Alouettes Retire #75 For Hal Patterson
One of the all-time great Alouettes, Hal Patterson received the franchise's ultimate honour today as the team retired his number 75 jersey as part of the CFL Legends Breakfast event - one of the many activities to celebrate the 96th Grey Cup in Montreal.
A 1971 Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee, Patterson played seven years with the Alouettes, from 1954 through 1960. He was part of one of the CFL's all-time great tandems, on the receiving end for quarterback Sam Etcheverry.
Patterson played in three Grey Cups as an Alouette, losing in 1954, 55 and 56 - all to the Edmonton Eskimos. He eventually won a trio of championships as a member of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1963, 65 and 67.
A CFL All-Star in 1962, 63 and 64, he was named the league's MVP in 1956. Despite retiring more than 30 years ago, he still holds several league records, including for the most receiving yards in a game with 338 on 11 receptions on Sept. 26, 1956.
Patterson's 75 will become the eighth number retired by the Alouettes, following Mike Pringle's 27, George Dixon's 28, Herb Trawick's 56, Pierre Desjardins' 63, Peter Dalla Riva's 74, Junior Ah You's 77 and Etcheverry's 92.
Among the other Alouettes who have worn the number since Patterson, two notable stars were Gordon Judges in the 1970s and Ed Philion from 1999 through 2006.
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Alouettes Retire #75 For Hal Patterson
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