LONDON, Ont. – The Mustangs Football Champions Club honoured the newest members of the Wall of Champions during a ceremony held at TD Stadium on Friday afternoon.
 
This year saw six inductions to the Wall of Champions, with Craig Butler, Irv Daymond, Jeff Keeping, Rob Kochel, and Vaughn Martin all being inducted in the Player category.
 
Family and friends were on hand as this year's class of inductees removed Mustangs jerseys emblazoned with their former number to unveil their plaque on the Wall of Champions outside the Labatt Lounge at TD Stadium.
 
The inductees will be further honoured on Friday evening at the annual Wall of Champions Dinner, which will take place at the London Convention Centre for the first time. This year's event celebrates Mustangs in the CFL, honouring both those that are former members of the league and the individuals that are currently on CFL rosters.
 
More information on this year's class of Wall of Champions inductees is available below.
 
Rob Kochel BA'78 arrived at Western in 1975 after being named London's top all-around student-athlete in his senior year at Oakridge High School, where he competed in hockey, football, and track and field. A gifted player with great instincts, foot speed and field vision, Rob helped the Mustangs win the national championship in two of his three seasons, claiming the title in 1976 and 1977. Drafted by the Calgary Stampeders in the second round of the 1978 draft, Rob started at inside safety in his first season and would go on to play for three years before an injury ended his career. Today he lives in Toronto with his wife Dolores, and travels across North America as a nationally recognized keynote speaker and workshop leader in the investment industry.
 
Irv Daymond BA'85 was born in St Thomas, to parents Irv and Diane, and began his football career at Parkside High School before arriving at Western in 1981. In five seasons with the Mustangs, Irv helped Western capture three Yates Cup titles in 1981, 1982, and 1985. He also earned Western's most improved player award in 1982, and was a two-time OUA First Team All-Star. Drafted by the BC Lions in the sixth round of the 1984 CFL Draft, Irv returned to Western for the 1985 season and signed with the Calgary Stampeders in 1986. Late in his first season the Ottawa Rough Riders claimed him off of the Stampeders practice roster, beginning a relationship with Ottawa that would last until 1995. A two-time East Division All-Star, the CFL's defensive players named Irv the CFLPA's Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1992, and the Rough Riders twice selected him as the team's nominee for the Tom Pate Memorial Award for his outstanding community work in the Ottawa area. Upon his retirement, he joined the Rough Riders coaching staff for the final eight games of the 1996 season, and later joined the coaching staffs of both the Ottawa Gee-Gees, McGill Redmen, and is currently the Offensive Line Coach of the Laurier Golden Hawks.
 
Craig Butler BA'13 started playing football at a young age, first taking to the gridiron in the London Minor Football Association at six years old. After suiting up for the St. Thomas Aquinas Flames in high school, Craig joined his hometown Western Mustangs in 2007. In his four seasons with the team the purple and white won three Yates Cup titles, and Craig racked up four OUA all-star honours, making the Second Team in 2009, and being recognized at three different positions, earning a spot as a Second Team kick returner, and two spots on the First Team as a rush-cover and defensive halfback. He was also recognized as a CIS First Team All-Canadian at defensive halfback. He ended his Western career by winning the Dr. Claude Brown Memorial Trophy that is awarded to the University's top male athlete. In 2011, the Saskatchewan Roughriders drafted Craig in the second round, 12th overall, where he played for three seasons before signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2014. In five seasons he's recorded 255 tackles, eight sacks, and 13 interceptions, while earning a West All-Star nod in 2011, and helping Saskatchewan win the Grey Cup in 2013.
 
Jeff Keeping BA'11 joined the Mustangs in 2001, and immediately fit into the team's offence, as the 6-5, 240-pound tight end contributed in both the run and pass attack. An OUA Second Team All-Star in 2003, Keeping was voted captain by his teammates in 2004, before he was drafted by the Toronto Argonauts in the second round of the 2005 CFL Draft. Playing on both sides of the ball in his debut season, he was named the Argonauts Rookie of the Year, and continued to show his versatility, playing defensive line in 2006 and switching to offensive line in 2007. He joined the Montreal Alouettes in 2008, but returned to Toronto in 2009, where he would play through the 2015 season. Jeff helped lead Toronto to a win in the 100th Grey Cup in 2012, and in 2013 Jeff was named an East Division and CFL All-Star, and was the East's Most Outstanding Lineman. He'll join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this season, after signing with the team in February. Off the field Jeff is heavily involved in the community through a variety of initiatives, and was recently named the new President of the CFL Players' Association.
 
Vaughn Martin is a Jamaican-born Canadian American football defensive tackle, and one of the most dominant defensive players in Western Mustangs history. First playing football in grade ten at London South High School, Vaughn came to Western in 2007 and made an immediate impact, starting on defence and playing all four defensive line positions throughout the year. His debut season saw him earn OUA Second Team All-Star honours and play a key role in helping the purple and white hoist their first Yates Cup title in eight years. Vaughn continued his stellar play in 2008, earning OUA First Team All-Star honours, winning another Yates Cup title, and helping to guide the Mustangs to their first appearance in the Vanier Cup in 13 years. In 2009 he became the first underclassman in CIS history to be selected in the NFL Draft, going in the fourth round to the San Diego Chargers. He spent the next four seasons in San Diego, playing in 48 games and starting in 27, before moving on to stints with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, and Detroit Lions. He recently signed a contract with the CFL's Montreal Alouettes and will continue his career on Canadian soil in 2016.