John Barrow (football player)
Encyclopedia
John B. Barrow is a former American college and professional football
player who was an offensive and defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League
(CFL) for fourteen seasons in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Barrow played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the CFL.
in 1935. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he was an offensive and defensive lineman for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
team from 1954 to 1956. As a senior
in 1956, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection, a Football Writers Association of America
first-team All-American, and the Gators' team captain
. Barrow was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
of the National Football League
(NFL) selected Barrow in the fifth round (fifty-ninth pick overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft
, but he opted to play in the CFL instead. He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from to as a defensive tackle, was a CFL All-Star at that position eleven times, and was voted the CFL "lineman of the century" in . Barrow was a member of four Grey Cup
-winning Tiger-Cats teams (1957
, 1963
, 1965
, 1967
), and played in five other Grey Cup championship games (1958
, 1959
, 1961
, 1962
, 1964
). In all those years except 1957, he played right tackle next to the notorious Angelo Mosca
, making it difficult for most opposing teams to run up the middle.
Retiring as a player after the season, Barrow became the Toronto Argonauts
general manager from to . He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 1976, and was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players
(seventeenth) of all-time in a poll conducted by Canadian sports network TSN
in 2006.
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 who was an offensive and defensive tackle 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....
(CFL) for fourteen seasons in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Barrow played 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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for 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...
of the CFL.
Early years
Barrow was born in Delray Beach, FloridaDelray Beach, Florida
Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004, the population estimated by the U.S...
in 1935. He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he was an offensive and defensive lineman for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1954 to 1956. As a senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
in 1956, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection, a Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
first-team All-American, and the Gators' team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
. Barrow was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."
Professional career
The 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...
of the 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...
(NFL) selected Barrow in the fifth round (fifty-ninth pick overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft
1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, but he opted to play in the CFL instead. He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from to as a defensive tackle, was a CFL All-Star at that position eleven times, and was voted the CFL "lineman of the century" in . Barrow was a member of four 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...
-winning Tiger-Cats teams (1957
45th Grey Cup
The 45th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football Council's championship game of the 1957 season, which was played on November 30, 1957. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 32–7 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto....
, 1963
51st Grey Cup
The 51st Grey Cup took place on November 30, 1963, at Empire Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, and decided the Canadian Football League champion for the 1963 season. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the BC Lions 21-10, in front of 36,545 spectators....
, 1965
53rd Grey Cup
The 53rd Grey Cup, also known as the Wind Bowl, was hosted at CNE Stadium in Toronto, Ontario on November 27, 1965. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-16.-Weather conditions and change in punting rule:...
, 1967
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...
), and played in five other Grey Cup championship games (1958
46th Grey Cup
The 46th Grey Cup was the championship game of the 1958 season of the Canadian Football League on November 29, 1958. The game was played in Vancouver's Empire Stadium before a crowd of 36,567. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 35-28...
, 1959
47th Grey Cup
The 47th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1959 season on November 28, 1959.The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 to 7 at Toronto's CNE Stadium before a crowd of 33,133-Game summary:...
, 1961
49th Grey Cup
The 49th Grey Cup was the Canadian Football League's championship game of the 1961 season on December 2, 1961. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 21 to 14 at CNE Stadium in Toronto before 32,651 fans. It is considered to be one of the 10 greatest Grey Cup Games of all...
, 1962
50th Grey Cup
The 50th Grey Cup, also known as the Fog Bowl, was the 1962 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Toronto's Exhibition Stadium. It remains the only Grey Cup game ever suspended during play. The Blue Bombers won...
, 1964
52nd Grey Cup
The 52nd Grey Cup was hosted at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario on November 28, 1964. The BC Lions defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 34-24, the first Grey Cup victory for BC.-Bill Munsey on offence and defence:...
). In all those years except 1957, he played right tackle next to the notorious Angelo Mosca
Angelo Mosca
Angelo Mosca is a former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler. He is also known by the wrestling nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules...
, making it difficult for most opposing teams to run up the middle.
Retiring as a player after the season, Barrow became 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...
general manager from to . 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 1976, and 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...
(seventeenth) of all-time in a poll conducted 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...
in 2006.
See also
- 1956 College Football All-America Team1956 College Football All-America TeamThe 1956 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1956...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1950–1959
- List of Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni
External links
- Video clip – Canadian Football Hall of Fame video biography of John Barrow