Frank Rigney

Frank Rigney

No. 67
Date of birth	(1936-04-09)April 9, 1936
Place of birth	East St. Louis, Illinois, U.S.
Date of death	June 29, 2010(2010-06-29) (aged 74)
Place of death	West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Career information
CFL status	International
Position(s)	OL
Height	6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight	233 lb (106 kg)
US college	Iowa
NFL draft	1958 / round: 4 / pick: 43
Drafted by	Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
As player
1958–1967	Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star	1962, 1965, 1966
CFL West All-Star	1959–1962, 1964, 1965, 1966
Awards	1961 CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award
Honors	4× Grey Cup champion - 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962
Career stats
Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1985

Frank Rigney (April 9, 1936 – June 29, 2010) was an offensive tackle for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

College

Rigney played college ball with another Blue Bomber great, quarterback Ken Ploen at the University of Iowa.

CFL

Frank Rigney was an outstanding offensive tackle for Winnipeg. During his 10-year stint from 1958 to 1967, Winnipeg won the Grey Cup four times, in 1958, 1959, 1961, and 1962. Winnipeg also participated and lost in 1965, the so-called Wind Bowl. "The first year we got a tie clasp from the city. The second year that we won, we did get a ring, the one and only one we got. The next two that we won, I can't remember what we got. I think we got a watch," Rigney stated. Rigney retired from football due to back injuries. Through ten seasons he only missed five games.

Post-football

After football, he had a thirty-five year career in the insurance business and did media work for twenty years. He was the colour commentator for both the CBC and CTV football broadcasts, plus covered other sports such as the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, and the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

In 2003, Rigney received a titanium shoulder replacement. In 2004 due to an ulcer in his right foot he had a toe amputated. Later, Rigney's right leg was amputated below his knee after an infection from an operation turned to gangrene. At the time of his death, Rigney resided in West Vancouver.

References

• Judy Owen. Legends - Game was cruel to lineman Rigney, Bomber Game Day/Winnipeg Free Press/Friday, June 2, 2006