Robert L. Simpson (April 20, 1930 – November 28, 2007) was a professional Canadian football player for the Ottawa Rough Riders, and was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976. He was an IRFU all-star at four different positions throughout his career and was a two-time Grey Cup champion, winning with Ottawa in 1951 and 1960. He also represented Canada in basketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.[1]
| No. 70 | |
| Born: | April 20, 1930 Windsor, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Died: | November 28, 2007 (aged 77) Ottawa, Ontario |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | FW, Tight end, Defensive back |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1949 | Windsor Rockets |
| 1950–1962 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL East All-Star | 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956–1959 |
| Awards | |
| Records | Ottawa Rough Rider record, most career touchdowns (70) |
| Career stats | |
He was the Rough Riders nominee for the Schenley Most Outstanding Player in 1956, Schenley Most Outstanding Canadian Award three times, and was Most Outstanding Canadian runner-up in 1956.[2] Over his career with the Rough Riders, Simpson caught 274 passes for 6,034 yards and 65 touchdowns.[2] On defense, he recorded 18 interceptions for 192 return yards and three touchdowns while on punt returns, he had 53 returns for 376 yards (7.1 yard average) and one touchdown.[3] He was the first Rough Riders player to record 1000 receiving yards in a season, doing so in 1956.[4]
He was named to the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 1967[5] and the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame Museum in 1982.[6]
Simpson represented Wellington Ward on Ottawa City Council from 1960 to 1963.[6]
Olympic Basketball
editHe was part of the Canadian basketball team that competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics which was eliminated after the group stage in the 1952 tournament. He played five matches.[7]
References
edit- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Bob Simpson Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved June 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Robert (Bob) Simpson". Hall of Famers. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- ^ "Bobby Simpson". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ 2009 Canadian Football League Facts, Figures & Records, Canadian Football League Properties/Publications, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 978-0-9739425-4-5, p.239
- ^ "Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame". Inductees. Archived from the original on 2008-05-27. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- ^ a b Caton, Mary (November 28, 2007). "Windsor gridiron great Bob Simpson dies". Windsor Star. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
- ^ profile Archived September 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine