Keith Spaith (April 8, 1923 – March 1, 1976) was a

Canadian football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

player for the

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

from 1948 to 1954.

Early life

Spaith was born in

Dinuba, California Dinuba is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 21,453 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Visalia-Porterville metropolitan statistical area. The Alta District Museum is located in Dinuba in a restored rai ...

. He played college football with

Saint Mary's College of California Saint Mary's College of California is a private Catholic college in Moraga, California. Established in 1863, it is affiliated with the Catholic Church and administered by the De La Salle Brothers. The college offers undergraduate and graduate ...

and later transferred to

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

Career

In 1947, Spaith played one season in the

Pacific Coast Professional Football League The Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPFL), also known as the Pacific Coast Football League (PCFL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) was a professional American football minor league based in California. It operated from 1940 through 194 ...

, with the Hawaiian Warriors. His team finished 7–2 and won the league title, though it was later discovered that players had bet on games. Spaith was one of 14 suspended.

Western Interprovincial Football Union

Spaith joined the

in 1948. In his rookie season he led the Stamps to an undefeated 12–0 record (the last team in Canadian professional football to do so) and won the Grey Cup. In that victory he played all 60 minutes, and even intercepted a pass. He was also an all-star and winner of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as best player in the west. In 1949 the Cowboys went 13–1 but lost the Grey Cup to the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

. Regardless, once again Spaith was an all-star and MVP award winner. The Stamps, under his leadership, had a 25-win and 1-loss regular season record in his first two years. Spaith played five more seasons with Calgary. He completed 555 of 1166 passes for 8906 yards, with 23 touchdown passes and 52 interceptions. He also punted 397 times. After his football career, he returned to the United States and worked in the construction business.

Personal life

Spaith and his wife Betty and two sons and a daughter. His oldest son, Robert Spaith, is a well-known sculptor in Alberta, Canada. He died, age 52, in March 1976.Calgary Stampederes Press Release, 25 Sept 2001, SPAITH AND LISKE THE 2002 STAMPEDER ALUMNI WALL OF FAME INDUCTEES In 2002, he was inducted into the ''Stampeders Alumni Wall of Fame''.

References

External links

Just Sports Stats
1923 births 1976 deaths American football quarterbacks Canadian football quarterbacks American players of Canadian football Saint Mary's Gaels football players Sportspeople from Tulare County, California USC Trojans football players Calgary Stampeders players Players of American football from California People from Dinuba, California {{Canadianfootball-bio-stub