Freddie Childress

Class of 2020

Freddie Childress spent 13 seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) playing with four different teams, appearing in 185 regular season games, 14 playoff games and three Grey Cups, winning two of them. Childress played on the offensive line in 1994 with the Shreveport Pirates, in 1995 with the Birmingham Barracudas, from 1996 to 2003 with the Calgary Stampeders and finished his career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 2004 to 2006.

He was part of Calgary’s Grey Cup-winning teams in 1998 and 2001, and was a Western Conference Champion in 1999, losing the Grey Cup game. The Stampeders defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 26-24 in the 1998 Grey Cup played in Winnipeg and then beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 27-19 in the 2001 game which was in Montreal. Calgary was defeated by Hamilton 32-21 in the 1999 Grey Cup in Vancouver.

Childress was recognized as a CFL All-Star in 1996 as an offensive tackle and in 1997 and 1998 as a guard. He was selected as a Southern All-Star at guard in 1995 and a Western All-Star at the same position in 1997, 1998 and 2000 and as a Western All-Star at offensive tackle in 1996 and 2001.

Childress was picked as a Canadian Football League Players Association (CFLPA) All-Star in 1995 and then four straight years from 1997 to 2000. With the exception of his all-star selections in 1995 (which came with Birmingham), all of Childress’ other CFLPA all-star selections came with Calgary.

He was chosen as the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in the CFL in 1998, and was runner-up for the award in 1997 to centre Mike Kiselak of the Toronto Argonauts. Childress received the DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy as Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in the Western Division in 1997 and 1998.

Childress was the team nominee for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1994 with Shreveport, and as Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 1997, 1998 and 2000 with Calgary. Childress played his college football at the University of Arkansas, where he was a 2nd team All-American as chosen by Pro Football Weekly. Childress was selected in the 2nd round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Playing Career

Shreveport Pirates
1994-1995
Birmingham Barracudas
1995-1996
Calgary Stampeders
1996-2003
Saskatchewan Roughriders
2004-2006

Awards/Honours

  • CFLPA All-Star
    1995,1997-2000
  • CFL Southern Division All-Star
    1995
  • CFL Western All-Star
    1996-1998, 2000-2001
  • CFL All-Star
    1996-1998
  • CFL Lineman of the Year
    1998
  • Grey Cup Game Participation
    1998-1999, 2001
  • Grey Cup Winning Teams
    1998,2001