1973 Retirements

RB Jimmy Golden - Wakefield, QC - Creator: Stickman
College: St-Laurent
Drafted: 1961 - BUF - Round 1, Pick 3
Teams: Buffalo Blue Wings (1960-1970), Indiana Victors (1971), Edmonton Rangers (1972)
McCallister Cups: 4 (1964, 1966, 1967, 1969)
Awards: Most Valuable Player (1964), Offensive Player of the Year (1967), Rookie of the Year (1960), Playoff MVP (1969)
All-Stars: 3 (1964, 1965, 1967)
Player of the Week: 11
It didn’t take long for Jimmy Golden to get going after being drafted 3rd overall in 1960. He would be thrust into the starting job in his first season after RB Johnnie Stafford was traded midseason. He would win Rookie of the Year with a great performance down the stretch. Along with fellow St-Laurent teammate, QB Charles Lemieux, Golden and the Blue Wings would tear up the league over the 1960s. Gold would set the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season with 24 in 1964, earning him the MVP nod for the year. Buffalo would also capture the Cup by the season’s end. Golden continued to put up fantastic numbers en route to 3 more McCallister Cups. He also won OPOY in 1967 after another 20-touchdown season. Golden was a great player on the field, but his “me-first” attitude off the field wasn’t always easy to deal with. Winning and QB Charles Lemieux was able to keep him in check, but in his final years in Buffalo he did lose the starting job to RB Jasper Dickerson due to fumble troubles. Golden elected to leave for Indiana in the offseason, hoping to prove his old team wrong. Unfortunately, he was disappointing in Indiana, and lost the job there too. He would have one last season in Edmonton, but it was clear the gas had run out. Regardless, Golden is one of the best of his generation. Don’t expect Golden to just go away with retirement, the ego needs to be fueled and he is likely to find ways to still be relevant, whether on TV or another way.

QB Lyle Painter - Greenwich, CT - Creator: Dan O’Mac
College: Haynes
Drafted: 1955 - LI - Round 1, Pick 1
Teams: Long Island Raiders (1955-1962), Indiana Victors (1963-1965), Halifax Mariners (1966-1972)
Captaincy: LI - A (1961-1962), HFX - A (1970-1971)
McCallister Cups: 2 (1958, 1968)
Awards: Most Valuable Player (1965), Offensive Player of the Year (1966), Rookie of the Year (1955), McCallister Cup MVP (1968)
All-Stars: 2 (1965, 1966)
Player of the Week: 7
Being drafted to a team that had just gone 0-10 is never an easy way to start a career, but QB Lyle Painter made the most of it when he went on to lead the Raiders to a 6-3-1 record and McCallister Cup appearance in his rookie season. He rightfully earned Rookie of the Year and gave the fans of the Raiders a lot of hope. Painter kept improving along with the team around him and by 1958 was back in the McCallister Cup for a 2nd crack at the Ottawa Royals who had beaten him in 1955. Painter would have a career-defining game, leading the Raiders past the 12-0 Royals to win his first McCallister Cup. Painter led the Raiders to 3 straight West Division titles between 1958-1960 but wasn’t able to get back to the Cup after the 1958 win. After a pair of tough seasons in 1961 and 1962, the Raiders looked for a change and traded Painter to the Victors. Painter would end up as the backup to start with the Victors, but eventually took the job by the end of 1963. He would ink a 2-year deal in 1964 to be the team’s starter while they developed QB Tom Applewhite who they took 3rd overall shortly after. Painter had a tough 1964 season which would lead the Victors to name Applewhite the starter for 1965. However, after just 2 games, Painter was thrown back into the starting job where he would put on a stellar performance, leading the Victors to a 6-4 record in 10 starts, winning the league MVP, and getting them to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. They would be bumped in the first round, unfortunately. Despite the MVP season, Painter was not re-signing with the Victors due to Applewhite being their future guy. So he would head up to Halifax for 1966 and immediately turn that team into a fringe contender. He would win OPOY in 1966, coming close to back-to-back MVP wins. Then, in 1968, he would lead the 6-6 Mariners to the McCallister Cup, beating both his previous teams in the playoffs (Raiders and Victors) to capture his 2nd title. In the last couple of years, Painter became a mentor and helped to develop QB Todd Sparrow. He retires with the 3rd most starts All-Time for a QB (184 total) behind QB Riley Kiernan (215) and QB Nathaniel Braddock (186). Painter is expected to stay in Halifax, likely taking on a coaching role with the team.
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WR Ed Edwards - Indianapolis, IN - Creator: Stickman
College: North Indiana
Drafted: 1960 - IND - Round 2, Pick 11
Teams: Indiana Victors (1960-1972)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Offensive Player of the Year (1969)
All-Stars: 8 (1962-1969)
Player of the Week: 6
During the 1960 draft, the Indiana Victors made the selection of WR Alexei Dubois with the #1 pick, but the better WR they would draft came with their next pick at 11, when they took hometown prospect, WR Ed Edwards. Edwards very quickly proved that he was going to be the better WR. By 1962, he had taken the #1 WR position on the team, beating out Dubois for the role. Dubois would later be traded, while Edwards would continue to be a star for the Victors. He helped turn the team around from one that couldn’t taste the playoffs to a consistent participant from 1965-1970. He would also earn OPOY in 1969, catching a career-high 14 touchdowns. He would make his lone McCallister Cup appearance with the team in 1968. Despite chances to chase a cup in his later years, Edwards remained loyal to his hometown, hoping to continue to grow the game in the city. Following his retirement he hopes to continue his journey in the city, helping grow the game and be involved in the community both within his religious circles, but also in youth sports. 

