The Calgary Stampeders have lost one of the key members of their vaunted defence that led them to the 1971 Grey Cup championship, their first title in 23 years.

Fred James, who suited up for three Grey Cups with the Stampeders — losses to Ottawa in 1968 and Montreal in1970 and the 14-11 win over Toronto Argonauts on the rain-soaked field at Vancouver — passed away on Wednesday. He was 71.

James was drafted by the Stamps in the first round of the 1966 draft, but opted to finish his education degree at University of Alberta in his native Edmonton before joining the Stamps the following year.

He primarily played a backup role on both offence and defence his first three years, but stepped into a front-line defensive role in 1970 after Canadian Football Hall-of-Fame Don Luzzi retired.

Head coach Jim Duncan said in a 1971 feature article at the time that James blossomed as soon he became a starter.

“I think that playing regularly from the start of the season did a lot to give him the confidence he needed,” said Duncan. “And I think the experience of playing next to (Hall-of-Famer) John Helton in the line and in the front of (another Hall-of-Famer) Wayne Harris helped him to learn a lot about defensive football.”

The towering six-foot-five, 265-pounder remained a stellar member of the Stampeders’ defensive Front Four until early in the 1975 season when he was dealt to the Edmonton Eskimos and helped them win the Grey Cup, 9-8 over Montreal Alouettes, on McMahon Stadium’s frozen new artificial turf.

In a 1972 feature article about the Stampeders’ defensive line, entitled ‘The Four Trees,’ it was suggested that Toronto quarterback Joe Theismann couldn’t see over James, Helton, Craig Koinzan and Dick Suderman well enough to beat the Stampeders in the 1971 Grey Cup.

Stamps’ then general manager Rogers Lehew said the group worked well together as a unit, but the biggest advantage was their height.

“When they get their hands up and keep the quarterback in the pocket, there’s a good chance the quarterback won’t be able to pick out the receivers,” Lehew said.

All four of them were at least six-foot-three, big for the day.

Lehew said while Helton and Harris got much of the glory in the 1971 Grey Cup, he thought James “as as good a football player as we had on the field that day.

“He doesn’t have the experience of some of them, but he’s got that great height, plus surprising speed for such a big man.”

James was credited with one solo tackle and two assisted tackles in the game.

Altogether, James played 112 regular-season games, 15 playoff and three Grey Cup games with Calgary. He had one interception for 30 yards and five fumble returns for 43 yards and a touchdown in 1972.

Tackles were not kept during the regular seasons in those years.

He played another 14 regular season games, the Western final and Grey Cup with the Esks before retiring.

James also worked in the insurance industry. As well, he volunteered for several more years working on the executive of the junior Calgary Colts, who won national titles in 1989 and 1990.