Poll’s top Rider of all time is no surprise
Many of franchise greats remembered for their connection to the community
No. 34 is No. 1 with Saskatchewan Roughriders fans.
That was the conclusion — hardly a surprising one — after the results of an impromptu social-media survey were tabulated.
The question, posed on Twitter and Facebook, was: Who is your favourite Roughrider of all time?
“George Reed,” Barry Horeczy responded on Facebook. “Does anyone really need a reason?”
“George Reed,” John Kennedy (@Prairieboyjohn) replied, “because he’s George Reed.”
“He’s an icon and a community leader,” noted Corey Atkinson (@Coreyatkinsonmj).
“Greatest running back of ALL TIME,” M. Wayne (@da_jetsfan) opined.
No arguments here.
Reed, who starred for the Roughriders from 1963 to 1975, retired with regular-season totals of 16,116 rushing yards and 137 touchdowns.
He was especially tough to bring down in the CFL playoffs, even if it meant playing on a frozen field and in considerable pain.
Away from the field, Reed continues to be a superstar — signing every autograph and treating fans like they are royalty.
Hence the enduring popularity. Who else receives a standing ovation simply by walking into a room?
“George. Hands down,” said
Trent Dickin (@Dickintrent). “And I can’t say I ever saw him play. Still awestruck every time I’m in his presence.”
The top 10 is as follows: 1. Reed, 69 votes; 2. Ron Lancaster, 57; 3. Darian Durant, 53; 4. Ray Elgaard, 45; 5. Weston Dressler, 39; 6. Bobby Jurasin, 38; 7. Don Narcisse, 28; 8. Roger Aldag,
23; 9. Joey Walters, 22; 10. Jeff Fairholm, 15.
Also in double figures: Richie
Hall (13), Rob Bagg (11), Kent Austin (10), Eddie Lowe (10).
Nine votes: Chris Defrance.
Eight: John Chick.
Seven: Bob Poley.
Six: Rhett Dawson, Kory Sheets.
Five: Tom Burgess, Tom Campana, Reggie Hunt, Gene Makowsky, Ed Mcquarters.
Four: Henry Burris, Eddie Davis, Cody Fajardo, Dan Farthing, Alan Ford, Kerry Joseph, Ken Miller, Scott Schultz, Reggie Slack.
Three: Dan Clark, Matt Dominguez, Vince Goldsmith, Gainer the Gopher, Kenton Keith, Brendon Labatte, Dave Ridgway, Jon Ryan.
Two: Jack Abendschan, Joe (747) Adams, Ron Atchison, Bill Baker, Tyron Brackenridge, Rocky Butler, Wes Cates, Jason Clermont, Andy Fantuz, Roger Goree, Corey Holmes, Neal Hughes, Paul Mccallum, Mike Mccullough, Tim Roth, Geroy Simon, Glen Suitor, Cleveland Vann, Dale West, Barry Wilburn.
One: Dylan Ainsworth, Dave Albright, Joe Barnes, Gord Barwell, Kelly Bates, Jeff Bentrim, Larry Bird, Clyde Brock, Harvey Campbell, Carm Carteri, Tom Clements, Terry Cochrane, Nate Davis, Steve Dennis, Henry Dorsch, Ted Dushinski, Peter Dyakowski, Craig Ellis, Lucius Floyd, Ricky
Foley, Ed Gainey, Chris Getzlaf, Andrew Greene, Nealon Greene, Macho Harris, Ben Heenan, John Hufnagel, Charleston Hughes, Quincy Jackson, Al Johns, Belton Johnson, Bobby Johnson, Eddie Johnson, Bill Kerr, Eagle Keys, Mike Lazecki, Gary Lewis, Bill Manchuk, Bus Mcdougall,
Omarr Morgan, J.T. O’sullivan, Chad Owens, Bob Pearce, Brian Peters, Leif Pettersen, Neil Quilter, Johnny Quinn, Jordan Reaves, Lorne Richardson, Mike Saunders, Wayne Shaw, Chris Szarka, Marcus Thigpen, Mark Urness, Ted Urness, Reg Whitehouse, Gene Wlasiuk, Lyall Woznesensky.
Total number of votes: 632.
Total number of players/coaches/gophers mentioned: 119.
The real story, however, transcends the numbers.
Cheering for the Roughriders is a highly personal exercise. Fans across the CFL are blessed with the opportunity to interact with the same people who provide the entertainment on game day.
Suppose you are a fan of the New England Patriots. You may be the biggest Tom Brady fan imaginable, but what is the likelihood of being able to share a personal story?
Impenetrable walls are erected between the players and the public in the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.
The CFL, by contrast, fosters a rapport between the stars and the spectators.
“Ron Lancaster,” remembered Lance Hoogeveen (@lanceh1958), “was just the greatest. Always had time to speak to you, sign an autograph and make you feel that you were the most important person at that time. Oh, and a great football player also.”
That opinion was seconded by Darcy Lussier.
“Ronnie Lancaster,” was the response via @Darcy_lussier. “He was the player my dad latched on to as a kid and fuelled his love for the Riders, which eventually led to me sharing that love with him. When Dad was cremated, we made sure he was wearing his Lancaster jersey. It was so much a part of him.”
To this day, many Roughriders fans wear the No. 71 jersey of
Hall of Fame sack specialist Bobby Jurasin, whose impact away from the field was also noted.
“Bobby J for me,” said Matt Totten (@mattmann100). “Visited my class and spent about an hour just hanging out. I was sold.”
Mattimus Prime (@nomaddadmatt) added: “A lot of it has to do with him living down the block from me when I was a kid and once throwing the ball around with me.”
Don Narcisse was of a comparable mindset. If there was a record for most birthday parties attended by a Roughrider, the Hall of Fame pass-catcher would almost certainly win.
“He is just such a personable and approachable guy, as well as being one of the best receivers ever,” said Heather Stark (@ hestark). “Also … loved the strut after a great catch!!!”
Joey Walters specialized in great catches. When you consider all the prolific pass-catchers in Roughriders history, it is worth noting that Walters boasts the team’s top two single-season receiving-yardage totals — 1,715 (in 1981) and 1,692 (1982).
And he amassed those totals over 16 games, without collaborating with a top-tier quarterback (such as Lancaster, Durant, Kent Austin, Kerry Joseph or Cody Fajardo) in either season.
“My first favourite player when I spent many games in the Rider Rookie section as a young lad,” Joe Smith (@Nicehair1968) said of Walters. “Even got a ride home from him one day after I missed the last bus home after a Sunday game when the buses ran pretty small hours.”
Walters arrived in Saskatchewan courtesy of a donation by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who cut him early in the 1977 season.
All these years later, though, the Blue Bombers can savour the last laugh.
En route to snapping a 29-year Grey Cup drought, Winnipeg defeated the first-place Roughriders 20-13 in the 2019 West Division final.
The game came down to the final play, on which Fajardo looked for Kyran Moore in the end zone. CLANG!
With that in mind, Alex Howe (@Alexhowewpg) of Morden, Man., cast this vote for his favourite Roughrider: “The crossbar in the end zone.”