 Day in 1961 | |
| No. 10, 19 | |
|---|---|
| Positions | Quarterback •Punter |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1932-10-02)October 2, 1932 Columbia, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | February 22, 2008(2008-02-22) (aged 75) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Mississippi |
| NFL draft | 1956: 17th round, 203rd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| 1956–1958 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1959–1960 | Washington Redskins |
| 1961–1966 | Calgary Stampeders |
| 1967 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Stats atPro Football Reference  | |
Herman Sidney "Eagle"Day (October 2, 1932 – February 22, 2008) was an Americanpunter in theNational Football League (NFL) for theWashington Redskins andquarterback in theCanadian Football League (CFL) with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers,Calgary Stampeders and theToronto Argonauts. He playedcollege football andbaseball at theUniversity of Mississippi.
Day was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference quarterback for the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss)Rebels, leading Ole Miss to SEC titles in1954 and1955 with a combination of running and passing skills.
Day led Ole Miss to a 26–5–1 record in three seasons while playing for coachJohnny Vaught. He was the MVP of the 1956Cotton Bowl Classic after leading Ole Miss to a 14–13 upset victory overTexas Christian in the Rebels first major bowl game. After a late-game 25-yard scramble during the 1956 Cotton Bowl Classic game against Texas Christian University, he was given the nickname "The Mississippi Gambler". Day completed 111 of 233 passes for 2,022 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Ole Miss career. Not counting bowl statistics, he had 2,428 yards of total offense and was responsible for 21 touchdowns. His first pass in college (vs. Chattanooga) in 1953 was a 63-yard touchdown.
As a pitcher, Day was with the Rebels baseball team in 1956 when it went to theCollege World Series.[1]
Day played ten years in theCanadian Football League with theWinnipeg Blue Bombers,Calgary Stampeders andToronto Argonauts and two years in the NFL with theWashington Redskins. His time spent in the CFL was as a quarterback. His two years spent in the NFL with the Redskins was as a punter.
Although Day wasdrafted by the Washington Redskins in the 17th round of the1956 NFL draft, he did not join the Redskins until the 1959 and 1960 seasons, instead joining the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for three years first.
In 1961, Day left the NFL for the CFL, joining the Calgary Stampeders, with which team he remained through the 1965 season. In 1962, he was an all-star and won theJeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy. When he left the Stampeders, he joined the Toronto Argonauts (the first of two Ole Miss stars to play quarterback for Toronto, the other beingKent Austin in 1995).
At the time of his death, Day's 226 playoff completions placed him fifth all-time, while his 3,132 playoff passing yards had him sixth for all-time.[1]