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The Edmonton Eskimos, and indeed the entire CFL, are mourning the loss of Canadian Football Hall-of-Famer Larry Highbaugh, who died Tuesday night at age 67.

Highbaugh, a cornerback and kick returner with six Grey Cup rings to his credit, including the five-in-a-row era from 1978-82, was a three-time all-star over a 13-year career that spanned from 1971-83. All but his first season-and-a-half, which he spent with the B.C. Lions, were in the green and gold of the Eskimos, where his name appears on the club’s Wall of Honour surrounding Commonwealth Stadium.

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“I came along too early,” Highbaugh told Postmedia columnist Terry Jones in the book, Epic Legacy of the Edmonton Eskimos.

By the time he retired, Highbaugh had returned 4,966 kickoff yards for an average of 35.2 per return – five yards longer than any other CFL player at the time. The thing is, he did it during a time when teammates didn’t block for return men, who made up what was called the suicide squad.