Cedric Minter
Encyclopedia
Cedric Alwyn Minter, is a former professional football
player, and an award-winning running back
in the Canadian Football League
.
, and was transferred to Mountain Home AFB
in Idaho
in 1959, when Cedric was a few months old. A year later the family moved to nearby Boise
, where Cedric grew up and played his high school football
in the mid-1970s for head coach
De Pankratz at Borah High School
. Minter had outstanding seasons as a sophomore and junior, and had the attention of the top college football
programs. But after incurring a shoulder injury on the first play of his senior season, the attention rapidly subsided. Oregon
and Kansas
were still interested, but only Boise State
in his hometown was interested in him as a running back
.
. As a sophomore, he set a BSU record by rushing with 1526 yards in 1978
(surpassed twice by Brock Forsey and Ian Johnson
). As a senior, he was a member of BSU's "Four Horseman" backfield (along with QB Joe Aliotti, FB David Hughes
, and HB Terry Zahner) which lead the 1980 Broncos
to the I-AA national championship. BSU defeated the Grambling Tigers
14-9 in the first round (semifinals) at Bronco Stadium
, then defeated favored Eastern Kentucky
31-29 in the championship game in Sacramento
on December 20.
Minter finished his college career with 4475 rushing yards. As an undersized Big Sky
running back (5'10", 190 lb.), he was not selected in the 1981 NFL Draft
. Minter began his professional football career in the Canadian Football League
in 1981
. He graduated from BSU with a bachelor's degree
in elementary education.
of the CFL
from 1981
-83
, rushing for 815, 563, and 599 yards in consecutive seasons. He was awarded the Frank M. Gibson Trophy
as best rookie in the East in 1981
, and was an all star in 1981
and 1982
. Minter's finest moment came in 1983
, when with only minutes remaining in the 71st Grey Cup
game, he scored a touchdown
on a Joe Barnes
pass to win the game and end the Argonauts long championship drought, whose last win was 31 years earlier in 1952
.
After three seasons in Canada, Cedric Minter played two seasons in the NFL
with the New York Jets
. In 1984
and 1985
he played a total of 9 games and scored two touchdowns. Minter rushed for 159 yards, caught 11 passes, and returned punts and kickoffs. He returned to Toronto in 1986
, played in 4 games and rushed for 170 yards. After a brief stint with the Ottawa Rough Riders
in 1987
, Minter retired.
Idaho
and eastern Oregon
: Middleton
, Boise
, and Nyssa
. He coached Jake Plummer
for two games at Boise Capital High School before they switched him to varsity. He received a Masters degree in 1995 from Northwest Nazarene College, and became a junior high school vice principal & coach for the North Vikings in Boise, at North Junior High School until 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, and an award-winning running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
Early years
Minter's father served in the U.S. Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, and was transferred to Mountain Home AFB
Mountain Home Air Force Base
Mountain Home Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation located in southwestern Idaho, United States. The base is in Elmore County, 12 miles southwest of the city of Mountain Home, which is 40 miles southeast of Boise, via Interstate 84.The host unit at Mountain Home since 1972...
in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in 1959, when Cedric was a few months old. A year later the family moved to nearby Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, where Cedric grew up and played his high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in the mid-1970s for head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
De Pankratz at Borah High School
Borah High School
Borah High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. It is named after William E. Borah, a prominent U.S. Senator from 1907-40.-History:...
. Minter had outstanding seasons as a sophomore and junior, and had the attention of the top college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
programs. But after incurring a shoulder injury on the first play of his senior season, the attention rapidly subsided. Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
and Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
were still interested, but only Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
in his hometown was interested in him as a running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
.
College
Minter graduated from high school in 1977 and accepted a football scholarship to Boise State, where he became a two time All-American under head coach Jim CrinerJim Criner
Jim Criner is a former American football player and coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Boise State University from 1976 to 1982 and at Iowa State University from 1983 to 1986, compiling a career college football record of 76–46–3...
. As a sophomore, he set a BSU record by rushing with 1526 yards in 1978
1978 in sports
1978 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden** Women's overall season champion: Hanni Wenzel, Liechtenstein-American football:...
(surpassed twice by Brock Forsey and Ian Johnson
Ian Johnson (American football)
-Minnesota Vikings:He ran the fastest 40 yard dash time for a running back at the 2009 NFL Combine with a 4.46. He was signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 4 of the Preseason Johnson ran for 2 touchdowns in 17 carries against the Dallas Cowboys...
