The Canadian Football League is mourning the loss of Canadian Football Hall of Famer John Barrow.
In a statement released by the CFL, Chairman Jim Lawson said:
“It’s an image etched on the memories of fans of a golden age of Canadian football: the legendary John Barrow in his Tiger-Cat jersey. High top shoes. Brush cut. Square jawed, fiercely determined, and tough as steel. This is how we’ll remember the man who was once voted the CFL’s ‘lineman of the century’. A standout lineman from 1957 to 1970, and an All-Star 16 times, including selections on both sides of the ball, Barrow played in nine Grey Cup games, and was a Grey Cup champion four times. The general manager of the Toronto Argonauts from 1971 to 1975, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976. One of the top players in the storied history of our league, John Barrow’s accomplishments are something today’s players can aspire to, his record is something fans from any era can marvel at, and his image is something those of us lucky enough to see him play will never forget. All of us at the Canadian Football League join his family, friends and former teammates in mourning his passing.”
Barrow played 14 seasons (1957-70) as an offensive and defensive tackle with the Tiger-Cats before being named the general manager of the Toronto Argonauts in 1971. During his 14-year career, he achieved CFL All-Star status on 11 occasions. He was the Eastern nominee for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Lineman six times, winning the award in 1962. As the anchor of the Ticats line, Barrow was also named the CFL Lineman of the Century in 1967.
Barrow made an outstanding contribution to the Tiger-Cats organization during his time, as he helped the team to nine Grey Cup appearances, winning four, in an 11-year span.
Following his illustrious career in Hamilton, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976 as well as the Ticats Wall of Honour in 2001. Barrow was able to return to Hamilton from his home in Texas in 2012 for the final game at Ivor Wynne Stadium where he was named to the All-Time Tiger-Cats team.
“John was quite a leader and teammate. His voice in the locker room was well respected while his play on the field was very tough”, said Ticats great Angelo Mosca. “I had the pleasure to play alongside John for ten years, in which we worked hard, played physical and accomplished great things. I’ll cherish our memories together forever”.
VIA: http://www.cfl.ca/article/cfl-mourns-the-passing-of-hall-of-famer-john-barrow
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