CFL renames Most Outstanding Player award after George Reed

George Reed was one of the greatest players to ever play in the Canadian Football League.

Now his name will be forever associated with the greats of today as well.

The league announced the yearly award given to the player voted as the CFL’s best is now named the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award.

The news was made at the CFL Awards on Thursday night in Niagara Falls before Reed’s daughter, Georgette, presented the trophy to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly.

The former Saskatchewan Roughriders fullback died in October.

The league and the club have been working on a significant way to honour the Canadian Football Hall of Famer.

Georgette said she was, “Thunderstruck” when CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie called to tell her the league would be doing this.

“He wanted to wait until he had the approval of all the presidents in the league and it was unanimous that they wanted to rename this award in my dad’s honour. Randy was there when we did the celebration of life, he was there when we did all the events in the week following my dad’s passing,” Georgette said. “He couldn’t believe the outpouring of love and respect and support that was there.”

Georgette said it means a lot to her family that the CFL did this.

“Dad would have been super humble and just been like, ‘OK, thanks.’ He was never one of those ones who was really boastful and prideful or anything but he would have been really proud knowing he made that kind of an impact and he is still making a difference and will make a difference for eternity,” Georgette said. “I’m so proud of the man that he was. Nobody is perfect but he tried every day to do the very best that he could and every day he just strove to be a little bit better and a little bit better.

“No matter what was thrown at him, he never complained. He would just put his head down and keep moving. If that’s some kind of an example that I can follow and other people can follow and try to make a difference, then it’s amazing.”

Reed won the most outstanding player award once in 1965. He was the west nominee for the award three times (1965, 68, and 69)

The Vicksburg, Miss., product led the league in rushing yards six times.

Reed still holds the CFL record for most 1,000-yard seasons, doing it 11 times. Reed still sits second with 16,116 rushing yards all-time, behind only Mike Pringle.

He also finished his career with 134 rushing scores.

Over his career, Reed was also awarded the inaugural Tom Pate Memorial Award in 1976, which is awarded by the Canadian Football League Players Association for outstanding sportsmanship and work in the community and for the association.

Reed was also named MVP of the 1966 Grey Cup in the Roughriders’ first Grey Cup victory.