). As a senior, he was a member of BSU's "Four Horseman" backfield (along with QB Joe Aliotti, FB David Hughes
David Hughes (American football)
David Augustus Hughes III is a former professional American football player from Kailua. He played six seasons in the National Football League, the first five with the Seattle Seahawks and the final one with the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, and HB Terry Zahner) which lead the 1980 Broncos
1980 Boise State Broncos football team
The 1980 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 1980 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Broncos competed in the Big Sky Conference and played their home games at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The Broncos were led by fifth-year head coach Jim Criner...
to the I-AA national championship. BSU defeated the Grambling Tigers
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
14-9 in the first round (semifinals) at Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
, then defeated favored Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
31-29 in the championship game in Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
on December 20.
Minter finished his college career with 4475 rushing yards. As an undersized Big Sky
Big Sky Conference
The Big Sky Conference is an intercollegiate college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I, with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. The BSC was founded in 1963. Member institutions are located in the western United States in the states of Arizona,...
running back (5'10", 190 lb.), he was not selected in the 1981 NFL Draft
1981 NFL Draft
The 1981 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 28–29, 1981...
. Minter began his professional football career in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
in 1981
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
. He graduated from BSU with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in elementary education.
Pro career
Minter played with the Toronto ArgonautsToronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
of the CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
from 1981
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
-83
1983 CFL season
The 1983 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 30th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 26th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1983:...
, rushing for 815, 563, and 599 yards in consecutive seasons. He was awarded the Frank M. Gibson Trophy
Frank M. Gibson Trophy
The Frank M. Gibson Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy, given to the most outstanding rookie in the East Division. Each team from the East Division nominates a candidate from which a winner is chosen, and either this winner or the winner of the Jackie Parker Trophy will receive the...
as best rookie in the East in 1981
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
, and was an all star in 1981
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
and 1982
1982 CFL season
The 1982 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 29th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 25th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1982:After the 1981 season the Montreal Alouettes folded...
. Minter's finest moment came in 1983
1983 CFL season
The 1983 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 30th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 26th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1983:...
, when with only minutes remaining in the 71st Grey Cup
71st Grey Cup
The 71st Grey Cup was the 1983 Canadian Football League championship game that was played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, between the Toronto Argonauts and the hometown BC Lions...
game, he scored a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
on a Joe Barnes
Joe Barnes
Joe Barnes was an all-star quarterback in the Canadian Football League.Barnes was a graduate of Texas Tech University, playing from 1971 to 1973, and was inducted into the Texas Tech Athletic Hall of Honor in 1986. His senior year, he dated Dianna Delp. They married June of 1974...
pass to win the game and end the Argonauts long championship drought, whose last win was 31 years earlier in 1952
1952 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1952:The Canadian Rugby Union received television revenue for the first time when it was paid $7,500 by CBC for the rights to televise the Grey Cup game...
.
After three seasons in Canada, Cedric Minter played two seasons in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
with the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
and 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
he played a total of 9 games and scored two touchdowns. Minter rushed for 159 yards, caught 11 passes, and returned punts and kickoffs. He returned to Toronto in 1986
1986 CFL season
The 1986 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1986:...
, played in 4 games and rushed for 170 yards. After a brief stint with the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
in 1987
1987 CFL season
The 1987 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 34th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 30th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1987:...
, Minter retired.
After football
After his playing days, Minter became an educator in 1988. As a teacher (and coach), he served at various locations in southwestSouthwestern Idaho
Southwestern Idaho is a geographical term for the area along the state of Idaho's borders with Oregon and Nevada. It includes the populous areas of the Boise metropolitan area, Treasure Valley and Magic Valley.-Counties:Ada |Adams |Boise |Canyon |...
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
and eastern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
: Middleton
Middleton, Idaho
Middleton is a city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 2,978 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, and Nyssa
Nyssa, Oregon
Nyssa is a city in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. The population was 3,163 at the 2000 census. The city is located along the Snake River on the Idaho border, in the region of far eastern Oregon known as the "Treasure Valley"...
. He coached Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
for two games at Boise Capital High School before they switched him to varsity. He received a Masters degree in 1995 from Northwest Nazarene College, and became a junior high school vice principal & coach for the North Vikings in Boise, at North Junior High School until 2011.
External links
- Toronto Argonauts history - Cedric Minter
- DataBase Football.com - Cedric Minter
- Mountain Home News.com - Cedric Minter to headline Black History Banquet - 2006-02-08
- Mountain Home News.com - Cedric Minter: how football changed his life - 2006-02-22