Garney Henley (born December 21, 1935) is an American former professional football player, who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Garney Henley
No. 26
Born: (1935-12-21) December 21, 1935 (age 88)
Hayti, South Dakota, U.S.
Career information
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)WR, DB
Height6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight180 lb (82 kg)
CollegeHuron
High schoolHayti (SD)
AFL draft1960, round: Second Selections
Drafted byNew York Titans
NFL draft1960, round: 15, pick: 173
Drafted byGreen Bay Packers
Career history
As player
19601975Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards
  • 4× Grey Cup champion (1963, 1965, 1967, 1972)
  • played in 7 Grey Cup games (1961–1965, 1967, 1972)
CFL All-Star19631972
CFL East All-Star19631972
Awards
Honours
Career stats

College career

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Garney Henley attended Huron College in South Dakota, playing as a running back from 1956 to 1959 on the varsity team. He was also named dean's list honor student.

In 1959, Henley broke First Team NAIA All-America records with 394 points and more than 4,000 rushing yards.

CFL career

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Henley was drafted in 1960 by the NFL's Green Bay Packers in the 15th round (173rd overall), but was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Ontario, Canada. In his early Tiger-Cat career, Henley mostly played as a defensive back. In his later years with the Tiger-Cats, he played more commonly as a receiver.

As a defensive back, Henley intercepted 59 passes for 916 yards and 5 touchdowns, and was selected as an All Star nine times. Following Henley's transition into an offensive player, he was an All Star for the 10th time in 1972 as a wide receiver. Henley won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 1972 in which the Tiger-Cats won the Grey Cup at their home field, Ivor Wynne Stadium, in Hamilton, Ontario.

He played in 7 Grey Cup games, winning 4: the 51st Grey Cup of 1963, the 53rd Grey Cup of 1965 (the so-called 'Wind Bowl'), the 55th Grey Cup of 1967, and the 60th Grey Cup of 1972, losing 3: the 49th Grey Cup of 1961, the 50th Grey Cup of 1962, and the 52nd Grey Cup of 1964.

Post-football career

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While still playing football in Hamilton, Henley was hired at the University of Guelph by athletic director, Bill Mitchell. Henley served as the assistant athletic director, advisor to the football team and taught in the Physical Education program. He also took over the Gryphon Basketball program. Despite several winless seasons, Henley gradually developed the program into a highly competitive side. This culminated in 1973–74, when Henley coached the team to its first CIAU national championship.

Following his playing days, Henley became the athletic director and coach at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, and Brock University in Ontario. From 1989 to 1993, Henley was hired as defense coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. As coach, he made another appearance in the Grey Cup in 1989, losing to Saskatchewan in the final minutes. He also served as the Director of Football Operations for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1995–1996. His teams had a combined 6–30 record. In 1996, Henley moved back to his home state of South Dakota after 36 years in Canada. He finished his career as an athletic director at his alma mater, Huron University. After Huron University closed, Henley became General Manager for Professional Transportation Inc., transporting railroad engineers and conductors. He retired in 2013.

Henley's footballing career was celebrated when he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1979, the University of Guelph Athletics Hall of Fame on October 4, 1985, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.[1] Henley was voted the sixth greatest CFL player in a poll conducted by Canadian Sports network TSN in 2006.

Videos

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References

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  1. ^ "Garney Henley". oshof.ca. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.

Further reading

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  1. ^ "2024 CFL Guide" (PDF). Canadian Football League. p. 179. Retrieved July 11, 2024.