| abstract | - Val Belcher (July 6, 1954 – September 12, 2010) was an American football player and restaurant entrepreneur. In football, Belcher was an offensive guard. He played college football for the University of Houston. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League in 1977 in the third round. He played professionally in the Canadian Football League for six seasons: Ottawa Rough Riders (1979–1983) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1983–1984). He won a Grey Cup championship with Winnipeg in 1984 and was an all-star three consecutive years for Ottawa, 1980 to 1982. Following his retirement from professional football, Belcher began a highly successful career as a restaurant entrepreneur. In 1986, he founded the Lone Star Cafe restaurant with former Ottawa Rough Rider teammate Larry Brune in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean. Over the years, it expanded into a franchise business throughout Eastern and Southern Ontario. It was renamed Lone Star Texas Grill operating under the Lone Star Group of Companies. The same group later started Big Daddy's Crab Shack & Oyster Bar franchise of restaurants. In 2005, Belcher resigned from the Lone Star Group of Companies. In 2008, he opened a new restaurant, Big Easy’s Seafood & Steak House, in Ottawa. Val Belcher died September 12, 2010 at the age of 57. He died from congestive heart failure while awaiting for a heart transplant at the Ottawa Heart Institute. He is survived by his three children (Layne, Ashton and Meagan) and his life partner, Leslie Hines.
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