College: Ben Franklin
Drafted: 1952 - WOR - Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Worcester Athletics (1952-1957), London Tigers (1958-1969)
Captaincy: WOR - A (1957), LDN - A (1959-1963), LDN - C (1964-1969)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1960, 1963)
Awards: Most Valuable Player (1959, 1961, 1963), Offensive Player of the Year (1956), Breakout Player of the Year (1954), Playoff MVP (1959), McCallister Cup MVP (1963)
All-Stars: 7 (1958-1961, 1963, 1964)
Player of the Week: 11 Times
In 1952, Kiernan would become the first QB to ever be drafted into the NAAF. He would struggle in his first couple of seasons, before winning Breakout Player of the Year in 1954. After making his first playoff appearance in 1955, he would lead the Athletics to the McCallister Cup in 1956, taking home OPOY. They would fall short in the big game to the Royals in overtime. In 1957, Kiernan would have one of his worst seasons while dealing with his sick dad and injuries throughout the season. The bad season would lead to the Athletics trading Kiernan to the London Tigers at the 1958 draft. Kiernan would enter the season as a backup, but took over the starting job when QB Christian Stewart would get hurt in the first game. Kiernan would not look back and would go on to lead the Tigers on a stellar run from 1959-1963. In those seasons, Kiernan would win 3 MVPs and lead the Tigers to 4 McCallister Cup appearances, winning 2 of them in 1960 and 1963. Since 1963, the Tigers have been unable to return to the big game, but Kiernan remained one of the strongest QBs in the league and would become the Tigers’ captain for the remaining 6 years of his career. Kiernan does retire with 199 total starts in his career which is the most all-time. He also has 7 All-Star seasons and a pair of playoff awards with a Playoff and McCallister Cup MVP. Kiernan is expected to take some time away from football, but some expect he could be in the commentary booth at some point.
DL Lonnie Vincent - Lowell, MA - Creator: Darknes
College: New England
Drafted: 1959 - BUF - Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1959-1969)
Captaincy: BUF - A (1964-1969)
McCallister Cups: 4 (1964, 1966, 1967, 1969)
All-Stars: 7 (1960, 1961, 1963-1967)
Player of the Week: 3
Vincent entered the league with expectations of being a physical force on the defensive line, and he did not disappoint. He would become a staple on the Blue Wings’ defensive line for many seasons causing a lot of issues for many QBs. The addition of DL William Sanderson to the Blue Wings roster would only allow Vincent to get more opportunities in the late 60s, which made the Blue Wings’ D-line one of the most feared in the league’s history. Vincent would take on the alternate captain role with the Blue Wings in 1964, and it might have been a perfect choice as the Blue Wings would go on to win 4 McCallister Cups in the 6 seasons Vincent served as an alternate captain. Vincent would finish his career with 7 All-Star seasons and would spend all 11 years with the Buffalo Blue Wings. Being the hard worker and motivator that he is, Vincent is expected to be back on the sidelines someday.
OL Elliot Winterbottom - Utica, NY - Creator: DireBear
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1956 - LI - Round 1, Pick 7
Teams: R.Long Island Raiders (1956), Long Island Raiders (1957-1969)
Captaincy: LI - A (1963-1969)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1958, 1965)
All-Stars: 7 (1959-1965)
Winterbottom entered the 1956 draft as the best run blocker of the class. Being drafted by Long Island was a perfect fit, especially after the team acquired RB Dareion Fields. Winterbottom would lead the way for a rushing attack that was one of the best in the NAAF over the late 50s-early 60s. He would make 7 consecutive All-Star teams and would pick up a pair of McCallister Cups in 1958 and 1965. His leadership by example was also well known, serving as the team’s alternate captain from 1963-1969 despite his sometimes quiet nature. At this point, Winterbottom is ready to get out of the big city and out into the countryside and work on the farm.
OL Ward Briscoe - Columbus, OH - Creator: DireBear
College: Central Ohio
Drafted: 1959 - WOR - Round 1, Pick 2
Teams: Worcester Athletics/The Athletics/Halifax Mariners (1959-1969)
Captaincy: ATH/HFX - C (1962-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1968)
All-Stars: 6 (1962-1967)
With the 2nd overall pick in the 1959 draft, the Athletics would draft one of the team’s cornerstones for the next decade. Briscoe was easily the top OL prospect in the draft and was hungry to succeed at the next level. Succeed he did become one of the league’s best O-linemen early in his career. He would be a 6-time All-Star and would serve as the Athletics/Mariners’ captain from 1962-1969. Briscoe’s football intelligence and passion were what made him a great player and leader. The team just followed him, through everything, especially the very difficult 1962 season where the team was travelling to all games and losing all games. Briscoe is immediately looked at as a potential coaching candidate simply because of his leadership.
