Jim Duncan, one of four men to guide the Stampeders to a Grey Cup championship, died this week at the age of 86.

With the help of Larry Robinson, one of Duncan’s former players, as well as long-time Stampeders broadcaster Billy Powers, QR77 — the official voice of the Red and White — reminisced about the man and his legacy during their Sportstalk program on Thursday evening. Here is a sampling of what Duncan’s contemporaries had to say:

Larry Robinson: “He was one of those old-time coaches. If you didn’t (get the job done), he’d tell you that you were no good and that you better do it or you wouldn’t be there. I don’t think a lot of players today would be able to hang around or be able to stand that. Back then, there were a few players who got upset with him (but) he was a good coach and he got his men to work, and they worked hard. He was a good man. You could be straightforward with him.”

Billy Powers remembers Duncan’s penchant for quips: “One time, he said you can’t make chicken salad out of chicken(bleep). One night, I was the first one into his office after we got beat 33-0 by BC and I said, ‘Coach, what do you say?’ He said, ‘Billy, we just got beat 33-nothing by BC and we were lucky to get nothing.’ He had some good lines.”

Finally, Larry Robinson on winning the 1971 Grey Cup with Duncan at the controls, a victory that snapped the Stamps’ 23-year title drought: “We’d been in two other ones in ’68 and ’70 and to finally win one in ’71, it was outrageous. The city went nuts. I don’t think I bought a beer for a year-and-a-half. It was fantastic for the city.

 “Just to be on a team that won a Grey Cup was excellent and he had a big part in it.”

>> Video: A look back at the 1971 Grey Cup