Harry Langford (December 6, 1929 – September 19, 2022) was a Canadian football lineman who played for the Calgary Stampeders. He was noted for playing 135 consecutive games for the franchise from 1950 to 1958.
 Langford c. 1946 | |
| Born: | December 6, 1929 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
|---|---|
| Died: | September 19, 2022 (aged 92) Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | G, Tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1950–1958 | Calgary Stampeders |
| CFL West All-Star | 1952, 1955–1958 |
| Source:[1] | |
Early life
editLangford was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,[2] on December 6, 1929.[3] He completed his primary education at Cecil Rhodes School in Weston,[3] before attending the Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute.[4] There, he played for the Daniel McIntyre Maroons from 1945 to 1946 and was selected to both the defensive and offensive all-star teams. He then became an assistant to the Maroons' head coach for three years, while simultaneously playing junior football for the Weston Wildcats. He was named a two-way all-star in all three seasons, was honoured as the league's most valuable player in 1949, and eventually became captain.[3] From his high school years onward, he missed only one game when he fainted after being elbowed in the forehead and receiving a concussion.[5] Although he was hospitalized, he still turned up for practice the following day.[5]
Career
editLangford made his debut for the Calgary Stampeders during the 1950 season. The franchise did not qualify for the playoffs during his first two seasons.[6] He played mainly as a guard, though his versatility meant that he could play several positions at both offence and defence. He received All-Star selections in 1952 and from 1955 to 1958, and was appointed captain for the 1958 Shrine Game.[3] He went on to play 135 consecutive regular-season games during his nine seasons with the Stampeders.[2][7] When including pre-season and playoff games, this totalled to 158 consecutive games, which established a new record at the time.[5] In order to supplement his meagre income from football, Langford worked as a print lithographer and owned a gas station.[5]
Personal life
editLangford was married to Muriel until her death in November 2012. They first met when he was 13 years old.[5]
After retiring from professional football, Langford stayed in Calgary for several years and was appointed coach of the Calgary Colts in 1965.[7] He was also a player-coach with the intermediate Drumheller Miners for three seasons.[3] He later relocated to Nanaimo, where he resided until his death.[7] He was honoured by the Stampeders on their Wall of Fame in 1992,[8] before being inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum two decades later in November 2012.[3][5] Langford died on the morning of September 19, 2022, at age 92.[2][7]
References
edit- ^ "Harry Langford football statistics on StatsCrew.com". Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Harry Langford, 'Ironman' for Stampeders in 1950s, dies at 92". CBC News. The Canadian Press. September 19, 2022. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f "Harry Langford". Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Sport Manitoba. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Goaltender Belfour heads up list of inductees to Hall of Fame". Winnipeg Free Press. June 5, 2012. ProQuest 2545636748. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b c d e f Chadwick, Julie (December 3, 2012). "Former football superstar 'honoured' at hall of fame". Nanaimo Daily News. p. A1. ProQuest 244216704. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Austin, Daniel (November 25, 2012). "Calgary Stampeders". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Stamps Mourn Death Of Harry Langford". Calgary Stampeders. September 19, 2022. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Wall of Fame". Calgary Stampeders. Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2021.