Joe Krol
Encyclopedia
Joe "King" Krol was a Canadian football
quarterback
, running back
, defensive back
, and placekicker
/punter
from 1942 to 1953 and 1955. Considered as possibly the most versatile player in Canadian football history as a triple-threat to pass, run, and kick, he was one of Canada's greatest athletes and also famously known as a "Gold Dust Twin" for his teamwork with Royal Copeland
. After suffering from a fall in his apartment, Krol died in a Toronto hospital on December 16, 2008.
. He was commonly nicknamed "King". He said in 1999, "My parents are Polish
and the name was actually Krul. I guess in Polish, Krol means king. It also means rabbit, but I think I prefer king."
Krol began playing Canadian football
in high school at Kennedy Collegiate Institute
in Windsor, Ontario
in 1932, with which he won several secondary school championships. He went to the University of Western Ontario
in London, Ontario
and played Intercollegiate Football
for the Western Ontario Mustangs
from 1938 to 1942 including the Intercollegiate championship in 1939.
precursor to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, following university in 1942. In the 1943 season
, he led the Flying Wildcats to a surprise victory to win his first of six Grey Cup
s. His performance, with a 30-yard pass for a touchdown
, a field goal
, and a rouge, made him the star of the game. The Wildcats returned to the Grey Cup final in the 1944 season
but lost. In that game, Krol fumbled the ball to the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy team after a hard hit on a run in the second quarter. Krol went on to play two games with the Detroit Lions
in 1945 before joining the Toronto Argonauts
for the remainder of the 1945 Canadian football season
. The Canadian Press voted him Canada's male athlete of the year in 1946 and 1947.
Krol won six Grey Cup
s, five with the Toronto Argonauts
. His #55 jersey is one of only four that has been retired by the Boatmen
. He was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
as Canada's top athlete in 1946. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 1963 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
in 1975.
Krol and Royal Copeland
(Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders
1944-1956) became known as the Gold Dust Twins. Although official statistics were not kept for the Eastern teams
until 1954, according to the 2001 Unofficial Canadian Football Encyclopedia, during the 1946 season
, Krol completed ten passes for 147 yards and threw four touchdowns.
In November, 2006, Krol was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players
(#46) in a poll conducted by Canadian sports network TSN.
Joe Krol was also one of the owners of the Mercury Night club with Harry Eckler of the baseball hall of fame and Sam Luftspring of the boxing hall of fame the most popular night club of the 1950s.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, 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...
, defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, and placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
/punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
from 1942 to 1953 and 1955. Considered as possibly the most versatile player in Canadian football history as a triple-threat to pass, run, and kick, he was one of Canada's greatest athletes and also famously known as a "Gold Dust Twin" for his teamwork with Royal Copeland
Royal Copeland (football player)
Royal Copeland was a Canadian Football League running back from 1945-1956.Copeland won four Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts. He became a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Along with Joe Krol they were known as the Gold Dust Twins...
. After suffering from a fall in his apartment, Krol died in a Toronto hospital on December 16, 2008.
Early life
Krol was born on February 20, 1919, in Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
. He was commonly nicknamed "King". He said in 1999, "My parents are Polish
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
and the name was actually Krul. I guess in Polish, Krol means king. It also means rabbit, but I think I prefer king."
Krol began playing Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
in high school at Kennedy Collegiate Institute
Kennedy Collegiate Institute
Honourable W.C. Kennedy Collegiate Institute is a secondary school located in central Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Essex County District School Board...
in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
in 1932, with which he won several secondary school championships. He went to the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
in London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
and played Intercollegiate Football
CIS football
Twenty-six universities across Canada compete in football under the auspices of Canadian Interuniversity Sport . The teams are divided into four conferences, drawing from the four regional associations of the CIS: Canada West Universities Athletic Association, Ontario University Athletics, Quebec...
for the Western Ontario Mustangs
Western Ontario Mustangs
The Western Ontario Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada...
from 1938 to 1942 including the Intercollegiate championship in 1939.
Professional career
Krol joined the Hamilton Flying Wildcats, an Ontario Rugby Football UnionOntario Rugby Football Union
The Ontario Rugby Football Union or ORFU was an early amateur Canadian football league with teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded in 1883 and in 1903 became the first major competition to adopt the Burnside Rules, from which the modern Canadian football code would...
precursor to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, following university in 1942. In the 1943 season
1943 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1943:The WIFU and the IRFU suspended operations for the duration of World War II.-Final regular season standings:Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points...
, he led the Flying Wildcats to a surprise victory to win his first of six Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
s. His performance, with a 30-yard pass for 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:...
, a field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, and a rouge, made him the star of the game. The Wildcats returned to the Grey Cup final in the 1944 season
1944 in Canadian football
-Canadian football news in 1944:The WIFU and the IRFU suspended operations for the duration of World War II.-Final regular season standings:Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points...
but lost. In that game, Krol fumbled the ball to the St. Hyacinthe-Donnacona Navy team after a hard hit on a run in the second quarter. Krol went on to play two games with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in 1945 before joining the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto 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...
for the remainder of the 1945 Canadian football season
1945 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1945:On Friday, September 28, the Calgary Bronks changed their name to the Calgary Stampeders and rejoin the WIFU with blue and gold colours.The IRFU would resume play, but the WIFU still suspended operations....
. The Canadian Press voted him Canada's male athlete of the year in 1946 and 1947.
Krol won six Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
s, five with the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto 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...
. His #55 jersey is one of only four that has been retired by the Boatmen
Toronto 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...
. He was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy
Lou Marsh Trophy
The Lou Marsh Trophy, also known as the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy and Lou Marsh Award, is a trophy that is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, professional or amateur. It is awarded by a panel of journalists, with the vote taking place in December. It was first awarded in 1936...
as Canada's top athlete in 1946. He 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...
in 1963 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
in 1975.
Krol and Royal Copeland
Royal Copeland (football player)
Royal Copeland was a Canadian Football League running back from 1945-1956.Copeland won four Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts. He became a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Along with Joe Krol they were known as the Gold Dust Twins...
(Argonauts and Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
1944-1956) became known as the Gold Dust Twins. Although official statistics were not kept for the Eastern teams
Canadian Football League East Division
The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.- Pre-1907 :...
until 1954, according to the 2001 Unofficial Canadian Football Encyclopedia, during the 1946 season
1946 in Canadian football
-Canadian Football News in 1946:The WIFU resumed play for the first time since 1942. The IRFU increased their season play from 6 games to 12 games, per team....
, Krol completed ten passes for 147 yards and threw four touchdowns.
In November, 2006, Krol 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...
(#46) in a poll conducted by Canadian sports network TSN.
Joe Krol was also one of the owners of the Mercury Night club with Harry Eckler of the baseball hall of fame and Sam Luftspring of the boxing hall of fame the most popular night club of the 1950s.