George Reed (Canadian football)
Reed as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
|
|
Date of birth | October 2, 1939 |
---|---|
Place of birth | Vicksburg, Mississippi |
Career information | |
CFL status | International |
Position(s) | RB |
Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
College | Washington State |
Career history | |
As player | |
1963-1975 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
Career highlights and awards | |
CFL All-Star | 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 |
CFL West All-Star | 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975 |
Awards | 1965 - CFL MOP 1976 - Tom Pate Memorial Award |
Career stats | |
George Robert Reed, CM (born October 2, 1939) is a former American college football and Canadian Football League player. Reed, along with Mike Pringle and Johnny Bright, is one of the players most often mentioned as being the greatest running back in CFL history. In November 2006, Reed was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#2) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.[1]
Reed played his entire 13 year professional football career for the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders and his #34 jersey is one of eight that has been retired by the club.
College career
Reed played Pacific-8 Conference college football with the Washington State University Cougars from 1959 to 1962 where he was teamed with fellow Canadian Football Hall of Famer Hugh Campbell.
CFL
Following college, Reed signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders where he starred for 13 years from 1963 until 1975, 203 games in all. By the time he retired, Reed held career records in rushing yards (16,116), rushing touchdown (134), and touchdowns (137). Reed's rushing yards total has since been surpassed by National Football League stars Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton, and, in 2004 by CFL star Mike Pringle. Pringle tied Reed's total of 137 career touchdowns, and George Reed still holds the CFL rushing for touchdowns record with 134.
George Reed was voted the CFL's Most Outstanding Player for 1965 and in 1976 he was the inaugural winner of the Tom Pate Memorial Trophy for playing ability and community service. Between 1972 and 1981, Reed was President of the CFL Player’s Association. He was the MVP of the 54th Grey Cup of 1966, as Saskatchewan defeated Ottawa, his sole Grey Cup win.
On October 9, 1973, in Regina, Saskatchewan, George Reed was honored with the unique proclamation of October 9 as George Reed Day.
Post-football career
A naturalized Canadian citizen who is currently the Director of Guest and Community Relations at SaskGaming, Reed was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1978, Canada's highest civilian honour, and in 1979 was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.[2][3]
In 2012 in honour of the 100th Grey Cup, Canada Post used his image on a series of commemorative postage stamps. The image was also used on presentation posters and other materials to promote the Grey Cup game and other celebrations associated with the centennial.
References
External links
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Articles with dead external links from December 2013
- Canadian Football League Players' Association presidents
- 1939 births
- Living people
- African-American players of Canadian football
- American emigrants to Canada
- American football running backs
- American players of Canadian football
- Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees
- Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees
- Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Player Award winners
- Canadian football running backs
- Grey Cup champions
- Members of the Order of Canada
- People from Vicksburg, Mississippi
- Saskatchewan Roughriders players
- Washington State Cougars football players