Charlie Shepard | |
Birth Date: | July 11, 1933 |
Birth Place: | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
Death Place: | Plano, Texas, U.S. |
Number: | 21 |
Position1: | Running Back |
Height Ft: | 6 |
Height In: | 2 |
Weight Lbs: | 215 |
College: | North Texas State |
Nfldraftedyear: | 1955 |
Nfldraftedround: | 18 |
Nfldraftedpick: | 208 |
Nfldraftedteam: | Baltimore Colts |
Playing Years1: | 1956 |
Playing Team1: | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Playing Years2: | 1957–62 |
Playing Team2: | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
Career Highlights: | |
Cflwestallstar: | 1959 |
Awards: | Grey Cup Most Valuable Player (1959) |
Databasefootball: | SHEPACHA01 |
Charles LaFayette Shepard Jr. (July 11, 1933 – June 23, 2009) was an American all-star and Grey Cup champion running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1957 to 1962.[1]
A graduate of North Texas State University, Shepard played with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1956, rushing for 91 yards in 12 games.[2] He next joined the Blue Bombers in 1957 for an all-star 6-year stay. He would play in the Grey Cup championship game 5 of those years, winning 4 times. His best season was 1959, when he rushed for 1076 yards, was an all-star and was Grey Cup Most Valuable Player.[3] [4] He rushed for 3768 yards with the Bombers and was an excellent punter, never averaging less than 43.1 yards per punt in a season.[5]
He has since been inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame, in 1992,[6] and the North Texas State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.[7] Charlie Shepard died July 23, 2009, age 76.[8]