1951 (74 years ago)
Fans sent the Ottawa Rough Riders off to Toronto in quest of the Grey Cup against the Regina Roughriders with a parade through the uptown streets.
1965 (60 years ago)
Eight Ottawa Rough Riders’ players were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team selected by the Football Reporters of Canada. They were tackle Moe Racine, end Ted Watkins, defensive back Bob O’Billovich, defensive back Gene Gaines, back Jim Dillard, back Bo Scott, lineman John Pentecost and middle linebacker Ken Lehmann. Dave Thelen, former Rough Rider, of the Toronto Argonauts, was also an all-star at the running back position.
1969 (56 years ago)-The ‘Act of God’ game so named by Argo coach Leo Cahill
Ottawa Rough Riders 32 Toronto Argonauts 3 on Russ Jackson Day before 24,324 at Lansdowne Park in the second game of the two-game Eastern Finals. Ottawa took the round, 46-25. The game was played on a frozen field, and the Riders wore broomball shoes (based on local knowledge and the Argos had Addidas shoes). Frank Morgan and Ivan Kelly visited many sport stores to find so many broomball shoes before the pre-game warmup.
Wayne Giardino scored three touchdowns, all on the ground, with Ron Stewart adding the other. Whit Tucker caught five passes for 117 yards. Rough Riders completely dominated the visitors by putting up a net offence of 422 yards to Toronto’s 32. The Rough Riders had 25 first downs to the Argos, 6.
1971 (54 years ago)
Teammates and friends of former Ottawa Rough Riders tight end Jay Roberts gathered at the Belle Claire Hotel to say goodbye as he was about to leave town to take a position with Revere Electric Company in Elgin, Illinois. He came to the Riders in 1964 and played until after the 1970 season winning Grey Cups in 1968 and 1969. He passed away on October 6, 2010 and age 67 in Ottawa.
1977 (48 years ago)
Eight Ottawa Rough Riders were named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team picked by the Football Writers of Canada. They were quarterback Tom Clements, tight end Tony Gabriel, running back Richard Holmes, wide receiver Jeff Avery, centre Donn Smith and guard Jeff Turcotte. Linebacker Mike Widger and defensive end Jim Piaskoski were named to the defensive squad.
1981 (44 years ago)
Edmonton Eskimos 26 Ottawa Rough Riders 23 in the 69th Grey Cup Game played at Olympic Stadium in Montreal before 53,207. Warren Moon scored two Eskimos’ majors with Jim Germany getting the other, each coming along the ground. Dave Cutler booted a 14-yard field goal with 1:03 left on the clock to break the 23-23 deadlock. The Riders took a 20-1 lead into the second half and were up 20-15 after three quarters. Ottawa touchdowns were scored by Jim Reid and Sam Platt. Gerry Organ kicked three field goals and two converts. Riders’ quarterback J.C. Watts was named the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game, while his teammate, John Glassford, took the Defensive Player of the Game honours. The teams tied a Grey Cup record with six interceptions: three each. Eskimos became the first team to win four consecutive Grey Cups.
1990 (35 years ago)
Ottawa Rough Riders running back, Reggie Barnes, was named the CFL’s Rookie of the Year. He beat out Saskatchewan Roughriders’ tailback Lucius Floyd in a vote of the Football Reporters of Canada. Barnes rushed for 1,260 yards on 211 carries in just 14 starts.
1993 (32 years ago)
Ron Smeltzer was fired as Ottawa Rough Riders Head Coach and Director of Football Operations by team Vice Chairman John Ritchie. Ritchie advised Smeltzer the news over breakfast and then headed to Lansdowne Park to announce that Assistant Coaches Harry Justvig, Jim Clark and Dick Maloney were also out of a job. Only Secondary Coach Larry Hogue was spared. He was invited to apply for the vacant Head Coach post.
2015 (10 years ago)
Ottawa RedBlacks 35 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28 in the Eastern Conference final before 25,093 at TD Place. The biggest scoring play came with only 85 seconds left. A Henry Burris to Greg Ellingson 93-yard pass-and-run touchdown sent the Ottawa club on to the Grey Cup game. The play came on a second-and-25 yards to go situation. William Powell and Burris had scored RedBlacks majors on rushing plays. Over the game, Burris completed 17 of 32 for 326 yards. Ellingson pulled in five catches for 186 yards. Ti-Cats’ Jeremiah Masoli completed touchdown passes to Tiquan Woodward, for 66 yards, and Luke Tasker, for 22 yards, each in the fourth quarter. Woodward was top receiver for Hamilton with four catches for 111 yards. Masoli completed 30 of 42 attempts for 349 yards.
Birthdays
November 4,
1969 (56 years ago)
Tommy Henry, Ottawa Rough Riders cornerback in 1995 and 1996, born at Arcadia, Florida.
November 22
1960 (65 years ago)
Andre Young, Ottawa Rough Riders linebacker in 1986, born at West Monroe, Louisiana.
1967 (58 years ago)
Scott Douglas, Ottawa Rough Riders guard in 1995, born at London, Ontario.
1971 (54 years ago)
Johnson Joseph, Ottawa Rough Riders wide receiver in 1996, born at Montreal Quebec.
1985 (40 years ago)
Jonathan Williams, Ottawa RedBlacks defensive lineman in 2014 and 2015, born at Augusta, Georgia.
