Saskatchewan

Canadian football hall of famer, former Rider dead at 81

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Ted Urness won the Grey Cup with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1966

Ted Urness was an All-Canadian Centre from 1965 to his final year as a player in 1970. (Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum)

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider and Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee Ted Urness died this weekend, according to the Riders.

The announcement was made in a tweet on Sunday. Urness was 81.

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Urness, a native of Regina, played for the Riders from 1961 to 1970.

He played on the Riders when they won the Grey Cup in 1966.

From 1965 to 1970, Urness was named an All-Canadian Centre.

He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1989, a year which also saw the Riders hoist the Grey Cup in a 43-40 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Toronto.

Prior to his time with the Riders, Urness played for the Regina Rams and attended the University of Arizona.

Following his football career, Urness served for some years as chairman of the Saskatchewan Liquor Control Board.

Young fan reflects on memories of Urness​

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Brady Witt, 16, said his family lived next door to Urness for the first eight years of his life.

Witt said Urness let him bring his Grey Cup ring and other memorabilia to school with him for show and tell — a memory Witt says he will always cherish. (Submitted by Brady Witt)

"He was really good at showing, and giving me great memories," Witt said. "He gave me his rings, his 1966 Grey Cup, and some of his other rings… and he let me take his watch to school and show [them] to my peers and teachers."

Witt said that's something he'll always cherish, because he understood the work Urness had to put in to earn those items.

He said Urness took his family to the old Mosaic Stadium for a game and to the player's lounge and locker room, where he met former Roughriders Darian Durant and Weston Dressler among other players. He then got to dash between the 50 and 30 yard lines of Taylor Field.

Urness was always willing to let Witt into his home to talk football and look at the memorabilia the former Roughrider had collected over the years, he said.

"It's just something you would never think that you'd be able to have in your life," Witt said. "To have someone like him next door, it was unbelievable."

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Witt credited Urness as a driving force behind his love of sports today.

He said Urness taught him how to throw a spiral when they would toss the ball around in their backyards.

Ultimately, he was a positive influence on Witt's life.

"He showed me how to be hardworking, never give up, and to never worry, and to lend a helping hand to people who need it," Witt said.

"He was just a really good guy and I was sad to hear the news about him."

Brady and Erick Witt pose with Ted Urness at Taylor Field. (Submitted by Brady Witt)

With files from Bryan Eneas