Bob Shaw, who starred for the Stampeders in the early 1950s, passed away on April 10. He was 89.
An offensive end and a kicker, Shaw played for the Red and White from 1951-53 and twice led the Stampeders in receiving and scoring. He was the top scorer in the West in both 1951 and 1952 and was an all-star in 1952.
During his Stampeders career, he made 116 catches for 2,147 yards and 13 touchdowns to go with 69 converts, 11 field goals and five rouges for a total of 172 points.
Shaw was born in Richwood, Ohio, on May 22, 1921, and was a standout in football, basketball and track during his high school days and also collegiately at Ohio State.
In between his college and professional playing careers, Shaw served with the U.S. Army’s 104th Infantry Division in World War II, saw action in Europe and was decorated with the Bronze Star.
After turning pro in 1945, he suited up for the Rams (first in Cleveland, then in Los Angeles) and Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League, earning all-pro honours in 1950, before coming north to Calgary.
He also played for Toronto and returned to the CFL in the 1960s to coach the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Argonauts.
After eight years as a position coach with three different NFL clubs from 1967-1974, he returned to Canada in 1975 and joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. It was with Hamilton in 1976 that he won the Annis Stukus Trophy as the league’s coach of the year.
He is predeceased by his wife Mary, with whom he was married for 63 years.