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It is with great sadness the Stampeders learn of the death of Larry Robinson, one of the longest-serving and most-decorated players in franchise history. He was 76.
A native Calgarian and an alumnus of the city’s Western Canada High School and Mount Royal College, Robinson was a Stamp for 14 seasons (1961-74) and never missed a game as he played a total of 224 regular-season games as well as 36 playoff contests.
The versatile Robinson served as a kicker for the Stamps and started his career as a receiver before making the switch to defensive back. He also returned punts and kickoffs. Robinson was the first player in CFL history to score 1,000 points, had a franchise-record 50 career interceptions and was a three-time West all-star at defensive back. He was named top Canadian in the West Division in both 1964 and 1965.
One of Robinson’s all-star seasons for the Red and White was 1971, the year the Stamps snapped a 22-year championship drought by winning the Grey Cup.
In the 1970 West final, Robinson was the hero in one of the most memorable wins in Stamps history as his last-minute game-winning 32-yard field goal into a howling wind at Regina’s Taylor Field allowed Calgary to advance past heavily favoured Saskatchewan and into the Grey Cup.
Robinson was added to the Stampeders Wall of Fame in 1986 and enshrined into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1998. He was the 1972 winner of the Presidents’ Ring honouring the Stamps player who best combines leadership, inspiration and motivational skills and entered the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
Robinson remained in Calgary following his Stamps career and worked in the oil and gas industry for four decades before retiring. He remained heavily involved with the Stampeders alumni. He is survived by his wife Donna and sons Kirk and Scott as well as sons Tyler and Wes from a previous marriage. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren.