Sam Etcheverry
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One of the most remarkable players in team history, Sam “The Rifle” Etcheverry quarterbacked the Alouettes from 1952 to 1960, setting virtually every team passing record. He totalled 30,303 yards and 186 touchdowns on 1,969 completions. He led the Als to the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Grey Cups and won the 1954 Schenley Award as the Canadian Football League’s best player. In 1956, he became the first quarterback in CFL history to reach 4,000 passing yards in a season. A six-time All-Star, Etcheverry came back to the Als in 1970 as head coach, leading the team to a Grey Cup win over the Calgary Stampeders. His number 92 jersey was retired by the Alouettes in 1996 and Etcheverry was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Nov. 28, 1969. Tributes Ian Macdonald: Sam ‘the Rifle’ Etcheverry sounded Alouettes’ rise |
| Sam Etcheverry’s career |
| Birthdate: 20-05-1930 Birthplace: Carlsbad, NM Hometown: Montréal, QC Alouettes: 1952-1960 |
| Transactions |
| 1961: Signed with the NFL St. Louis Cardinals. 1960: Traded to the Tiger-Cats in November with Hal Patterson for Bernie Faloney and Don Paquette. 1952: Signed with the Alouettes on July 22. |
| Honours |
| • 1970 Grey Cup Champion as head coach of the Alouettes • East Division Champion with the Alouettes: Player-1954, 1955, 1956; Head Coach-1970 • Number 92 retired by the Alouettes on June 27, 1996 • Inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in November 1969 • CFL Most Outstanding Player: 1954 • Alouettes’ Most Outstanding Player: 1954, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960 • East Division All-Star: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960 • Jeff Russell Memorial Trophy – East Division Most Outstanding Player: 1954, 1958 |
| Records |
| • CFL record holder for the longest pass in a regular season game, a 109 yard-throw to Hal Patterson on Sept. 22, 1956. • CFL record holder with 34 consecutive games with a passing touchdown, from 1954 to 1956. • Third in CFL history for most passing yards in a game with 586 on Oct. 16, 1954 against Hamilton. • Fifth in CFL history for most passing yards in a game with 561 on Sept. 29, 1956 against Hamilton. • Grey Cup record holder for most passing yards in a game with 508 on Nov. 26, 1955 against Edmonton. • Alouettes’ record holder for most touchdown passes in a game with six, on Oct. 20, 1956 against Hamilton. • Second in Alouettes’ history with 30,030 career passing yards. • Second in Alouettes’ history with 186 career touchdown passes. • Second in Alouettes’ history with 1,969 career completions. • Second in Alouettes’ history with 3,444 career pass attempts. • Third in Alouettes’ history with 12 games of at least 300 passing yards in a season, in 1956. • Sixth in Alouettes’ history with 4,723 passing yards in a season, in 1956. |
| Coaching career |
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Named Alouettes’ head coach on Dec. 7, 1969. 1972 – Third in the East Division with a 4-10-0 record. |
| Pro career |
| 1962 – He played 14 games with the Cardinals before retiring, recording 707 passing yards, two touchdowns and 10 interceptions on 58 completions. 1961 – He played 14 games with the St. Louis Cardinals, recording 1,275 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on 96 completions. 1960 – He finished second in the league for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes. 1959 – He led the league for most passing yards and most completions. 1958 – He led the league for most passing yards and most completions and finished second for most touchdown passes. 1957 – He led the league for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes. 1956 – He led the league for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes… He became the first quarterback in CFL history to reach 4,000 passing yards in a season… On Sept. 22, he set a record for the longest pass completion by throwing a 109 yard pass to Hal Patterson… He played in the Grey Cup. 1955 – He led the league for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes… He played in the Grey Cup. 1954 – He led the league for most passing yards, most completions and most touchdown passes… He played in the Grey Cup. 1952-53 – Stats not available |
| College |
| 1949-51, Denver Pioneers: He played three seasons with Denver and still holds most of the Pioneers’ passing records… He was the inaugural inductee into the University of Denver Athletics Hall of Fame upon its formation in 1996. |