Gene Gaines

PLAYING CAREER

MONTREAL ALOUETTES 1961, 1970 - 1976
OTTAWA ROUGH RIDERS 1962 - 1969

AWARDS AND HONOURS

ALL-EASTERN LINEBACKER 1963
ALL-EASTERN DEFENSIVE BACK 1965 - 1967, 1971
ALL-CANADIAN DEFENSIVE BACK 1965 - 1967
JEFF RUSSEL MEMORIAL TROPHY 1966
GREY CUP PARTICIPATION 1964, 1966, 1968 - 1970, 1974, 1975
GREY CUP WINNING TEAMS 1968 - 1970, 1974

After a stellar career at UCLA, Gene Gaines was drafted by both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Diego Chargers, but decided to play pro football in Canada.

Gaines was an outstanding offensive and defensive halfback, and in Ottawa was considered the "quarterback" on the defensive squad. 

Gaines returned to the Montreal Alouettes in the dual role of player and defensive backfield coach. Many credit Gaines' hard work on and off the field for Montreal's 1970 Grey Cup victory.

During his 16-year career Gaines played 217 games, 161 of them consecutive. Gaines intercepted 42 passes for 679 yards and returned 60 punts for 306 yards and had 56 kickoff returns for 1,112 yards, one a 128-yard return for a touchdown in the 1964 Eastern final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

INDUCTED 1994 - PLAYER

 

Class of 1994 Bill Baker, Tom Clements, Don McNaughton