K Henderson Schumacher - Windsor, ON - Creator: I_cooper_my_pants333
College: Detroit Tech
Drafted: 1955 - Undrafted
Teams: Long Island Raiders (1957-1972)
McCallister Cups: 3 (1958, 1965, 1970)
Awards: 4x Special Teams Player of the Year (1958, 1959, 1967, 1968)
All-Stars: 6 (1958, 1959, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1968)
Schumacher joined the Raiders in 1955, and trained under Hall of Fame K Thomas McFadden on the reserve list, before taking over the job in 1957. Schumacher had big shoes to fill and he filled them well, being a reliable boot for the team over the next decade and a half. He would nearly catch McFadden with 4 Special Teams Player of the Year awards, falling just one short of his mentor. Schumacher also played an important role in all 3 of the Raiders’ McCallister Cup wins thus far. There is an easy argument to make that Schumacher is in the top 3 all-time as a kicker next to McFadden and Tigers’ K Nimrod Handsworth. Schumacher hopes to pay Thomas McFadden’s wisdom forward by remaining as a kicker coach for the Raiders heading into next season. 

DB Joe Robinson - Philadelphia, PA - Creator: Rugrat
College: New England
Drafted: 1960 - WOR - Round 1, Pick 2
Teams: Worcester Athletics/The Athletics/Halifax Mariners (1960-1972)
Captaincy: ATH/HFX - A (1962-1972)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1968)
All-Stars: 2 (1964, 1966)
Player of the Week: 1
It was a very treacherous start to Joe Robinson’s career after being selected 2nd overall by the Athletics in 1960. With the burning of Worcester Stadium, a year as a homeless team, and then the move to Halifax, it was hard to remain focused. However, Robinson emerged as a leader during this time, being named an Alternate Captain by his 3rd season. Robinson took on the leadership role with pride and would lead the team through more tough years following the move to Halifax. He would earn his 2 All-Star nods in 1964 and 1966, being Halifax’s top corner for the better part of a decade. Eventually, the hard work would pay off in 1968 when the Mariners would capture the McCallister Cup, making Robinson a champion. While Robinson lacks some personal accolades overall in his career, he was still one of the best and most respected corners in the league. Much like Ed Edwards, Robinson had opportunities to leave the team late in his career, but remained loyal to Halifax, feeling pride toward the city and what they had accomplished. He is not expected to be going very far, looking to step into coaching or management in the near future. 

