inducted into the hall for its efforts in winning three consecutive Mann Cup championships from 1994 to 1996. The Mann Cup is annually awarded to the top Senior A men’s box lacrosse squad in Canada.

As for this year’s honour, Jacobs said, being singled out by hall officials is more meaningful than being inducted as part of a team. And yes, he had aspired to one day hear his name as a hall inductee.

“I think so,” he said. “I think anybody who dedicates a lot of time and effort to the game thinks about it.”

In 2015, Jacobs had also been inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located in St. Catharines.

“It was very special,” Jacobs said of his induction into the provincial hall. “Most of my career was played in Ontario and I don’t want to take anything away from that. But I thought maybe I’d be in the Canadian one someday too.”

Jacobs, a 53-year-old lawyer who is now living in Toronto, believes his national accolade is the icing on the cake for his playing career.

“I don’t think any more awards come after this one,” he said. Induction ceremonies will be held Nov. 9 at the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, located in New Westminster, B.C.

Besides winning three Mann Cups as a player, Jacobs also was part of two other national championship teams. He was part of the Owen Sound North Stars that captured the Presidents Cup, the national Senior B title, in 1989. He also won another Presidents Cup championship toiling for the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks in 2003.

Jacobs also played 11 seasons professionally, starting off in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (MILL), which was later renamed the National Lacrosse League (NLL). He was a member of the Rochester Knighthawks which captured the MILL title in 1997.

Jacobs played eight years with the Knighthawks and spent two seasons with the Detroit Turbos and one with the Buffalo Bandits.

Though his playing days are long done, Jacobs continues to remain heavily involved with the sport.

Since 2004 he’s had various roles with the Chiefs. He’s currently a coach, the general manager and the president of the Six Nations squad, which competes in the Major Series Lacrosse.

Besides winning three Mann Cup crowns as a player with the Chiefs in the ‘90s, Jacobs has won the prestigious trophy three more times (2013, ’14 and ’16) with the Six Nations franchise as a coach/executive.

Jacobs said he anticipates perhaps as many as 10 family members will join him in B.C. later this year for his induction into the national hall.

“I would think if they can afford to they will be there with me,” he said. “They’ve followed all my games since I was a kid.”

Over the years Jacobs also held various coaching and other roles with different NLL teams.

He served as the director of player development for Rochester’s team from 2017 up until this past season. Jacobs does not believe he will be joining the franchise, which has relocated to Halifax, for the coming season.

“That’s up in the air right now,” he said. “Honestly there’s no deal in front of me.”

Jacobs would be content not to work with an NLL franchise this coming season. That’s because he plans to devote a good chunk of his time on the road, following the hockey career of his 16-year-old son Tie.

The younger Jacobs will be playing for a Delaware-based prep school team during the 2019-20 season.

And no doubt Jacobs will also be thinking ahead to that fall day when he will enter the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as an individual.

“It means I’m lucky,” he said. “Like anybody, it’s an honour and I’m thankful it’s me. There are so many great players that are worthy of this.”

Jacobs is one of four individuals who will enter the national hall of fame this year via the players’ category. Three builders will also be inducted as will one veteran player.

And the 1984-85 Whitby Warriors’ Junior A club will be inducted through the team category.

From the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame…

Duane Jacobs was the assistant captain of the Ontario Lacrosse Association Major Series Six Nations Chiefs when the team won 3 Mann Cup championships in a row in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

As a member of the National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Nighthawks he won the Champions Cup in 1997. The 6’1″ 205-Ib. left handed shooter tallied 591 total points in 194 regular season Senior A, Major and professional games, and 185 points in 78 playoff games.

From the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame…

-AWARDED THE OUTSTANDING ROOKIE TROPHY IN THE OLA MAJOR SERIES IN 1988.
– WAS 10TH LEADING SCORER IN THE OLA MAJOR SERIES IN 1989.
– PLAYED FOR THE NORTH SHORE INDIANS WEST COAST SENIOR “B” LEAGUE IN 1991 AND 1992. HE WAS A FIRST TEAM ALL-STAR AND MVP.
– HONOURED AS AN ASSISTANT CAPTAIN OF THE SIX NATIONS CHIEFS, WHERE THEY CAPTURED MANN CUPS IN 1994, 1995, AND 1996.
– WON A PRESIDENTS CUP ALSO PLAYING WITH THE KITCHENER WATERLOO KODIAKS IN 2003.
– MEMBER OF THE ROCHESTER KNIGHTHHAWKS OF THE NLL FROM 1995 TO 2002, WHERE THEY REACHED THE CHAMPIONS CUP THREE TIMES AND WERE REWARDED WITH A CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1997 VERSUS THE BUFFALO BANDITS.
– INDUCTED INTO THE KNIGHTHAWKS HALL OF FAME IN 2009.
– FORMER TEAM-MATES HAVE STATED THAT HE HAS TREMENDOUS TALENT, LEADERSHIP QUALITIES, AND WORK ETHIC.
– ALTHOUGH SOFT SPOKEN IN THE LOCKER ROOM; WHEN HE SPOKE HIS TEAM LISTENED.
– HE HAS MAINTAINED THE SPIRITUAL ESSENCE OF LACROSSE AS A “GIFT”, HONOURING THOSE WHO PLAYED BEFORE HIM AND THOSE THAT FOLLOW HIM.
– HE PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST A LONG LIST OF NOTABLES INCLUDING DARES AND RICH KILGORE, PAUL AND GARY GAIT, RANDY MEARNS, MARTY O’NEILL, TROY CORDINGLEY, JOHN TAVARES AND BILL GERRIE.
– AS A COACH AND GENERAL MANGER HE CONTINUES TO ENCOURAGE HIS PLAYERS TO COMPETE WITH PASSION AND GIVE “HEART” TO THE GAME.

Inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame twice…once as a member of the Six Nations Chiefs in 2008, and also in 2019 as an individual player.

Inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015.

Highlights From Swarmitup.com …

• Assistant Head Coach for the Silver Medalist Iroquois Nationals at 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Onondaga
• Won 2013 Mann Cup with Six Nations as General Manager
• Named the third Head Coach in Swarm history on August 1, 2006
• Resigned as Head Coach on June 23, 2009
• Swarm Regular Season record 25-23
• Swarm Playoff Record 0-2
• Won 1997 NLL Championship with the Rochester Knighthawks
• 2nd Team All-NLL from 1996 – 1999
• Head Coach of Iroquois Nationals Silver Medal 2007 WILC Team
• Played for Iroquois Nationsls in the 2003 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships
• General Manager of the Six Nations Chiefs OLA Sr. A
• Named to inaugural class of the Rochester Knighthawks Hall of Fame in 2009
• Named to Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2008 as part of the 1994-96 Six Nations Chiefs Mann Cup Champions
• Named assistant coach with the Buffalo Bandits on September 22, 2009

References:

@samlaskaris on Twitter
Windspeaker.com
clhof.org
ontariolacrossehalloffame.com
swarmitup.com