Eagle Day (football)
Encyclopedia
Herman Sidney "Eagle" Day (October 2, 1932 – February 22, 2008) was an American
punter in the National Football League
for the Washington Redskins
and quarterback
in the Canadian Football League
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, Calgary Stampeders
and the Toronto Argonauts
. He played college football
and baseball
at the University of Mississippi
.
quarterback for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels
, leading Ole Miss to SEC titles in 1954
and 1955
with a combination of running and passing skills.
Day led Ole Miss to a 26-5-1 record in three seasons while playing for coach Johnny Vaught
. He was the MVP of the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic after leading Ole Miss to a 14-13 upset victory over Texas Christian
in the Rebels first major bowl game. After a late-game 25-year scramble during the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic game against Texas Christian University, he was given the nickname "The Mississippi Gambler". Day completed 111 of 233 passes for 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Ole Miss career. Not counting bowl statistics, he had 2,428 yards of total offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns. His first pass in college (vs. Chattanooga) in 1953 was a 63-yard touchdown.
As a pitcher, Day was with the Rebels baseball team win 1956 when it went to the College World Series
.
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, Calgary Stampeders
and Toronto Argonauts
and two years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins
. His time spent in the CFL was as a quarterback. His two years spent in the NFL with the Redskins was as a punter.
Although Day was drafted
by the Washington Redskins in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
, he did not join the Redskins until the 1959 and 1960 seasons, instead joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers first for three years first.
In 1961, Day left the NFL for the CFL, joining the Calgary Stampeders, with which team he remained through the 1965 season. In 1962, he was an all-star and stood as runner-up to the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
, behind Montreal's George Dixon. When he left the Stampeders, he joined the Toronto Argonauts (the first of two Ole Miss stars to play quarterback for Toronto, the other being Kent Austin
in 1995).
At the time of his death, Day's 226 playoff competitions placed him fifth all-time, while his 3,132 playoff passing yards had him sixth for all-time.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punter in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
and the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
.
College career
Day was a two-time All-Southeastern ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
quarterback for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
, leading Ole Miss to SEC titles in 1954
1954 college football season
The 1954 college football season saw three teams finish unbeaten and untied, with Ohio State Buckeyes and the UCLA Bruins sharing the national championship as the #1 picks of the AP Poll and the UPI Poll, respectively. Although the winners of the Big Ten and the Pacific conferences normally met in...
and 1955
1955 college football season
The 1955 college football season saw the Oklahoma Sooners win the national championship after going 10-0-0. Although the final poll was taken before the postseason bowl games, Oklahoma played against the nation's other unbeaten and untied team, the Maryland Terrapins, at the Orange Bowl in Miami,...
with a combination of running and passing skills.
Day led Ole Miss to a 26-5-1 record in three seasons while playing for coach Johnny Vaught
Johnny Vaught
John Howard Vaught was an American college football coach at the University of Mississippi from 1947 to 1970 and again in 1973....
. He was the MVP of the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic after leading Ole Miss to a 14-13 upset victory over Texas Christian
TCU Horned Frogs football
The TCU Horned Frogs football team is the intercollegiate football team of Texas Christian University. TCU competes as a member of the Mountain West Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, but will move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. TCU began playing football...
in the Rebels first major bowl game. After a late-game 25-year scramble during the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic game against Texas Christian University, he was given the nickname "The Mississippi Gambler". Day completed 111 of 233 passes for 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Ole Miss career. Not counting bowl statistics, he had 2,428 yards of total offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns. His first pass in college (vs. Chattanooga) in 1953 was a 63-yard touchdown.
As a pitcher, Day was with the Rebels baseball team win 1956 when it went to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
.
Professional career
Day played ten years in the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
and Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
and two years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. His time spent in the CFL was as a quarterback. His two years spent in the NFL with the Redskins was as a punter.
Although Day was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Washington Redskins in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
1956 NFL Draft
The 1956 National Football League Draft was held on November 29, 1955.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
, he did not join the Redskins until the 1959 and 1960 seasons, instead joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers first for three years first.
In 1961, Day left the NFL for the CFL, joining the Calgary Stampeders, with which team he remained through the 1965 season. In 1962, he was an all-star and stood as runner-up to the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
, behind Montreal's George Dixon. When he left the Stampeders, he joined the Toronto Argonauts (the first of two Ole Miss stars to play quarterback for Toronto, the other being Kent Austin
Kent Austin
Richard Kent Austin is the Head Coach for the Cornell University Big Red football team. Prior to this, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels football team. He is the former Head Coach of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders...
in 1995).
At the time of his death, Day's 226 playoff competitions placed him fifth all-time, while his 3,132 playoff passing yards had him sixth for all-time.