Eagle Day

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This article is about the football player. For the first day of the Nazi operation to destroy Britain's air force, see Adlertag. For other uses, see Eagle Day (disambiguation).
Eagle Day
No. 10, 19
Eagle Day 1961.jpg
Day in 1961
Born:(1932-10-02)October 2, 1932
Columbia, Mississippi
Died:February 22, 2008(2008-02-22) (aged 75)
Nashville, Tennessee
Career information
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)QB/P
Height5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg)
CollegeMississippi
NFL draft1956 / Round: 17 / Pick: 203
Drafted byWashington Redskins
Career history
As player
1956–1958Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1959–1960Washington Redskins
1961–1966Calgary Stampeders
1967Toronto Argonauts
Career highlights and awards
  • 1956 - Cotton Bowl Classic Most Valuable Player Award
  • 1962 - CFL West - Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
  • 1981 - Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
  • 1988 - Inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame.
  • 2003 - Inducted into the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame.
CFL All-Star1962
CFL West All-Star1962
Career stats

Herman Sidney "Eagle" Day (October 2, 1932 – February 22, 2008) was an American punter in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts. He played college football and baseball at the University of Mississippi.

College career[]

Day was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference quarterback for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels, leading Ole Miss to SEC titles in 1954 and 1955 with a combination of running and passing skills.

Day led Ole Miss to a 26–5–1 record in three seasons while playing for coach Johnny Vaught. He was the MVP of the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic after leading Ole Miss to a 14–13 upset victory over Texas Christian in the Rebels first major bowl game. After a late-game 25-yard scramble during the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic game against Texas Christian University, he was given the nickname "The Mississippi Gambler". Day completed 111 of 233 passes for 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Ole Miss career. Not counting bowl statistics, he had 2,428 yards of total offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns. His first pass in college (vs. Chattanooga) in 1953 was a 63-yard touchdown.

As a pitcher, Day was with the Rebels baseball team in 1956 when it went to the College World Series.[1]

Professional career[]

Day played ten years in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts and two years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. His time spent in the CFL was as a quarterback. His two years spent in the NFL with the Redskins was as a punter.

Although Day was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL Draft, he did not join the Redskins until the 1959 and 1960 seasons, instead joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers first for three years first.

In 1961, Day left the NFL for the CFL, joining the Calgary Stampeders, with which team he remained through the 1965 season. In 1962, he was an all-star and won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy. When he left the Stampeders, he joined the Toronto Argonauts (the first of two Ole Miss stars to play quarterback for Toronto, the other being Kent Austin in 1995).

At the time of his death, Day's 226 playoff completions placed him fifth all-time, while his 3,132 playoff passing yards had him sixth for all-time.[1]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Former CFL player Eagle Day dead at 75". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
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