Harry Langford
{{Short description|Canadian football player (1929–2022)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=October 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Infobox CFL player
|name=Harry Langford
|image=Harry Langford 1946.png
|caption=Langford {{circa|1946}}
|image_size=
|birth_date={{birth date |1929|12|6}}
|birth_place=Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
|death_date={{death date and age|2022|9|19|1929|12|6}}
|death_place=Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
|nickname=
|status=
|import=no
|Height_ft=6
|Height_in=2
|Weight_lbs=235
|position1=Guard
|position2=Tackle
|career_highlights=
|CFLWestAllStar={{CFL Year|1952}}, {{CFL Year|1955}}–{{CFL Year|1958}}
|CFLAllStar=
|Awards=
|Records=
|playing_years1={{CFL Year|1950}}–{{CFL Year|1958}}
|playing_team1=Calgary Stampeders
|CollegeHOF=
|CFHOF=
|CFHOFYear=
}}
Harry Langford (December 6, 1929 – September 19, 2022) was a Canadian football lineman who played for the Calgary Stampeders. He was noted for playing 135 consecutive games for the franchise from 1950 to 1958.
Early life
Langford was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba,{{cite news|title=Harry Langford, 'Ironman' for Stampeders in 1950s, dies at 92|url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/harry-langford-calgary-stampeders-obituary-1.6583579|date=September 19, 2022|access-date=September 22, 2022|agency=The Canadian Press|publisher=CBC News|archive-date=September 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920012032/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/harry-langford-calgary-stampeders-obituary-1.6583579|url-status=live}} on December 6, 1929.{{cite web|title=Harry Langford|url=http://honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca/inductee.php?id=457&criteria_sort=name|access-date=September 22, 2022|work=Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum|publisher=Sport Manitoba|archive-date=September 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922150618/http://honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca/inductee.php?id=457&criteria_sort=name|url-status=live}} He completed his primary education at Cecil Rhodes School in Weston, before attending the Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute.{{cite news|title=Goaltender Belfour heads up list of inductees to Hall of Fame|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2545636748|date=June 5, 2012|access-date=September 21, 2022|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|id={{ProQuest|2545636748}}|archive-date=September 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922150622/https://www.proquest.com/docview/2545636748|url-status=live}} There, he played for the Daniel McIntyre Maroons from 1945 to 1946 and was selected to both the defensive and offensive all-star teams. He then became an assistant to the Maroons' head coach for three years, while simultaneously playing junior football for the Weston Wildcats. He was named a two-way all-star in all three seasons, was honoured as the league's most valuable player in 1949, and eventually became captain. From his high school years onward, he missed only one game when he fainted after being elbowed in the forehead and receiving a concussion. Although he was hospitalized, he still turned up for practice the following day.{{cite news|title=Former football superstar 'honoured' at hall of fame|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1222165217|page=A1|first=Julie|last=Chadwick|date=December 3, 2012|access-date=September 21, 2022|newspaper=Nanaimo Daily News|id={{ProQuest|244216704}}|archive-date=September 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922150620/https://www.proquest.com/docview/1222165217|url-status=live}}
Career
Langford made his debut for the Calgary Stampeders during the 1950 season. The franchise did not qualify for the playoffs during his first two seasons.{{cite encyclopedia|last=Austin|first=Daniel|editor-last=|editor-first=|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|title=Calgary Stampeders|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/calgary-stampeders|date=November 25, 2012|access-date=September 22, 2022|volume=|publisher=Historica Canada|archive-date=May 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531014114/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/calgary-stampeders|url-status=live}} He played mainly as a guard, though his versatility meant that he could play several positions at both offence and defence. He received All-Star selections in 1952 and from 1955 to 1958, and was appointed captain for the 1958 Shrine Game. He went on to play 135 consecutive regular-season games during his nine seasons with the Stampeders.{{cite news|title=Stamps Mourn Death Of Harry Langford|url=https://www.stampeders.com/2022/09/19/stamps-mourn-death-of-harry-langford/|date=September 19, 2022|access-date=September 22, 2022|publisher=Calgary Stampeders|archive-date=September 20, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920010138/https://www.stampeders.com/2022/09/19/stamps-mourn-death-of-harry-langford/|url-status=live}} When including pre-season and playoff games, this totalled to 158 consecutive games, which established a new record at the time. In order to supplement his meagre income from football, Langford worked as a print lithographer and owned a gas station.
Personal life
Langford was married to Muriel until her death in November 2012. They first met when he was 13 years old.
After retiring from professional football, Langford stayed in Calgary for several years and was appointed coach of the Calgary Colts in 1965. He was also a player-coach with the intermediate Drumheller Miners for three seasons. He later relocated to Nanaimo, where he resided until his death. He was honoured by the Stampeders on their Wall of Fame in 1992,{{cite web|title=Wall of Fame|url=https://www.stampeders.com/wall-of-fame/|access-date=March 29, 2021|publisher=Calgary Stampeders|archive-date=September 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920192526/https://www.stampeders.com/wall-of-fame/|url-status=live}} before being inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum two decades later in November 2012. Langford died on the morning of September 19, 2022, at age 92.
References
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Category:Calgary Stampeders players