LB Victor Falkensteig - Gary, IN - Creator: Wallflower
College: Rockefeller
Drafted: 1962 - PRO - Round 2, Pick 15
Teams: Providence Gold Stars (1962-1972)
Captaincy: PRO - A (1968), PRO - C (1969-1972)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1972)
All-Stars: 2 (1966, 1968)
The Providence Gold Stars would win a bidding battle to trade up to the 15th pick in 1962 to draft Victor Falkensteig. It would turn out to be a great move with Falkensteig making an immediate impact on the Gold Stars’ defence. He helped them reach the McCallister Cup in 1963, but the team came up short. Between 1964 and 1966, Falkensteig would become the team’s top LB and would have several solid seasons on a rebuilding Gold Stars team. He would eventually be joined by LB Kurt Warlock and form a dominant LB Corps. He would earn 2 All-Star nods in the following seasons and was eventually named Alternate Captain in 1968. A year later, he would become the team’s 3rd Captain in their history. Falkensteig would wear the “C” over his last 4 seasons, which saw the Gold Stars emerge as a contender. In his final season, Falkensteig would get a little banged up but returned in time to help the Gold Stars get back to the McCallister Cup. His career would end with his hands being the first to touch the McCallister Cup and raise it for the city of Providence, who had finally ended their drought. To start his retirement, Falkensteig is expected to step away from the game to focus on family, but he will still show his support for the Gold Stars moving forward.

WR Marshall Leonard - Orangeville, ON - Creator: Wallflower
College: St. George
Drafted: 1960 - Ontario Football Union
Teams: OFU - Hamilton (1960-1963), Ottawa Royals (1964-1972)
Captaincy: OTT - A (65-68), OTT (69-71)
McCallister Cups: 0
All-Stars: 2 (1969, 1971)
Marshall Leonard was a young budding star for the Hamilton Steelers of the OFU. When the league folded, many expected the young WR to join the Steelheads, but it didn’t happen. Leonard was displeased that he wasn’t really given at least an offer by the team, but he probably got a better deal when the Ottawa Royals signed him. Leonard would be an immediate injection of life into the aging Royals’ WR corps. He caught 6 touchdowns in his first season from QB Jean Matieau who was playing his last. From that point on, Leonard became the Royals’ top WR where he would remain for the rest of his career, aside from this past season. He would become a leader, being named Alternate Captain in 1965, and then captain in 1969. He would help develop several QBs, willing to work and train into the late hours. He especially clicked with QB Drake Young, leading to great chemistry between the two. Leonard would fall short of a championship in his career with the Royals falling in the 1969 McCallister Cup, but regardless, Leonard is satisfied with his career, having proven Toronto wrong with their choice not to sign him and becoming a star in the NAAF on top of that. Leonard is likely to remain in Ottawa and continue to train with Young and several other players, hoping to be a bit of a personal trainer/coach in the future.

OL Taylor Forbes - Utica, NY - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1961 - LOU - Round 1, Pick 8
Teams: Louisville Thunder (1961-1970), Long Island Raiders (1971), Toronto Steelheads (1972)
Captaincy: LOU - A (1967-1969)
McCallister Cups: 1 (1962)
All-Stars: 5 (1963-1965, 1967, 1968)
Forbes entered the NAAF as a hard-working player. From his first season, Forbes was a starter for the Thunder. A workhorse player that pushed himself to the max. He would be rewarded with a McCallister Cup in just his 2nd season. By his 3rd, Forbes became a consistent All-Star, getting 5 nods in his career. His hard work and intelligence would make him into a great leader on the field. Being able to read defensive pressures and make adjustments on the fly. Forbes was eventually named Alternate Captain in 1967. He would carry the “A” up until 1969 when the team changed all 3 of their captains in 1970. With Louisville marching through a rebuild, Forbes elected to move on from the team in 1971, signing with the defending champion Raiders to hunt for a 2nd Cup. Unfortunately, it was the wrong decision with the Raiders missing the playoffs and his former team going on to win the whole thing. Forbes didn’t get as many offers after the ‘71 season due to injuries piling up. He would land in Toronto for his final season, but another injury-filled season would be the sign to retire for Forbes. Forbes may elect to return to school following his retirement to further his education after he was already very successful the first time around. 

