Russ Jackson

Russell Stanley Jackson, OC (born July 28, 1936), is a former professional Canadian football player.[1] Jackson spent his entire 12-year professional football career with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a member of the Order of Canada, the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, and has been described as the best Canadian-born quarterback to play in the CFL.[2] In 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN, the highest-ranked Canadian-born player on the list.[2]

Russ Jackson
No. 12
Born: (1936-07-28) July 28, 1936
Hamilton, Ontario
Career information
Position(s)Quarterback
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight195 lb (88 kg)
UniversityMcMaster
CFL draft1958 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Drafted byOttawa Rough Riders
Career history
As coach
1975–1976Toronto Argonauts (HC)
As player
1958–1969Ottawa Rough Riders
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star1966, 1968, 1969
CFL East All-Star1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
Awards
Honours
Retired #sOttawa Rough Riders #12
Ottawa Redblacks #12
Career stats

Early life and college career

After a stellar college career as both a basketball and football player, Jackson graduated from McMaster University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. He was the McMaster nominee for a Rhodes Scholarship, but did not pursue an interview for the scholarship, deciding instead to sign with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League, who drafted him in the first round of the 1958 CFL Draft.[2][3]

Rough Rider career

Originally signed as a defensive back, Jackson quarterbacked the Rough Riders to three Grey Cup victories (48th, 56th, and 57th Grey Cups).[3]

Jackson was the dominant CFL quarterback of the 1960s. Referred to as the "Y. A. Tittle of the North", he was honoured many times during his CFL career.[4] He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in the 1963, 1966, and 1969 seasons. He was also a four-time winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award (1959, 1963, 1966, 1969 seasons). He was a six-time Eastern Conference All-Star quarterback (1962, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969) and the CFL All-Star quarterback in the 1966, 1968, and 1969 seasons.

Russ Jackson was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1973.[5] Many consider him one of the best Canadian-born players to play in the CFL, while most consider him to be the best Canadian to play the quarterback position.[2] In November 2006, Jackson was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (No. 8) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN.[2]

Jackson ended his career with 24,593 passing yards, with 1,356 completions on 2,530 attempts (53.6%), 124 interceptions, 185 touchdowns, and an efficiency rating of 91.2. He was also a mobile quarterback, gaining 5,045 yards on the ground on 738 rushes, with 54 touchdowns. Among the few Canadian-born quarterbacks to play in the CFL, Jackson is the only one to pass for over 10,000 yards.[6]

He holds the record for throwing the most passing touchdowns in a Grey Cup game with four (set in the 1969 game) and highest career passer rating in Grey Cup games with 118.4.[6]

Career statistics
  Passing   Rushing
Year Team Games Att Comp Pct Yards TD Int Rating Att Yards Avg Long TD
1958 OTT 14 112 61 54.5 858 3 6 66.0 66 357 5.4 51 5
1959 OTT 14 89 45 50.6 1,009 7 7 84.8 69 385 5.6 30 3
1960 OTT 12 52 20 38.5 322 2 3 40.7 52 381 7.3 25 6
1961 OTT 14 117 59 50.4 1,048 8 7 79.3 67 472 7.0 24 6
1962 OTT 14 157 78 49.7 1,427 10 13 68.1 71 512 7.2 26 8
1963 OTT 14 259 152 58.7 2,910 19 8 109.4 64 384 6.0 42 5
1964 OTT 14 230 116 50.4 2,156 18 16 80.3 81 588 7.3 33 3
1965 OTT 14 252 130 51.6 2,303 18 13 85.5 24 129 5.4 26 2
1966 OTT 14 276 142 51.4 2,400 17 15 79.1 65 396 6.1 26 3
1967 OTT 14 323 189 58.5 3,332 25 9 108.0 61 329 5.4 23 4
1968 OTT 14 305 171 56.1 3,187 25 16 97.8 54 534 9.9 73 6
1969 OTT 14 358 193 53.9 3,641 33 12 106.1 64 578 9.0 49 3
CFL totals 166 2,530 1,356 53.6 24,593 185 125 91.0 738 5,045 6.8 73 54

Post-football playing career

Teaching

After retiring from football, Jackson returned to teaching, having been a mathematics teacher from 1959–1961 and head of the Department of Mathematics at Rideau High School in Ottawa, Ontario from 1961–1966. He was the principal of Canterbury High School in Ottawa from 1973[7] to 1975. He later became a vice-principal and principal at secondary schools in Ottawa and Mississauga. He also became principal at Brampton Centennial Secondary School, John Fraser and T.L. Kennedy secondary schools.

Broadcasting

Jackson served as colour commentator for the CFL on CBC broadcasts from 1971–73 and again from 1977–80. From 1996 to 2001, Jackson was the colour commentator CHML-AM's coverage of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Coaching

Jackson briefly left teaching in 1975, spending two years as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts. Jackson compiled a 12-18-2 regular-season record in two seasons as the Argos' head coach, not reaching the playoffs in either season. Jackson was replaced by Leo Cahill, in his second tenure as the Argos' head coach, prior to the 1977 CFL season.

Honours

Jackson is an Officer of the Order of Canada[8] and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in law by McMaster University in 1989. He was added to Canada's Walk of Fame in 2012.[9]

In 1986, the Russ Jackson Award was created in his honour to recognize the university football player who best exhibits athletic ability, academic achievement, and devoted citizenship.[5]

Russ Jackson was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.[10]

References
  1. "Russ Jackson '58". Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. "Hamilton's Russ Jackson walk of fame". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. September 24, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  3. "Russ Jackson by the numbers: Summary of a hall of fame football career". Ottawa Citizen. October 25, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  4. Olderman, Murray (August 12, 1964). "Y. A. Tittle of North Intends to Stay There". The Nevada Daily Mail. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 4. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  5. "Russ Jackson". Hall of Famers. Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  6. "CFL Guide & Record Book, 2017 Edition" (PDF). Canadian Football League. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  7. "Google Search Result: Ottawa Citizen Article: Principals Named for Ottawa Schools". Ottawa Citizen. May 1, 1973. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
  8. "Russell S. Jackson, O.C., B.Sc". Order of Canada. Governor General of Canada. Retrieved December 21, 2008.
  9. "Russ Jackson attends the 2012 Canada Walk of Fame Awards". Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  10. "Russ Jackson". oshof.ca. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
  • CFL Facts, Figures and Records 1987 and 2007.
  • Ronald A. Ferroni, The 2001 Unofficial Canadian Football Encyclopedia, Hamilton 2001.
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