Stampeders.com Staff

It is with great sadness that the Calgary Stampeders learned on Thursday of the death of Wayne Harris. He was 77.

Harris, who played for the Stamps from 1961-72, is one of the all-time greats in franchise history. He was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1976 and was part of the inaugural class for the Stampeders Wall of Fame in 1985. In 2012, Harris was chosen to represent the Stampeders on a stamp that was part of Canada Post’s 100th Grey Cup anniversary series.

The Hampton, Ark., native — who picked up the nickname “Thumper” because of his bone-jarring hits — was a West all-star 11 straight seasons and was chosen as a league all-star eight times. Harris was the MVP of the Stamps’ 1971 Grey Cup win over the Toronto Argonauts.

“Wayne Harris was a great player who meant so much to this franchise and to this city,” said Stampeders president Gordon Norrie. “He was also a great man who will be missed and on behalf of the Stampeders organization, I extend sympathies to Wayne’s wife Anne and his children Wayne Jr., Cooper, Heather-Ann and Wynelle.”

Harris remained in Calgary after his retirement from the Stampeders and worked in the oil business for CanTex Drilling and CE Franklin until his retirement in 2008. His son Wayne Jr. also played for the Stamps and is currently head coach of the University of Calgary Dinos.