John Barrow (Canadian football)

John B. Barrow (October 31, 1935 – February 17, 2015) was an American college and professional football player who was an offensive and defensive tackle in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for fourteen seasons in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Barrow played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. Thereafter, he played professionally for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, and was later inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

John Barrow
Born:(1935-10-31)October 31, 1935
Delray Beach, Florida, U.S.
Died:February 17, 2015(2015-02-17) (aged 79)
Missouri City, Texas, U.S.
Career information
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)DT/OT
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight255 lb (116 kg)
CollegeFlorida
NFL draft1957 / Round: 5 / Pick: 59
Drafted byDetroit Lions
Career history
As player
1957–1970Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star1962–1967
CFL East All-Star1957–1967, 1969
Career stats

Early years

Barrow was born in Delray Beach, Florida, in 1935.[1] He attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was an offensive and defensive lineman for coach Bob Woodruff's Florida Gators football team from 1954 to 1956.[2] As a senior in 1956, he was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection, a Football Writers Association of America first-team All-American, and the Gators' team captain.[2] Barrow was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[3]

Professional career

The Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) selected Barrow in the fifth round (59th pick overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft,[4] but he opted to play in the CFL instead.[1] He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1957 to 1970 as a defensive tackle and offensive tackle. He was an All-Star 11 times on defence and 4 times on offence and was voted the CFL "lineman of the century" in 1967.[5] Barrow was a member of four Grey Cup-winning Tiger-Cats teams (1957, 1963, 1965, 1967), and played in five other Grey Cup championship games (1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964).[5]

Retiring as a player after the 1970 season, Barrow became the Toronto Argonauts general manager from 1971 to 1975.[5] He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976, and was voted one of the CFL's top 50 players (17th) of all-time in a poll conducted by Canadian sports network TSN in 2006.[5] Barrow died February 17, 2015, at his home in Missouri City, Texas; he was 79 years old.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. CFLapedia.com, Hall of Fame, John Barrow. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  2. 2012 Florida Football Media Guide Archived May 27, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 76, 79, 87, 89, 102, 104, 115, 176 (2012). Retrieved September 15, 2012.
  3. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  4. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1957 National Football League Draft Archived September 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  5. Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum, Hall of Famers, John Barrow. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
  6. Canadian Press, "Former Ticats lineman John Barrow dead at 79," SportsNet.ca (February 18, 2015). Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  7. Ken Peters, "Captain John 1935-2015: Icon of dominant, tough, winning Ticat teams," The Hamilton Spectator (February 18, 2015). Retrieved February 18, 2015.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Video clip on YouTube – Canadian Football Hall of Fame video biography of John Barrow
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