Honoured Members Database

Harry Langford was the one that got away.  In earlier days before the draft came along the teams got by with their local talent.  Players went from high school to junior football, some to university but many straight to the local pro team.

Growing up they dreamed of playing for the Bombers if they lived in Winnipeg or becoming a Roughrider if they hailed from Regina or Saskatoon.  Langford had been coached by former Winnipeg stars Les Lear and Ches McCance when he attended Cecil Rhodes School in Weston but he was never a Bomber.

Lear played briefly in the NFL and wound up his career as a player-coach with the 1948 Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders. He hadn't forgotten young Langford and when he had the chance he added him to Calgary's list of prospects.

Langford played for the Daniel McIntyre Maroons under Coach Andy Currie in 1945 and '46 and was named to both the offensive and defensive all-star teams. He was an assistant to Currie as the Maroons were provincial champs for three straight years from 1947-49 and at the same time was playing junior for Weston Wildcats where he was team captain and a two-way all-star all three years.  He was the league MVP in '49 and winner of the L. Tessier Memorial Trophy.

He played for the Stampeders for nine years including a string of 150 straight games when he was known as the “Iron Man.” He played a variety of positions on both sides of the ball but was primarily a guard. He was an all-star in 1952, '55, '56, '57 and '58.  Langford was chosen the Stamps outstanding Canadian for the Schenley Awards in 1956 and again in 1958 when West coach Bud Grant named him captain for the Shrine All-Star game in Hamilton.

At a high school 50th football anniversary celebration in Winnipeg in 1982, Langford was named Lineman of the Decade for the 1942-1951 era. He coached the Broncs and Colts juniors in Calgary and was named to the Stampeders Wall of Fame in 1992. Langford also was player-coach for three years with the Drumheller Miners intermediate team after leaving the pros.  He even convinced his former Calgary teammate Sugarfoot Anderson to join him. He is still in touch with Anderson who is 92.

Perhaps his greatest honour was when Calgary named him the right guard on the All-Time All-Star team at their 25th anniversary in 1970 and when they chose the 50th All-Star squad a quarter century later, Harry Langford had still not been replaced at right guard.

Harry Langford is also a member of the Manitoba Highschool Sports Hall of Fame.