1951 (75 years ago)
Ex-Baltimore Colts Coach, Clem Crowe, was in Ottawa to speak to the Rough Riders executive about the open Head Coach position. The Ottawa officials described the interview as “very satisfactory.”
1956 (70 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders announced the signing of three US College players; Ken Vargo, a centre and linebacker from Ohio State, end Bill Fry from North Carolina and end Tim Harkins from Vanderbilt.
1962 (64 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders General Manager, George Terlep, will propose several rule changes at the CFL meetings in Winnipeg, including two moves to increase blocking. He is seeking approval for unlimited blocking on pass plays and blocking by at least backfielders on punt returns. Terlep also said the Riders would put forth as many as three proposals to try to eliminate the growing bag of tricks used by the nine CFL teams to throw the defensive squad offside. The suggestions would force linemen to pause for a full second at the line of scrimmage, prohibit backfielders from faking blocks at the line and outlaw “herky-jerky” manoeuvres by the quarterbacks before the ball was snapped. The league is also considering a proposal that would allow the NFL to “farm” players out to Canada. It would permit each of the nine Canadian teams to use two such NFL “farm” players and return them upon request without waivers.
1965 (61 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders announced that General Manager Red O’Quinn has been signed for another three years.
1966 (60 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders signed fullback Wayne Giardino who played at Florida State. He stands 5’-11”, weighs 219 pounds, he’s 23 and, in addition to playing fullback, he can double as a corner linebacker on defence. Riders also signed Eric Vivian, a 238-pound Ottawa boy who attended Lenoir Rhyne College (Eric who owned Lapointe’s Fish Market in the Byward Market died in 2008). Earlier the Riders signed another American-trained Canadian in Allan Ische, a 6’-2”, 240-pound guard from Northern Michigan.
1968 (58 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders selected four of the nine players drafted in the first round of the Canadian College Draft because Edmonton, Calgary and Hamilton had previously passed their choices to the Riders. Seventy-four players were chosen. Ottawa selected 11 players in all. Their first pick was Paul Brule, a 5’-11”, 190-pound halfback from St. Francis Xavier.
1972 (54 years ago)
The Canadian Football League annual Canadian College Draft was held at Montreal. Ottawa Rough Riders’ picks were Doug Cihocki (Western Ontario), Stew MacSween (Toronto), Ron Perowne (Bishop’s), Gord Ladbrook (Dalhousie) and Fred Tokoryk (Dalhousie).
1973 (53 years ago)
The CFL, at their annual meeting in Toronto, approved extra revenue for pre-season training camps and games for veterans. They will be paid $20 a day during the pre-season training camp and receive $50.00 a game in the pre-season. Each club will determine who is a veteran. The league also increased the winner’s share of the Grey Cup by $1,000 a man to $3,000. The losing team players will receive $2,000, up from $1,500. The roster strength of the nine teams will remain this year at 32, not more than 15 of them being imports.
1985 (41 years ago)
New Ottawa Rough Riders Head Coach, Joe Moss, made his first cut even though it’s only early February. Quarterback Joey Adams was released. The Riders still have three signing quarterbacks, namely J.C. Watts, Dave Marler and Art Williams. General Manager Don Holtby is trying to lure import free agent Donnie Little back to Ottawa. He was a Rough Rider in 1983, but suffered a knee inuury that ended his season and the following one. Riders medical staff have pronounced him fit to play football again. Holtby will be in Montreal today to meet with Concordia University’s offensive lineman Nick Benjamin. Riders are expected to take him with their first overall pick in the Canadian College Draft on February 18.
1988 (38 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders Head Coach Fred Glick invited quarterback Art Schlichter to an evaluation camp to take place on February 20 and 21 at Pierce Junior College in California. Schlichter has been reinstated by the NFL after two gambling infractions, but would prefer to be a starting QB in the CFL rather than a backup in the NFL.
1990 (36 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders received the signed three-year contract they offered offensive lineman Gerald Roper. Roper came to Ottawa in a trade for Leo Groenewegen. He could have been a free agent on February 15.
1993 (33 years ago)
John Mandarich, Ottawa Rough Riders’ defensive lineman in 1990, passed away at Burlington, Ontario of cancer at age 31.
1994 (32 years ago)
“Ottawa City Council won’t sign another stadium lease with a potential new owner of the Ottawa Rough Riders until it collects an unpaid $400,000”, Mayor Jacqueline Holzman says. “We have an outstanding lease with the present owner and will not sign a new one until that one has been resolved.” The CFL said it would not guarantee payment of the $400,000 owed by the current Rough Riders owners, Bernard and Lonie Glieberman. “The league is not a party to the money paid back and forth”, CFL Chairman John Tory said.
1995 (31 years ago)
Three U.S. businessmen interested in buying the Ottawa Rough Riders could all end up owning CFL teams during the next year or two. League Commissioner Larry Smith and Riders’ President Phil Kershaw met with two of the three in Ottawa. Smith was so impressed with the presentations by Alabama beer distributor Elliot Maisel and Florida developer Norton Herrick. He expects to be left with a similar impression of Chicago restaurateur Horn Chen, the other American interested in buying the club when Smith and Kershaw meet him today.
2003 (23 years ago)
Ottawa Renegades lost defensive end Michael Boireau when he signed a contract to attend the Cleveland Browns training camp. He received an undisclosed bonus. If he makes the team, he will earn the NFL minimum of $225,000 US.
2006 (20 years ago)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ Head Coach Doug Berry rounded out his staff by hiring Greg Marshall to take over as the Bombers defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and Richard Harris as defensive line coach. Both were with Ottawa Renegades last season.
2009 (17 years ago)
Bob Stephen, Ottawa Rough Riders’ offensive lineman from 1981 to 1985, passed away at Ottawa at age 50 of a heart attack.
2022 (4 years ago)
Ottawa RedBlacks signed quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to a two-year contract paying him a $432,000 salary (with $200,000 of that up front as a signing bonus), $18,000 in playtime bonuses and $8,000 on extra incentives this season.
2023 (3 years ago)
Word is that Ottawa RedBlacks have signed middle linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox to a two-year deal prior to CFL free agency in a week.
BIRTHDAYS (FEBRUARY 8)
1945 (81 years ago) Feb 8
Steve Goldman, Ottawa Rough Riders Head Coach and Director of Football Operations from 1989 to 1991, born at Brooklyn, New York.
1952 (74 years ago) Feb 8
Ivan MacMillan, Ottawa Rough Riders placekicker in 1970, born at Lochiel, Ontario.
1965 (61 years ago) Feb 8
Lee Knight, Ottawa Rough Riders slotback in 1996, born at Wallasey, England.
1974 (52 years ago) Feb 8
Jason Kralt, Ottawa Renegades’ linebacker from 2002 to 2005, born at Ottawa, Ontario.
