Eagle Day (football)

Infobox Gridiron football person
Name=Eagle Day
Image
ImageWidth=200
Caption=1963 O-Pee-Chee football card featuring Eagle Day.
position1=Quarterback
position2=Punter
number=10, 19
College=Mississippi (Ole Miss)
DateOfBirth=birth date|1932|10|2
Birthplace=Columbia, Mississippi, United States
DateOfDeath=death date and age|2008|2|22|1932|10|2
Deathplace=Nashville, Tennessee, United States
NFLDraftedYear=1956
NFLDraftedRound=17
NFLDraftedPick=203
playing_years=1956-1958
1959-1960
1961-1966
1967
playing_teams=Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
Washington Redskins (NFL)
Calgary Stampeders (CFL)
Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
career_highlights=
*1956 - Cotton Bowl Most Valuable Player Award
*1961 - CFL All-Pro
*1962 - CFL Western Division Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy
*1962 - CFL All-Pro
*1981 - Inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
*1988 - Inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame.
*2003 - Inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame.
NFL=DAY276860

Herman Sidney "Eagle" Day (October 2, 1932 – February 22, 2008) was an American punter in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts. He played college football at the University of Mississippi.

College career

Day was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference quarterback for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels, leading Ole Miss to SEC titles in 1954 and 1955 with a combination of running and passing skills.

Day led Ole Miss to a 26-5-1 record in three seasons while playing for coach Johnny Vaught. He was the MVP of the 1956 Cotton Bowl after leading Ole Miss to a 14-13 upset victory over Texas Christian in the Rebels first major bowl game. He was dubbed "The Mississippi Gambler" after setting up Ole Miss's 14-13 victory over TCU with a 25-yard scramble late in the game.

Day completed 111 of 233 passes for 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Ole Miss career. Not counting bowl statistics, he had 2,428 yards of total offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns. His first pass in college (vs. Chattanooga) in 1953 was a 63-yard touchdown.

After playing in the 1956 Hula Bowl, Day was selected in the 17th round of the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. However, he opted to play three seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before returning to the Redskins for the 1959 and 1960 seasons.

Day also pitched for the Rebels baseball team and took Ole Miss to the College World Series in 1956 [ [http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/cfl/2008/02/23/obit_eagle_day/ The Canadian Press: Former CFL player Eagle Day dead at 75] ] .

Pro career

Day played 10 years in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts and 2 years in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. His time spent in the CFL was as a quarterback. His 2 years spent in the NFL with the Redskins was as a punter.

Day was a CFL all-star in 1962 and runner-up to Montreal's George Dixon for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award that year. He remained with the Stampeders through the 1965 season before finishing up with the Toronto Argonauts the following year.

As of his 2007, Day remains fifth in all-time CFL playoff completions with 226 and sixth in all-time playoff passing yards with 3,132.

References

* [http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/SPORTS/80222037 Obituary]