Reed, Lancaster backfield highlight CFL2020’s All-Time Roughriders roster

One of the Canadian Football League’s all-time best backfields of quarterback Ron Lancaster and running back George Reed highlight CFL2020’s All-Time Saskatchewan Roughriders roster. The duo played together in Saskatchewan from 1963 to 1975 and led the Roughriders to their first Grey Cup win in 1966. Lancaster would play a further three seasons in Saskatchewan until 1978.

Reed and Lancaster are also still amongst the CFL’s all-time statistical leaders in a number of categories.

Reed, a nine-time league all-star and 1965 Most Outstanding Player, holds the record for most rushing touchdowns all-time with 134, and is tied for second in all-time offensive touchdowns with 137, 10 behind Milt Stegall’s record of 147.

Lancaster, a four-time league All-Star and the Most Outstanding Player in both 1970 and 1976, was the first QB in CFL history to reach 50,000 career passing yards and is still seventh all-time in passing yards (50,535), seventh all-time in pass completions (3,384), and fourth all-time in passing touchdowns (333).

Other members to make CFL2020’s All-Time Roughriders roster from the Lancaster-Reed era include head coach Eagle Keys (1965-70), offensive linemen Ted Urness (1961-70) and Jack Abendschan (1965-75), receiver Hugh Campbell (1963-67, 1969), defensive linemen Ed McQuarters (1966-1974) and Ron Atchinson (1952-68), linebacker Wayne Shaw (1961-72), and defensive back Bruce Bennett (1966-72).

More recent players to don the Roughriders’ green include offensive lineman Gene Makowsky, receiver Weston Dressler, running back Wes Cates, and defensive lineman John Chick. Makowsky was a five-time league All-Star and Chick was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2009.

Two current members of the Roughriders made the all-time roster in offensive lineman Brendon LaBatte, who has been with the team since 2012 and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2013, and defensive back Ed Gainey, who has been with the team since 2016 and named a league all-star twice while in Saskatchewan.

Three foundational players were named on the roster in offensive and defensive lineman Bill Clarke, who played with the team from 1951-1964, defensive lineman Bill Baker, who played with the team from 1968-73 and 1977-78, and quarterback and head coach Kent Austin, who played in Saskatchewan from 1987-93 and coached the Roughriders to a Grey Cup win in 2007.

The full list:

* National player