WR Evan Clanton - Rome, NY - Creator: Edgeworth
College: Western New York
Drafted: 1962 - BOS - Round 2, Pick 20
Teams: Boston Independents (1962-1967), Indiana Victors (1968), Minnesota Serpents (1969-1971), Boston Independents (1972)
Captaincy: MIN - A (1969-1971)
McCallister Cups: 0
Awards: Breakout Player of the Year (1965)
All-Stars: 1 (1965)
The late-round pick in 1962 had expectations of being a solid role WR for his career. He did just that in the early stages of his career. However, the kid kept on working. Clanton kept getting better and by 1965 was entrusted with being Boston’s top target. He excelled in the role, scoring 10 touchdowns and earning Breakout Player of the Year. Unfortunately, Clanton’s career didn’t remain as high as he would have a bit of a “one-hit-wonder” career. He wouldn’t be able to maintain the form and slip back down to Earth over the next couple of seasons. In 1968, Clanton was given a fresh start and was traded to the Indiana Victors. His performance remained the same with the Victors, being more of the role WR that many expected. Indiana wouldn’t protect Clanton in the expansion draft in 1969, leading to Clanton heading to Minnesota. Clanton’s hard-working mentality was a key factor in being named Alternate Captain in 1969. He would have a solid year in 1969, before taking on a smaller role in the run-heavy offence in the next two seasons. In 1972, he would return to Boston for one last season. He wasn’t a huge factor but still caught one last touchdown from QB Nathaniel Braddock. Despite not being able to sustain his top performance, Clanton was always a highly respected player and did a lot of the “dirty” work and it still paid off in other ways. In retirement, Clanton expects to return to the farm and continue to run his family’s business following his retirement.

QB Lee Rogers - London, ON - Creator: Captain Mort 3D
College: Toronto
Drafted: 1953 - HAR - Round 1, Pick 1
Teams: Hartford/Long Island Hawks (1953-1954), Montreal Rouge (1955), ACFL (1956-1959), Montreal Rouge (1960), Indiana Victors (1961), Ottawa Royals (1962-1966), Halifax Mariners (1966-1967), Indiana Victors (1968-1972)
McCallister Cups: 0
Player of the Week: 1
Finally, we have one of the most interesting careers in the NAAF’s history. Easily the biggest #1 overall pick bust. Rogers was picked 1st by the Hawks in 1953, due to a cannon of an arm, however, he struggled with keeping the ball out of the arms of defenders. Along with his mishaps and a very weak Hawks team, Rogers went a combined 2-16 as a starter in his first two seasons. He was then traded at the 1955 draft after the Raiders took QB Lyle Painter to replace him. He would spend one season in his new home of Montreal before he decided to venture over to the ACFL. He would spend a few years there but returned to the NAAF after not meshing well with the different culture within the league. He would be a journeyman backup upon his return playing for Montreal again and then a year with Indiana. After that, he was dealt to Ottawa for the 1962 season. Rogers would back up QB Jean Matieau, and this is where his career turned around a little. Rogers learnt a lot from Matieau and was able to get his head back in the game. He learnt to be smarter with the ball and regained his love of the game. He would get an opportunity in 1963 with Matieau injured he would lead the Royals to the playoffs and get his lone playoff win, upsetting the defending champion Louisville Thunder in what is the only time a crossover team won a game in the playoffs. After one more year behind Matieau, Rogers was given the starting job in 1965, going on to lead his best season going 5-7 on the rebuilding team. The team did elect to go younger the next season, which would lead to Rogers being traded to Halifax where he would end up backing up QB Lyle Painter. The two had no ill-will from when Painter took Rogers’ job back in Long Island, and Rogers would stay there the next year. Finally, he would land back with the Victors where he has spent the last 5 seasons, playing into his 40s and having too much fun around the game. Finally, Rogers is calling it a career, ending an incredibly wild, but fun career. 

