‘He was a living legend’: Riders remember George Reed

The memory of George Reed already looms over Mosaic Stadium.

Reed, one of the greatest CFL players to ever step onto a field, died on Sunday at 83-years-old, a day before his 84th birthday.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders, with whom Reed spent his entire career, honoured the legend with graphics and photos of the hall of famer on the large video screen at Mosaic Stadium on Monday.

A memorial of flowers grew at the feet of Reed’s statue outside of the stadium.

“The word legend gets thrown around a lot, but that’s exactly what George was – he was a living legend,” Riders president and CEO Craig Reynolds said. “He was an absolute living legend. I’ve never seen an individual who walks into a room and every eye turns towards George. He just lit up a room and lit up our organization when he would show up.

“When he would come to games and he was taking the trek from the elevator to section 34, he would stop and we would all have a visit with him. It was just an honour to be in his presence.”

Reed spent 13 seasons with the Riders (1963-75), and when he retired, he was the game’s all-time leading rusher with 16,116 rushing yards and 134 career rushing touchdowns.

George Reed is honoured at Mosaic Stadium on the big screen. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

He was also pivotal in helping the Riders win their first-ever Grey Cup in 1966, rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown in the game en route to being named the contest’s Most Outstanding Player.

“Being in the huddle with George and seeing all those times when the whole world knew he was going to get the ball and when Ronnie (Lancaster) was not going to throw the ball to me over and over and over again,” said former Riders receiver Steve Mazurak, who was Reed’s teammate from 1973-75. “He never quit. I’ll look over at the next game on the champions deck and look for George and he won’t be there but missed by so many people.”

Mazurak grew up in Regina, so it was an honour to eventually share the field with Reed and Lancaster.

“Just learning the game through osmosis in being close to those guys and learning from their example – that steadfastness, the commitment – and learning from that and being mentored by that just went far in folks like Jim Hopson and I,” Mazurak said. “Learning what it takes to be a Roughrider and live that Roughrider world.

“That was really really special.”

Another teammate was Al Ford, who played with the Riders from 1965-76. He said it was a remarkable time getting to play with Reed.

“There were times when he would come back to the huddle, and I wasn’t sure he was going to make it to the huddle by the time Lancaster called the play, and it usually was the same thing again with George carrying the ball,” Ford said. “It was just a wonderful time and it’s a pretty sad day when you lose a teammate, especially one that was involved in the community as much as George was.”

With Reed being a titan of the football field, he even impacted those who never got to see him play live. That includes Reynolds, who was born the year Reed hung up the cleats.

“I think he is one of the most influential figures in the history of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and I think it’s because he inspired a generation to be football fans and Roughrider fans,” Reynolds said. “My fandom grew from my dad and parents as I know many Saskatchewan Roughrider fans have that same experience, and my dad revered George Reed. He would light up whenever he talked about George Reed.”

Reynolds also said this wasn’t just a loss for the CFL community but the province as a whole. Reed volunteered throughout his time living in Saskatchewan.

In 1975, Reed established the George Reed Foundation and spent nearly 50 years volunteering in education, continuous learning, healthy living and with individuals with disabilities. He was one of the first celebrity ambassadors for Special Olympics Saskatchewan.

“I think one of the pivotal moments for the province was bringing George back from Calgary when he worked with Casino Regina and having George Reed back in the province was a win for the province,” Reynolds said. “He always had time for the fans. Even up in section 34, when he sits up there, he always had time for the fans who were up in that section who recognized George and want to spend time with him.”

Reynolds said the team has been having meetings to determine how to honour Reed in a meaningful way at the game and throughout the week.