Craig Dickenson had an appreciation for history long before he met George Reed.
Dickenson, the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Head Coach since 2019, resolved to learn as much as he could about the CFL team’s rich past upon first joining the organization as the Special Teams Co-ordinator in 2011.
In essence, he enrolled in George Reed 101, and was soon marvelling at a legendary contributor as a player and a citizen — someone we lost on Sunday, one day shy of his 84th birthday.
“I thought (Director of Communications) Arielle Zerr said it best when she said, ‘He lived a long and beautiful life,’ ” Dickenson said on Tuesday after the team practised at Mosaic Stadium. “He was a beautiful man on and off the field.
“I didn’t have the opportunity to get to know him well, but I certainly knew of him and have met him.
“He was gone too soon in our eyes, no matter when he passed, but what a beautiful life he led — and what a difference he made in everybody’s lives.
“Even if you didn’t know George, you knew who he was and you knew about his legacy. He was a true giant of a man and our thoughts are with his family.
“He will be missed.”
But his influence will endure.
“The message we try to give our players and the message we really try to give ourselves and remind ourselves of is that we’re not the first ones that did it,” the Roughriders’ field boss said.
“We stand on the shoulders of the men who came before us. (Reed) was a giant of a man, so with all of our accomplishments and/or proud moments, we have to recognize that a lot of that was made possible by the George Reeds, the Ron Lancasters, the Roger Aldags of the world.
“The guys who came before us really created Rider Nation and we’re the beneficiaries of that. So I think that sort of acknowledgment of history and those who came before us is an important part of what we do as leaders in the organization.
“I think it continues to shine through and to be a point of emphasis for us — and for me, personally — because we’re not here without the work that those guys did.”
Jake Dolegala is keenly aware of that.
“They built the foundation for what we’re standing on right now, so you look to them and you just thank them,” said Dolegala, a second-year Roughrider who is to start at quarterback on Saturday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5 p.m., Mosaic Stadium).
“Thanks to (Reed’s) family and condolences to them.”
In an athletic sense, Reed is also part of the Washington State family. He was a member of that university’s football program from 1959 to 1962, after which he joined the Roughriders.
Jamal Morrow, a running back with the Green and White since 2019, is also a graduate of the Washington State Cougars program.
“I was fortunate that I was able to meet him in my first year here,” recalled Morrow, who was introduced to Reed by General Manager and Vice-President of Football Operations Jeremy O’Day.
“J.O. pulled me aside and said, ‘I want you to meet somebody.’ I was familiar with his name and then, when I came up here, I saw the impact he had and how successful he was on and off the field.”
Over 13 seasons in Saskatchewan, Reed rushed for 16,116 yards and 134 touchdowns. He exceeded 1,000 yards along the ground 11 times.
In 1965, Reed became the first Roughrider to win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player award. That year, he rushed for 1,768 yards (still a franchise single-season standard), including 268 in one game. That, too, is a team record.
As well, Reed was involved with dozens of community and charitable organizations, to the extent that he was presented with the Order of Canada in 1978.
Reed’s athletic excellence led to enshrinement in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the SaskTel Plaza of Honour.
He was also recognized by his alma mater when, in 1980, he entered Washington State’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
“In our facilities, his name was on the wall,” Morrow said. “Once I saw his name here and put a face to his name, it was surreal.
“The longer I was here, the more I did research about him. It kind of motivated me to be a better person and a better player for the organization.”