OL Bernhard Altermann - Staten Island, NY - Creator: ZO82
College: Brooklyn Metro
Drafted: 1958 - LOU - Round 2, Pick 11
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1958-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
All-Stars: 5 (1960-1964)
Another steady O-lineman was drafted with the 11th pick of the 1958 draft. Altermann joined the Louisville Thunder and then never left. He spent all 12 seasons of his career with the team, being a 5-time All-Star and a McCallister Cup champion in 1962. Since 1964, Altermann slowly faded into the background as the Thunder started to hit some rocky seasons, but he still walks away a champ and one of the best Thunder linemen in their short history.
OL Harrison Ward - Syracuse, NY - Creator: ZO82
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1957 - MTL - Round 1, Pick 8
Teams: Montreal Rouge (1957-1966), Halifax Mariners (1967), Buffalo Blue Wings (1968-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1969)
All-Stars: 4 (1962, 1964-1966)
Yet another O-lineman is next with Harrison Ward, who was picked with the 8th overall selection in 1957, the 3rd of 3 first-round picks the Rouge made that season after selecting LB Sam Fitzroy and WR Derek Cross. Ward would spend the first 10 years of his career with the Rouge, racking up 4 All-Stars seasons and a pair of McCallister Cup appearances. However, he was never able to get it done in Montreal. He was traded to Halifax ahead of the 1967 season as he began his search for a championship. The ‘67 campaign was unsuccessful in Halifax, so he left for Buffalo, only for Halifax to win in 1968. Luckily for Ward, he was able to still capture that title this past season and can finally retire from the game a champion.
DL Timmy Kerr - Wilkes-Barre, PA - Creator: GoRedSox96
College: Allegheny
Drafted: 1957 - LI - Round 2, Pick 15
Teams: R.Long Island Raiders (1957), Long Island Raiders (1958-1962), Boston Independents (1963-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1958)
All-Stars: 3 (1963-1965)
Timmy entered the NAAF alongside twin brother RB Tommy Kerr. Timmy was viewed as and turned out to be the more talented of the two. He would fit right in with the Raiders’ defensive power early on. The loads of talent on the Raiders’ defence allowed Timmy to be more aggressive on the line. He would win a championship with the Raiders in 1958 and then continued to be a strong piece on the line. However, after the 1962 season, Kerr walked away and signed with Boston. It was an interesting signing as Boston also had to bring in Tommy to play with Timmy as the brothers wanted to play together. Timmy’s first 3 seasons in Boston were great, as he would get all three of his All-Star seasons. Unfortunately, after those seasons, Timmy saw a decline and would not be able to return to that form as Boston faltered throughout the late 60s.
K Arthur Kettinger - North Andover, MA - Creator: Rugrat
College: New England
Drafted: 1953 - MTL - Round 4, Pick 28
Teams: Montreal Rouge (1953-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1953)
Awards: 2 Special Teams Player of the Year (1953, 1964)
All-Stars: 2 (1953, 1964)
No other player has kicked the ball in Montreal for the past 17 seasons. After the Rouge selected Kettinger in the 1953 draft, the kicker became an immediate impact, taking home Special Teams Player of the Year and being an All-Star in his rookie season. He would later win the award again in 1964, along with his second All-Star season. He captured his lone championship in his rookie season, but came close in both 1962 and 1966.
TE Christopher Gist - Rochester, NY - Creator: Darknes
College: Rochester
Drafted: 1957 - LOU - Round 3, Pick 21
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1957-1967), Long Island Raiders (1967-1968), Pittsburgh Blacksmiths (1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
All-Stars: 2 (1959, 1963)
The Louisville Thunder would get a good pull in the 1957 draft grabbing their top TE for the next decade in the 3rd round. One reason Gist fell was his laziness when it came to blocking. He was very good at being a pass catcher, but just wasn’t the best when it came to blocking despite having the size for it. However, it would work out for the Thunder, with Gist blossoming into a threat in the passing game, and eventually, a 2-time All-Star. Gist would help the Thunder to a single championship in 1962 during his 10-and-a-half years in Louisville. In 1967, he would be traded to the Raiders as part of the WR Casey Coleman trade. He would spend the next year and a half with the Raiders before closing out his career with the Blacksmiths.
OL Varo Giovanni - Bronx, NY - Creator: ZO82
College: King’s
Drafted: 1957 - Undrafted
Teams: R.Providence Gold Stars (1957), Providence Gold Stars (1958-1968), Toronto Steelheads (1968-1969)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1961, 1963)
Giovanni was passed on in the 1957 draft, primarily due to major character issues. His biggest issue was being unmotivated/lacked care for improving. Going undrafted might have flipped a switch in his brain as he would grow into a strong member of the Gold Stars O-line. Giovanni’s character was directed in the right direction and he would eventually be a 2-time All-Star. He would eventually get moved to the Toronto Steelheads in his final 2 seasons, where he was not much of a factor. Giovanni was unable to capture a championship in his career.
