Michael Labinjo (July 8, 1980 – September 21, 2018) was a Canadian professional gridiron football player who played as a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

. He was a member of the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

, Indianapolis Colts and

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...

Early life

Labinjo was born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

and attended

St. Michael's College School St. Michael's College School, (also known as St. Michael's, St. Mike's, and SMCS), is an independent, Catholic school for young men in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Administered by the Basilian Fathers, it is the largest school of its kind in Cana ...

. From 2000 to 2003 Labinjo played

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

at Michigan State University. Originally recruited as a

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. Ther ...

, he moved to

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

for his sophomore season. He started all 12 games as the strong side

in 2001. As a junior Labinjo played in 12 games, including 8 starts. His senior season, 2003, proved to be his most productive collegiate year. Labinjo was the recipient of the Downtown Coaches Club Award as the outstanding senior on defense, after posting a career-high 94 tackles (58 solos) with five sacks for minus 43 yards and 11.5 stops for losses of 66 yards. He also recovered two fumbles, intercepted three passes and deflected five others. After graduating from Michigan State University and earning a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in Economics and Finance in December 2003, Labinjo declared for the

NFL Draft The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...

. The linebacker was not drafted by a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

franchise, but was drafted in the

2003 CFL Draft The 2003 CFL Draft took place on Wednesday, April 30, 2003. 53 players were chosen for Canadian Football League teams from among the eligible CIS football players from Canadian universities, as well as Canadian players playing in the NCAA. Of the ...

. His rights were selected by the

in the 3rd round, as the 25th overall selection.

Professional career

National Football League

In 2004, Labinjo went to training camp with the

of the NFL and was signed as a linebacker. He appeared in 3 games, totalling 12 tackles (12 solo). 2005 was split between 3 teams: Beginning the season with the Philadelphia Eagles, Labinjo saw action in 5 games, including his only NFL career start, recording 5 tackles (5 solo) along the way. Labinjo was let go in the middle of the 2005 season by Philadelphia. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts for 2 games, registering 2 tackles (1 solo) and half a sack. Ultimately, he ended 2005 with the

. In 2006, he played behind Miami Dolphins all-pro linebacker

Zach Thomas Zachary Michael Thomas (born September 1, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He played college football for Texas Tech University, and was ...

. Labinjo was released by the Dolphins after the 2006 season and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on March 14, 2007. He was released by the Colts on May 8, 2007.

Canadian Football League

Labinjo signed with the Calgary Stampeders on July 16, 2007 and he played in six games in his first CFL season before giving way to a season-ending elbow injury. He made two defensive tackles and four special teams tackles. In the

2008 Calgary Stampeders season The 2008 Calgary Stampeders season was the 51st season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 70th overall. The Stampeders finished in 1st place in the West division, won the West Final and played in the 96th Grey Cup in Montreal. ...

, Labinjo recorded 5 sacks, tying him for first on the team with Miguel Robede and Charleston Hughes. With 33 tackles, he was ninth on the Stampeders for tackles. He also had one catch for a one-yard touchdown. In the playoffs, Labinjo had 8 tackles and 3 sacks in the 2008 West Division final, to secure a berth in the

96th Grey Cup The 96th Grey Cup was held in Montreal, Quebec at Olympic Stadium on November 23, 2008. The East Division champion Montreal Alouettes hosted the West Division champion Calgary Stampeders. The Stampeders won the game 22–14, with quarterback Henry ...

game. Labinjo was pivotal in the Stampeders' 22–14 victory over the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

, registering three tackles, one sack, and four pass deflections. On January 12, 2011, Labinjo was acquired by the

in exchange for future considerations. On January 19, 2011, the Alouettes voided the deal due to concerns about his surgically repaired elbow. On May 11, 2011, Labinjo was released from his CFL contract with the

effectively ending his tenure with the organization.

Death

Labinjo died in his sleep on September 21, 2018 in Calgary at the age of 38. In May 2020, Calgary police revealed that new information led them to classify Labinjo's death as "suspicious."

References

External links

stampeders.com bioNational Football League bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labinjo, Mike 1980 births 2018 deaths American football linebackers Calgary Stampeders players Canadian football linebackers Canadian players of American football Miami Dolphins players Michigan State Spartans football players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of Canadian football from Ontario Canadian football people from Toronto Drug-related deaths in Canada