Joe Zuger
Encyclopedia
Joe Zuger was a star football player in college and the Canadian Football League
.
, between 1959 and 1961, where he excelled on offense, defence and as a punter. As quarterback
, he compiled a 24-7 record in three years as a starter. He also played defensive back and punter. During his senior season in 1961, Zuger completed 67 of 133 passes (50.4 percent) for 879 yards and eight touchdowns, and led the team and ranked among the nationally with 10 interceptions (the third best single-season mark in ASU history), and had a 42.1 yard punting average. He has been inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.
in the 18th round (248th overall) Zuger came to Canada for what would be a ten-year career (1962 to 1971) with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
. In 1962, his rookie season, Zuger shared quarterback
duties with Frank Cosentino
, as the #1 starter, Bernie Faloney
, was injured. Zuger turned heads immediately when in his very first game as the starting quarterback he threw for a team record 572 passing yards and a league record 8 TD passes in a 67-21 win over the astonished Saskatchewan Roughriders
. That year, Zuger completed 55.7% of his 113 passes for 1070 yards and had a 15 to 6 TD to Interception ratio. In addition, he intercepted 4 passes as a defensive back
and was the regular punter with a 43.3 yard average. With Faloney back in 1963, Zuger became a full-time defensive back
and had 5 interceptions. Injuries limited Zuger to just 8 games in 1964, and in 1965, with the trading of Faloney to Montreal, Zuger moved back to the quarterback position, sharing duties with Cosentino again, as well as in 1966, before taking over as the sole #1 quarterback in 1967 and leading Hamilton to victory in the 55th Grey Cup
game against Saskatchewan, named as the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
. That year and 1968 were Zuger's best as quarterback, both with over 300 pass attempts and passing for 2771 and 2616 yards, respectively. Injuries cut Zuger back to 11 games in 1969 and 9 in 1970. In his final season, in 1971, Zuger returned to play all 14 games, completing 48.6% of his 265 passes for 1632 yards, but he had a bad 8 TD 19 interception ratio.
Zuger was one of the greatest punters the CFL has ever seen, with a league record 45.5 yard punting average over his career. Three times, Zuger averaged over 48 yards a punt over a season and had punts of over 80 yards at least 4 times, including one of 85 yards in 1968.
He played in 5 Grey Cup
games, winning 3 (1963, 1965, 1967).
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....
.
College career
He attended Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, between 1959 and 1961, where he excelled on offense, defence and as a punter. As 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...
, he compiled a 24-7 record in three years as a starter. He also played defensive back and punter. During his senior season in 1961, Zuger completed 67 of 133 passes (50.4 percent) for 879 yards and eight touchdowns, and led the team and ranked among the nationally with 10 interceptions (the third best single-season mark in ASU history), and had a 42.1 yard punting average. He has been inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame.
CFL playing career
Drafted by the NFL's Detroit LionsDetroit 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 the 18th round (248th overall) Zuger came to Canada for what would be a ten-year career (1962 to 1971) with 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...
. In 1962, his rookie season, Zuger shared 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...
duties with Frank Cosentino
Frank Cosentino
Frank Cosentino was a quarterback in the Canadian Football League.Cosentino was a graduate of the University of Western Ontario, where he captained the football team to the first Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship in 1959. As a professional he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Edmonton...
, as the #1 starter, Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney
Bernie Faloney was a professional football player in the Canadian Football League and an outstanding American college football player at the University of Maryland...
, was injured. Zuger turned heads immediately when in his very first game as the starting quarterback he threw for a team record 572 passing yards and a league record 8 TD passes in a 67-21 win over the astonished 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...
. That year, Zuger completed 55.7% of his 113 passes for 1070 yards and had a 15 to 6 TD to Interception ratio. In addition, he intercepted 4 passes as a 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 was the regular punter with a 43.3 yard average. With Faloney back in 1963, Zuger became a full-time 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 had 5 interceptions. Injuries limited Zuger to just 8 games in 1964, and in 1965, with the trading of Faloney to Montreal, Zuger moved back to the quarterback position, sharing duties with Cosentino again, as well as in 1966, before taking over as the sole #1 quarterback in 1967 and leading Hamilton to victory in the 55th Grey Cup
55th Grey Cup
The 55th Grey Cup was played between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on December 2, 1967, at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, before 31,358 fans and was won by the Tiger-Cats by a score of 24 to 1.- Box Score :First Quarter...
game against Saskatchewan, named as the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
The Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award is awarded annually to the player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup Game, the Canadian Football League's championship game.-Grey Cup Most Valuable Player Award winners:...
. That year and 1968 were Zuger's best as quarterback, both with over 300 pass attempts and passing for 2771 and 2616 yards, respectively. Injuries cut Zuger back to 11 games in 1969 and 9 in 1970. In his final season, in 1971, Zuger returned to play all 14 games, completing 48.6% of his 265 passes for 1632 yards, but he had a bad 8 TD 19 interception ratio.
Zuger was one of the greatest punters the CFL has ever seen, with a league record 45.5 yard punting average over his career. Three times, Zuger averaged over 48 yards a punt over a season and had punts of over 80 yards at least 4 times, including one of 85 yards in 1968.
He played in 5 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...
games, winning 3 (1963, 1965, 1967).