| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Halfback, Fullback,MW,T |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1899-12-05)December 5, 1899 Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | August 22, 1971(1971-08-22) (aged 71) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Elgin High School |
| Junior football | Ottawa Seconds |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1920–1922 | Regina Rugby Club |
| 1923 | Ottawa Rough Riders |
| 1924–1935,1936 | Hamilton Tigers |
Coaching | |
| 1943 | Hamilton Flying Wildcats |
| Awards and highlights | |
Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1963) | |
Brian Mercer "Old Man of the Mountain"[1] Timmis[2] (December 5, 1899 – August 22, 1971) was a star seniorCanadian football player in theSaskatchewan Rugby Football Union (SRFU) andInterprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) for a combined 17 seasons, mainly for theHamilton Tigers. He is a three-timeGrey Cup champion as a player, having won with the Tigers in1928,1929, and1932. He later coached theHamilton Flying Wildcats, leading them to the1943 Grey Cup championship. He was an inaugural member of theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and was also inducted intoCanada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.Brian Timmis Stadium inHamilton, Ontario was named after him.
Timmis was born inWinnipeg and moved toOttawa in 1910 where his father, a militia member, was stationed.[3] He played football locally before enlisting in theCanadian Armed Forces in 1915 by stating he was two years older than he actually was.[4] After returning from theFirst World War in 1919, he played junior football for the Ottawa Seconds.[3] After being released from military service, Timmis joined theRoyal Canadian Mounted Police where he was stationed inRegina.[3]
Following his move to Regina, Timmis played locally for theRegina Rugby Club where he played from 1920 to 1922. In a game in 1921, an opponent nearly strangled him with his own chinstrap, so Timmis played the rest of his career without a helmet.[3][4] In 1923, he moved back to Ottawa and played one season for theOttawa Rough Riders.[5]
He joined theHamilton Tigers in1924 and played in his first game with the club on October 4, 1924, starting atmiddle wing.[6] The team finished in first place in the IRFU in 1924, but lost the East Final to theQueen's Golden Gaels. After sub-par seasons in 1925 and 1926, where the team did not qualify for playoffs, Timmis played in his firstGrey Cup game in1927, but the Tigers lost to theToronto Balmy Beach Beachers. The Tigers then won back-to-back Grey Cup championships over Timmis' former club, Regina, in1928 and1929 while Timmis scored two touchdowns in the 1928 game.[7] Timmis was named an Eastern All-Star by theCanadian Press in 1932 at the Tackle position, which was the first year players were named all-stars. He capped off his year by winning his third Grey Cup championship in the20th Grey Cup game by once again defeating theRegina Roughriders.[8] He retired at the end of the1935 season which culminated in aGrey Cup loss to theWinnipeg Pegs.[3][9]
At the behest of the Tigers organization, Timmis came out of retirement to play in the team's1936 IRFU playoff game against theOttawa Rough Riders inOttawa.[10] He played with infected tonsils and shoulder neuritis, leaving his left arm limp, but still played the entire game.[3] He was cheered on by the crowd in Ottawa as he left the field as a player for the final time.[3][10]
After his playing career, Timmis had numerous stints as a football coach, highlighted by his1943 season when he coached theHamilton Flying Wildcats to a win in the31st Grey Cup game.[11]
Timmis' son, Brian II, playedfullback for theSaskatchewan Roughriders (the same club that Timmis had played for) in1953.[2][12] His great-grandson,Mercer Timmis, was drafted by theHamilton Tiger-Cats (a continuation of the Tigers and Flying Wildcats) and, as of 2018, plays asrunning back for the team.[13]