About Harry Hood

In 1948 Harry Hood left the Winnipeg Blue Bombers after 3 seasons and followed his high school coach, Les Lear, to Calgary. As a starting two way halfback, he helped the Stampeders through a perfect 15 win-0 loss season and their first Grey Cup win in club history, with a 12-7 final score over the Ottawa Roughriders in Toronto. Harry played 5 years for Calgary, from 1948-1952, the year he retired. He is the only player to wear #5 for the Stampeders, and following his untimely death from cancer in 1954 they retired his number as a tribute to his memory. While starring for the Calgary Stampeders he also gave a great deal of his time to coaching high school football at Central Collegiate Institute, which closed and then re-opened in 1968 as Central Memorial High School. It was Harrys’ belief that high school sports, and in particular football, were great contributors to the positive growth of young people. His play on the field and the way he conducted himself away from the game was a credit to himself, and an inspiration to his teammates. This award was established in Harrys’ honour in 1956 and is the longest standing award given out by the CSHSAA/Calgary Booster Club partnership. It has been presented annually to the top student athlete in Division I football.