One of the greatest linebackers ever to play the Canadian game, Wayne 'the Thumper' Harris passed away today. The battles Harris had with George Reed were truly legendary. I am an Eskimo fan but I still considered Harris to be one of my favourite players. You can't compare era's but I think Harris was one of the greatest ever. I am sure George Reed would agree.
Yeah. he was one of the best. RIP.
X2 :thup: RIP
One of the CFL's all-time greatest defensive players. Not to mention he established roots in Calgary after his playing career was over. Big, big, loss
Wayne Harris
Nickname(s)
Thumper
Date of birth:
May 4, 1938
Place of birth:
Hampton, Arkansas, U.S.
Date of death:
June 4, 2015 (aged 77)
Place of death:
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Career information
Status:
Retired
CFL status:
International
Position(s):
LB/C
Height:
6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight:
195 lb (88 kg)
College:
Arkansas
As player:
1961–1972
Calgary Stampeders
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star:
1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971
CFL West All-Star:
1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Awards:
MVP, 1971 Grey Cup
Retired #s:
55 (Stampeders)
Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1976
College Football Hall of Fame, 2004
Carroll Wayne Harris (May 4, 1938 – June 4, 2015) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League from 1961 through 1972
High school and college[edit]
Harris was a high school all-American who played collegiately for University of Arkansas from 1957 to 1960. In 1960, he was selected as the outstanding player in the Southwest Conference and played in the Cotton Bowl Classic and the All-American Bowl. He was nicknamed "Thumper".
CFL[edit]
Harris was drafted by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League, but opted to play in Canadian Football League for 12 years, all with the Calgary Stampeders. He won the Outstanding Lineman Award a record 4 times. He was named all-Western Conference 11 times and all-Canadian 9 times, appearing in 3 Grey Cup finals: the 56th Grey Cup of 1968, the 58th Grey Cup of 1970, and the 59th Grey Cup of 1971, the latter being the only victory, when he was named Most Valuable Player in the game. His jersey #55 was retired by the Stampeders in 1973.
Awards & Legacy[edit]
Harris was has been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame (2004), the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, Arkansas' all-century team for the 20th century, and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. In November 2006, Harris was voted 9th among the CFL's Top 50 players of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network/TSN, no linebacker being ahead of him.
In 2012 in honour of the 100th Grey Cup, Canada Post used his image on a series of commemorative postage stamps. The image was also used on presentation posters and other materials to promote the Grey Cup game and other celebrations associated with the centennial.
Later life and death[edit]
Wayne Harris was a full-time physical education teacher, at William Aberhart High School in Calgary, Canada. He also volunteered his football know-how to the school's football teams. He died June, 4, 2015 at the age of 77.[1]
Pretty amazing to think he was a CFL All-Star in 1962, then again in 1971! That's a pretty rare feat - to be at that elite level 9 years later.
He was a great player