Professional Football Player, Coach, Administrator and Broadcaster. Nicknamed the "Little General" for his leadership skills, Ron Lancaster was considered one of the greatest sports personalities in Canada. Awards include induction into Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1982) and Canadian Sports Hall of Fame (1985); CFL Most Outstanding Player (1970, 1976); 4-time All-Canadian and 7-time conference all-star; twice named coach of the year (1996, 1998), Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Brock University (2000). He was raised in Clairton, Pennsylvania, and was a standout quarterback at the local high school. However, at 5 feet 5 inches, he was considered too small and was overlooked by the major colleges. He played from 1956 to 1959 at Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio) with a 25-8-1 record and was team MVP in 1959. Signed as a free-agent by the Ottawa Rough Riders, he shared quarterbacking duties to help the team win the 1960 Grey Cup championship in his rookie year. He was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1963 and led the team to its first championship in franchise history in 1966. He played for 16 seasons, with 14 consecutive playoff appearances including five Cup finals, and set several league records. In 1978 he retired and was named the head coach. He stepped down after two losing seasons but then embarked on a successful 11 year career as a color analyst on CBC Television. He served as head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos 1991 to 1997 with a championship in 1993. From 1998 to 2003, he was head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, winning the Grey Cup in 1999. In July 2006, he was named interim head coach to finish the season after the incumbent was fired. Lancaster underwent treatment in 2004 for bladder cancer. In July 2008, he was diagnosed with lung cancer and died two months later at age 69. Although his playing career had been over for 30 years, he still ranked at the top of several categories: second in touchdown passes (333), third in pass completions (3,384), third in pass attempts (6,233), third in yards passing (50,535). His 142 coaching wins rank fifth overall.