The Calgary Stampeders and Calgary Stampeders Alumni Association are pleased to announce six new members of the Stampeders Football Wall of Fame.
The 2012 inductees include four players — running back Kelvin Anderson, quarterback Jeff Garcia, receiver Rudy Linterman and receiver/defensive halfback Gerry Shaw — and two builders — former president/general manager Normie Kwong and former owner Sig Gutsche.
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This year’s inductees will be honoured at a dinner on Thursday, Sept. 13 and again the following day — Friday, Sept. 14 — during halftime of the Stampeders’ game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at McMahon Stadium. Shaw will be honoured posthumously, with family members expected to attend the ceremonies on his behalf.
>> Red and White Gala info
“We would like to congratulate every member of this year’s Wall of Fame class,” said Rocco Romano, Wall of Fame selection committee chairman and Stamps alumnus. “Each individual made many valuable contributions to the Calgary Stampeder Football Club on and off the field, making them all worthy additions to ourWall of Fame.”
“The Stampeders are privileged to have such great contributors to this club recognized for their efforts on and off the field,” said Lyle Bauer, Stampeders president/COO. “Their accomplishments are testament to the steep tradition of the Red and White and commitment to the community.”
This year’s class brings the total number of Stampeders players honoured on the Wall to 32 since 1985. A total of 11 builders have also been recognized.
Biographies of the 2012 inductees
Kelvin Anderson, #32, running back (1996-2002) — Anderson played seven seasons with the Stampeders and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing every year. With 8,292 yards, he was Calgary’s all-time leading rusher at the conclusion of his Stampeders career and today he still ranks second in that category. He remains No. 1 in the Stamps record books with seven 1,000-yard seasons. He had 52 rushing touchdowns and 24 receiving scores for a total of 76 majors, second only to Allen Pitts on Calgary’s all-time list. Anderson was a two-time Grey Cup champion with Calgary, winning titles in 1998 and 2001. In 1998, he established a Calgary Grey Cup record that still stands by rushing for 105 yards. He was a CFL all-star three times and a West Division all-star on five occasions. He was Calgary’s nominee for the Most Outstanding Player award three times and was twice a finalist for that honour.
Jeff Garcia, #7, quarterback (1994-98) — Despite only three full seasons as the Stampeders’ starter — he started his Calgary career as backup to Doug Flutie — Garcia is among the franchise’s leaders in all significant passing categories. He surpassed the 4,000-yard mark in passing in each of three full seasons as starter and ranks fourth all-time in franchise history with 16,449 yards. He’s third all-time in Stamps history in attempts (2,024), completions (1,250) and touchdown passes (111). He holds a share of the club record for touchdown passes in a game with six, a feat he accomplished in his second career start — the 1995 Labour Day Classic. Garcia also did a lot of damage with his legs as he ranks eighth in franchise history with 2,358 yards. He scored 24 touchdowns on the ground. Garcia was the Most Valuable Player of the 1998 Grey Cup as he threw for 259 yards and rushed for 47 more in the Stamps’ 26-24 win over Hamilton. He was the CFL’s all-star quarterback in 1998 and was a West all-star three times.
>> Garcia feature
Rudy Linterman, #17, receiver (1968-77) — One of the most prolific receivers in Stampeders history, Linterman played a full decade with the Red and White and was a key member of Calgary’s 1971 Grey Cup-championship squad. When the Calgary native concluded his Stamps career in 1977, he ranked second in franchise history with 368 catches and third in receiving yards with 4,809. In 1974, the Western Canada High School alum won the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy as the top Canadian in the West Division after a 64-catch, 951-yard season. He was also a West Division all-star that year. In the 1971 Grey Cup, which was plagued by poor weather conditions, Linterman accounted for 68 of the Stamps’ 111 receiving yards as Calgary beat Toronto 14-11.
Gerry Shaw, #72, receiver/defensive back (1965-74) — Like his longtime teammate and fellow Class of 2012 Wall of Fame honouree Rudy Linterman, Shaw was a local product as he attended Calgary’s Central High School. When he finished his Stamps career in 1974, Shaw ranked second all-time in Calgary history with 313 catches and third in receiving yards with 4,732. Coincidentally, he was overtaken by Linterman for those two positions on the franchise charts a few seasons later. Shaw also ranked third in Stamps history at the conclusion of his career with 34 receiving touchdowns. His best season came in 1972 as he led the team with 65 catches for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns. Shaw was Calgary’s nominee for both the Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian awards that season and was a West Division all-star. He was a two-way player for the first part of his career as he saw also saw action at defensive halfback from 1965-71. He was part of the Stamps’ 1971 Grey Cup-winning team.
Normie Kwong, builder — A Calgary native, Kwong made his Stamps debut as a 19-year-old as he played for the Stamps during their undefeated 1948 season. He was also with the Stamps in 1949 and 1950 before heading north to Edmonton to continue his career with the Eskimos. He returned to the Stamps in a front office role nearly four decades later and it’s in this capacity that he made his most significant impact with the franchise. Hired as president and general manager in 1988, Kwong’s strong leadership, determination and commitment played an important part in the successful conversion of thefranchise from public to private ownership. In 1990, Kwong hired Wally Buono as head coach, a move that was followed by the most successful era in franchise history. In 1991, Kwong’s final season as GM before he turned over the reins to Buono, the Stamps made their first Grey Cup appearance in two decades. Calgary would post a 153-79-2 record under Buono and win three Grey Cups.
Sig Gutsche, owner — Gutsche’s six seasons as owner (1996-2001) of the Stampeders were a success both on and off the field. The franchise was in financial difficulty when Gutsche took over the club on Apr. 3, 1996, but through his dedication and personal sacrifice he brought the stability necessary to put the team back on solid footing. Between the lines, the Stamps posted a combined 67-40-1 record under Gutsche’s stewardship, finished first three times, reached five West Division finals and won Grey Cups in 1998 and 2001. In addition, he was instrumental in the establishment of the Calgary Stampeder Alumni Charitable Foundation. As a token of appreciation for everything he had done for the organization, Gutsche in 2001 was given permanent possession of the Keith Spaith Memorial Award, a trophy that previously had been presented to the team’s most valuable player as voted by the fans.