George Reed
Encyclopedia
George Robert Reed, CM
(born October 2, 1939 in Vicksburg, Mississippi
) 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
.
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.
Cougars from 1959 to 1962 where he was teamed with fellow CFL Hall of Famer Hugh Campbell
.
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). This was helped by solid offensive lines through the years, notably fellow Canadian Football Hall of Fame
member Ted Urness
at centre from 1963 to 1970 and Jack Abendschan
at guard from 1965 to 1975. 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 retired that year tied with Reed's total of 137 career touchdowns, and the two now share the record. George Reed still holds the CFL rushing touchdowns record of 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 34th as George Reed Day.
in 1978, Canada's highest civilian honour, and in 1979 was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
.
His TD run in the 54th Grey Cup game in 1966
CFL Hall of Fame member
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born October 2, 1939 in Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg, Mississippi
Vicksburg is a city in Warren County, Mississippi, United States. It is the only city in Warren County. It is located northwest of New Orleans on the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers, and due west of Jackson, the state capital. In 1900, 14,834 people lived in Vicksburg; in 1910, 20,814; in 1920,...
) is a former American 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...
and 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....
player. Reed, along with Mike Pringle
Mike Pringle (football player)
Mike Pringle is an American former professional gridiron football player. A running back, he had a highly successful career in the Canadian Football League , during which he set or tied almost every significant league records for the position...
and Johnny Bright
Johnny Bright
Johnny D. Bright was a professional Canadian football player in the Canadian Football League. He played college football at Drake University...
, is one of the players most often mentioned as being the greatest 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 CFL history. In November, 2006, Reed was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
(#2) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.
Reed played his entire 13 year professional football career for 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....
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
and his #34 jersey
Jersey (clothing)
A jersey is an item of knitted clothing, traditionally in wool or cotton, with sleeves, worn as a pullover, as it does not open at the front, unlike a cardigan. It is usually close-fitting and machine knitted in contrast to a guernsey that is more often hand knit with a thicker yarn...
is one of eight that has been retired by the club.
College career
Reed played Pacific Eight Conference college football with the Washington State UniversityWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
Cougars from 1959 to 1962 where he was teamed with fellow CFL Hall of Famer Hugh Campbell
Hugh Campbell
Hugh Campbell is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League, the United States Football League and the National Football League. Campbell retired...
.
CFL
Following college, Reed signed with the Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
where he starred for 13 years from 1963
1963 CFL season
The 1963 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 10th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 6th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1963:...
until 1975
1975 CFL season
The 1975 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 22nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 18th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1975:...
, 203 games in all. By the time he retired, Reed held career records in rushing yards (16,116), rushing 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:...
(134), and touchdowns (137). This was helped by solid offensive lines through the years, notably fellow Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
member Ted Urness
Ted Urness
Harold Edward "Ted" Urness is a former offensive lineman for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1961-1970.-CFL career:...
at centre from 1963 to 1970 and Jack Abendschan
Jack Abendschan
Jack Abendschan is a former Canadian Football League offensive lineman and placekicker who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1965 through 1975.-Roughrider:...
at guard from 1965 to 1975. Reed's rushing yards total has since been surpassed by National Football League
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...
stars Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
and Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
, and, in 2004
2004 CFL season
The 2004 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2004:...
by 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....
star Mike Pringle. Pringle retired that year tied with Reed's total of 137 career touchdowns, and the two now share the record. George Reed still holds the CFL rushing touchdowns record of 134.
George Reed was voted the CFL's Most Outstanding Player for 1965
1965 CFL season
The 1965 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 12th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 8th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1965:...
and in 1976
1976 CFL season
The 1976 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 23rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 19th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1976:...
he was the inaugural winner of the Tom Pate Memorial Trophy
Tom Pate Memorial Award
Every year the Canadian Football League Players' Association presents the Tom Pate Award. It is not a "Jock Award," but rather an award given to players who display qualities that distinguish them from their peers....
for playing ability and community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. Between 1972 and 1981, Reed was President of the CFL Player’s Association. He was the MVP of the 54th Grey Cup
54th Grey Cup
The 54th Grey Cup was hosted at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia on November 26, 1966. The Saskatchewan Roughriders won their first Grey Cup after 53 years of competition for this trophy, losing eight times in the game itself, but defeating on this day with Eagle Keys as head coach the...
of 1966, as Saskatchewan defeated Ottawa, his sole Grey Cup win.
On October 9, 1973 in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
, George Reed was honored with the unique proclamation of October 34th as George Reed Day.
Post-football career
A naturalized Canadian citizen who is currently a Corporate Event Host for Casino Regina, Reed was made a Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
in 1978, Canada's highest civilian honour, and in 1979 was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
.
Videos
Seen in game 3 of the 1970 Western finals against Calgary in its entiretyHis TD run in the 54th Grey Cup game in 1966
CFL Hall of Fame member
External links
- CFL Legends- George Reed
- George Robert Reed at The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...