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September 13, 2010

Insider: A unique situation

When Joffrey Reynolds dashed for 17 yards on an option play on Friday night at Commonwealth Stadium, he created a situation that hasn’t existed in the history of the Calgary Stampeders since 1950.Reynolds_100826.jpg

In surpassing Kelvin Anderson as the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, Reynolds joined Henry Burris — the Stampeders’ all-time leading passer in every category including yards — at the top of the Calgary charts.

It’s been an astonishing 60 years since the team’s top career rusher and top passer shared the home locker-room in Calgary.

Paul Rowe, a standout whose Calgary career goes back to his days with the Bronks, was an original Stampeder when the franchise was born in 1945 and he led the team in rushing when Calgary played its first regular season in 1946.

A member of the Stamps’ legendary undefeated 1948 team, Rowe amassed 1,347 yards by the time he retired after the 1950 campaign.

Meanwhile, Keith Spaith took over the franchise’s all-time passing lead when he threw for 1,246 yards in 1948, his first year with the team. To give you an idea how little passing had previously Lunsford_100720.jpgbeen done in the infant club’s short existence, Pat Cassidy was the Stamps’ first passing leader with a grand total of 153 yards in 1946 while Del Wardein snuck ahead of Cassidy with 157 yards through the air in 1947.

At the time Rowe called it quits, Spaith had amassed 4,809 passing yards. That 1950 season would be the last time Calgary’s No. 1 all-time rushers and passers would be teammates until Reynolds made history last week.

Rowe continued to hold the rushing mark until he was surpassed by Howard Waugh in 1957. Two years later, Earl Lunsford roared to the No. 1 spot and he would remain there for an amazing 42 years until Anderson became Calgary’s leading rusher in 2001. Now, nine years later, it’s Reynolds’ turn.

Meanwhile, Spaith remained atop the passing charts until Eagle Day moved ahead during the 1964 season. You can call that one a near-miss when it comes to having the leading passer and rusher play on the same team because Lunsford had concluded his Hall-of-Fame career the season before Day established the record.

In 1972, Jerry Keeling moved past Day put that reign was short-lived as Peter Liske returned from a stint south of the border the following season and leapfrogged him.Burris_100804.jpg

Liske’s stint as the all-time leading passer would last two decades until Doug Flutie, in just his third season with the Red and White, skyrocketed to the top. Flutie remained No. 1 for 15 years until Burris took over in 2009.

Here is the complete list of the men who have held the all-time rushing and passing records in franchise history:

All-time leading rushers

Paul Rowe (1946-57)
Howard Waugh (1957-59)
Earl Lunsford (1959-2001)
Kelvin Anderson (2001-2010)
Joffrey Reynolds (2010-present)

All-time leading passers

Pat Cassidy (1946-47)
Del Wardein (1947-48)
Keith Spaith (1948-1964)
Eagle Day (1964-1972)
Jerry Keeling (1972-73)
Peter Liske (1973-1994)
Doug Flutie (1994-2009)
Henry Burris (2009-present)