Other Notable Retirements:
TE Tranquille Rousseau - Saguenay, QC - College: St-Laurent - Creator: ZO82 - Drafted: 1962 - LDN - R2 | P19
Teams: LDN (1962-1971), IND (1972) - McCallister Cups: 1 (1963) - All-Stars: 2
Rousseau was a solid player for the Tigers throughout his career, but injuries thwarted what could have been an amazing career.

TE Ryan Hatcher - Halifax, NS - College: Nova Scotia - Creator: idm - Drafted: 1963 - OTT - R2 | P16
Teams: OTT (1963-1968), LI (1969), TOR (1970-1971), BOS (1971-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0 - All-Stars: 2
Hatcher had a promising start to his career in Ottawa, but injuries and regression led to a tough journeyman ending.

DL James Chambers - Edmonton, AB - College: UEdmonton - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: 1961 - WFU
Teams: WFU (1961-1969), EDM (1970-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0 - All-Stars: 2
Chambers’ time in the NAAF has been short, but he still has made an impact with 2 All-Star seasons for Edmonton.

DB Jayson Klyde - Chicago, IL - College: Rockefeller - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: 1960 - MTL - R2 | P14
Teams: MTL (1960-1969), MIN (1970-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0 - All-Stars: 1
Klyde was a big part of Montreal’s defence throughout the 60s, helping them to a couple of McCallister Cup appearances, but eventually was pushed out by younger talent, finishing his career with Minnesota.

S Wesley Jones - Durham, NH - College: Maine State - Creator: Captain Mort 3D - Drafted: 1960 - BUF - R4 | P33
Teams: BUF (1961-1972) - McCallister Cups: 4 (1964, 1966, 1967, 1969) - All-Stars: 1
Jones went from being a 4th round pick to Buffalo’s top safety throughout their dynasty in the 60s, proving that draft position doesn’t make your career.

DB Mordecai King - Hartford, CT - College: Haynes - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1961 - BOS - R3 | P27
Teams: BOS (1961-1972) - McCallister Cups: 1 (1961) - All-Stars: 1 - POTW: 1
King was the 2nd DB taken by Boston in 1961, but he became the bigger star, being the flashing ball hawk for the team throughout his career.

DB Lawrence Ralph - Grand Rapids, MI - College: Michigan - Creator: Scratch - Drafted: 1961 - BOS - R1 | P5
Teams: BOS (1961-1970), WPG (1971), VAN (1972) - McCallister Cups: 1 (1961) - All-Stars: 1
Ralph was the first DB taken in the same draft, and he was still very good, being the less flashy side of the coin between the dynamic duo. 

OL Flint Boyer - Hamilton, ON - College: UHamilton - Creator: QCS - Drafted: 1961 - WOR - R1 | P7
Teams: WOR/ATH/HFX (1961-1968), MIN (1969-1970), MTL (1971-1972) - McCallister Cups: 1 (1968) - All-Stars: 1
Boyer was a solid lineman for the Mariners throughout his career, but would also make stops in Minnesota and Montreal following winning his lone McCallister Cup in 1968.

RB Hugo Hughes - Yonkers, NY - College: Haynes - Creator: QCS - Drafted: 1963 - MTL - R2 | P12
Teams: MTL (1963-1968), MIN (1969-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0, All-Stars - 1
Hughes had to fill some big shoes in Montreal after RB Scott Mallard-White retired, and he would be alright, but never quite lived up to it, leading to a move to Minnesota to close out his career.

LB Enzo Morello - Revere, MA - College: New England - Creator: Darknes - Drafted: 1964 - HFX - R3 | P24
Teams: HFX (1965-1966), OTT (1966-1968), MIN (1969-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0 - All-Stars: 1
Morello was a little slow to start his career, but he broke out in Ottawa before having a solid finish as a depth piece for Minnesota. 

OL Aaron Wilkinson - Vancouver, BC - College: Pacific Provincial - Creator: Wallflower - Drafted: 1961 - WFU
Teams: WFU (1961-1969), VAN (1970-1972) - McCallister Cups: 0 - All-Stars: 1

Wilkinson had a strong career prior to the NAAF with Vancouver but then still managed one All-Star season once he did arrive in 1970.