DL Lawrence Armstrong - Brampton, ON - Creator: Wallflower
College: St. George
Drafted: 1956 - OFU
Teams: OFU - Toronto Lakers (1956-1963), Toronto Steelheads (1964-1967), Ottawa Royals (1967-1969)
Captaincy: TOR - A (1967)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1965, 1966)
Armstrong entered the NAAF in 1964 along with the Toronto Steelheads, after spending the first 8 years of his career with the Toronto Lakers in the OFU. Armstrong was one of the players to make an immediate impact in the NAAF, earning 2 All-Star seasons with the Steelheads in 1965 and 1966. He was given the “A” at the start of the 1967 season but was being offered around during the trade deadline, which didn’t sit well with the loyal player. Armstrong did have a choice about whether he would be traded and Toronto strongly encouraged a deal with Halifax which saw them get a lot in return, but to spite them, Armstrong choose the Royals. Armstrong enjoyed his time in Ottawa, with a much better culture. He came very close to winning a title this season with the Royals, but after the season, he was tired and wanted to move on from the sport, likely into a role with the Royals.
TE Emmanuel Hines - Saginaw, MI - Creator: DireBear
College: Detroit Tech
Drafted: 1958 - IND - Round 2, Pick 14
Teams: Indiana Victors (1958-1969)
Captaincy: IND - A (1962-1966)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 1 (1965)
Another star TE is a part of this retirement class. Hines was a powerful TE, able to overpower opponents in blocking and still go and get a ball while having a guy all over him. Hines had a very resilient personality, as he would never give up or let mistakes distract him from getting the job done. Those traits would make his a strong leader, taking on the “A” for 5 seasons for the Victors. Hines would finish his career without a championship, falling just short of the title in 1968, but he was an All-Star in 1965.
RB Rodney “Hot Rod” Clark - Pittsburgh, PA - Creator: Rugrat
College: Allegheny
Drafted: 1958 - IND - Round 1, Pick 4
Teams: Indiana Victors (1958-1960), Louisville Thunder (1961-1967), Boston Independents (1968), Toronto Steelheads (1969)
Captaincy: IND - A (1959-1960)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
Player of the Week: 3 Times
Rodney Clark was the 4th player taken in the hectic 1958 draft that saw the first 3 picks get traded. The Victors stayed at their 4th overall slot and took Clark to be a piece for the future. Clark was an immediate impact for the Victors, being their primary source of offence over his first 3 seasons. He would wear the “A” for 2 seasons, however, he would leave the Victors at the end of the 1960 season, joining the team’s rival in the Louisville Thunder. Clark would spend the next 7 years with the Thunder, winning a championship with the team and being a consistent piece out of the backfield. He would start to slow down in the late 60s, leading to a couple of seasons as a journeyman playing for Boston and Toronto to close out his career. Without getting starting reps, Clark has lost the motivation to play and is calling it a career.
DL Dale Rothery - Portland, ME - Creator: DireBear
College: Concord-Manchester
Drafted: 1960 - LOU - Round 1, Pick 5
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1960), Long Island Raiders (1961-1962), Montreal Rouge (1962), Louisville Thunder (1963), Halifax Mariners (1964), Toronto Steelheads (1965-1966), Boston Independents (1967-1968), Pittsburgh Blacksmiths (1969)
McCallister Cups: 0
Normally, players that don’t receive at least an All-Star or a Player of the Week during their career don’t get covered in retirements, but Rothery was something else. Rothery entered the 1960 draft as a highly athletic player and seemed like a sure-fire top DL of the future, but it did not go that way. Rothery struggled immediately, not being able to keep pace technically with the NAAF O-linemen. Within a season, Rothery would be traded for the first time in his career. He would then be traded 2 more times to Montreal from Long Island and to Boston from Toronto. In his 10-year career, Rothery would play for 7 different teams likely cementing himself in the conversations about journeymen for years to come.
*There is no jersey to describe his career
Other Notable Retirements - * = McCallister Cup
DL Dexter Barbarcos - Gary, IN - College: Northern Indiana - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1958 - MTL R1: P7
Teams: MTL (1958-1964, 1969), PIT (1965), LI (1966-1967), TOR (1968)
S Cal Clemmons - Sandusky, OH - College: Detroit Tech - Creator: Dan O’Mac - Drafted: 1959 - IND R1: P4
Teams: IND (1959-1963), PRO (1964), BUF (1965-1966)*, PIT (1967), LOU (1968), LI (1969)
LB George Yokoi - Brooklyn, NY - College: Cambridge of Boston - Creator: QCS - Drafted: 1959 - LOU R2: P11
Teams: LOU (1959-1964)*, LDN (1965-1967), MTL (1968), BOS (1968), HFX (1969)
OL Fabrice Beaufort - Quebec City, QC - College: St-Laurent - Creator: Kingsfan11 - Drafted: 1960 - OTT - R1: P10
Teams: OTT (1960-1966), BUF (1967)*, TOR (1968), HFX (1969)
DL Allen St. Bensen - Boston, MA - College: New England - Creator: Stickman - Drafted: 1960 - IND R2: P17
Teams: IND (1960-1964), BOS (1965-1969)
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