Former Edmonton Eskimos great Jackie Parker died Tuesday morning in hospital following a bout with throat cancer. He was 74.
"The city has lost a great citizen. The Eskimo family mourns the loss of Jack and our thoughts are with Jack's immediate family," Eskimos chief executive officer Hugh Campbell said in a statement.
Jackie Parker of the Edmonton Eskimos poses with the CFL's most outstanding player trophy at a Vancouver ceremony in November 1960. Parker has died at 74.
(Canadian Press)
Nicknamed Ole Spaghetti Legs, Parker was one of the true icons of the Canadian Football League during his playing and coaching career.
"He wasn't very imposing when we first met — really skinny legs. But he could really run and do everything else," said Norman Kwong, Alberta's lieutenant-governor and a former star running back with the Eskimos. "He made an impression on us the very first time he took the field. It was a big surprise when we saw him perform."
Parker was a standout as a quarterback, halfback and defensive back for the Eskimos from 1954 to 1962, the Toronto Argonauts from 1963 to 1965 and the B.C. Lions from 1966 to 1968.
He was elected to the CFL Hall of Fame in 1971 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.
Scored 88 career touchdowns
CFL commissioner Tom Wright said Parker ranked among the best of the CFL's greats.
"He passed and ran with style, and in many ways was the prototypical versatile quarterback who is the hallmark of our league," said Wright.
The Tennessee native played on three Grey Cup championship teams with Edmonton (1954, 1955, 1956), was named the CFL's top player three times (1957, 1958, 1960) and was a CFL all-star for eight straight years (1954-1961).
Parker passed for 16,476 yards, scored 88 touchdowns and kicked 40 field goals.
The play he was most remembered for was his dramatic 84-yard fumble return, a touchdown run, in the 1954 Grey Cup in Toronto. The Eskimos edged the Montreal Alouettes 26-25.
Parker moved into coaching as an assistant with the B.C. Lions in 1968 and, a year later, became head coach. He was the Lions' general manager from 1971-75.
After a stint away from the game, Parker was named head coach of the Eskimos in 1983. He quit the post two games into the 1987 season.
With files from the Canadian Press
