Gabe Patterson
| Nickname(s) | "Galloping Gabe" |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Deep South, United States |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | International |
| Position(s) | Halfback, Kicker |
| US college | Kentucky State, Pittsburgh |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1947–48 | Saskatchewan Roughriders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 1947, 1948 |
Gabe Patterson is a former all-star Canadian football player.
Patterson played high school football in Pittsburgh, and his college football at Kentucky State and the University of Pittsburgh[1] and was signed by the Montreal Alouettes in 1947, but was released.[2] He then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, playing two seasons and was selected an all-star in both seasons.[3]
Patterson was the first African-American to play for the Roughriders, breaking the colour barrier, like Herb Trawick.[4] His wife and three daughters lived in Pittsburgh.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Regina Grid Fans Blow Gabe's Horn". The Winnipeg Tribune. October 18, 1948. p. 15. Retrieved December 19, 2014 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Regina Lays Claim to Charlton: Riders set sights on 1948, by George Foster, Ottawa Citizen, Jan. 27, 1948
- ^ CFLAPEDIA entry - Saskatchewan Roughriders and Gabe Gets Major Score for Regina, Ottawa Citizen, Sept. 29, 1947
- ^ The Rider Pride 100th anniversary book states that Robert "Stonewall" Jackson was the first African-American Rider player, in 1930. He was a porter with the railways and is in a team picture from that year. See: The Migration of African Americans to the Canadian Football League during the mid-20th Century: An Escape from Discrimination? by Neil Longley, Todd Crosset and Steve Jefferson (all Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts), IASE/NAASE Working Paper Series, Paper No. 07-13, June 2007.
