Lew Hayman

Lew Hayman was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder for his oustanding contributions to football in Toronto and Montreal.  Hayman was born in New York in 1908, played Basketball and Football at Syracuse, and then came to Canada in 1932 to become an assistant coach at the University of Toronto.  Hayman became an assistant coach with the Argos in 1932, and then took over as interim Head Coach when Buck McKenna became ill.  Hayman took over as the permananet Head Coach in 1933 and remained the Argos Head Coach through the 1941 season, compiling an excellent record of 40-15-2.  The Argos won three Grey Cups under Heyman including his first season in 1933, with the other two wins coming in 1937 and 1938.  With World War II now in full swing, the IRFU (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) and the Argos suspended play until 1945.  Hayman enlisted in the Canadian Air Force and while at the training base in Toronto, he started to notice a lot of familiar footall players including:  Jake Gaudaur, Don Durno, Bill Stukus, Joey Richman, Truck Langley and George Oliphant.  Hayman managed to convince the base commander to allow him to set up a football team on the condition it didn't interfere with the training.  Hayman got a franchise in the ORFU (Ontario Rugby Football League) which was still operating during the war, and the Toronto RCAF Hurricanes went on to win the Grey Cup in 1942, giving Hayman his fourth Grey Cu win.  With the war over, Hayman found himself out ofa job as he couldn't reach a deal with the Argos, who hired Tedy Morris as their coach.  Sometimes if you don't have a job, you have to create one for yourself and that is exactly what Hayman did.  IN 1946, he partnered with Eric Craddock and Leo Dandurand to form the Montreal Alouettes and join the IRFU.  Hayman was an innovator and among other things introduced the first night games for football and signed Herb Trawick, the first African-Amercian to play in the IRFU.  Besides being part owner of the Alouettes, Hayman was also the coach and GM.  Hay man coached the Als through the 1951 season and stayed as GM until the end of the 1954 season.  As coach of the Als in 1949, Heyman won his fifth Grey Cup, and overall compiled a record of 37-33-2.  After the 1954 season, Hayman retired from the Alouettes and moved back to Toronto where he worked as a stockbroker.  Ther retirement was short lived, however, as Hayman joined the Argos in 1956 and served in a number of executive capactities including team GM and team President until 1981.  Lew Hayman passed away on June 29, 1984. Among the many testimonies to Hayman's contribution to football in Canada is the trophy that is given to the Outstanding Player in the East - the Lew Hayman Trophy.

Wikipedia Article on Lew Hayman

Bio of Lew Hayman in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Salute for Lew Heyman - May 30, 1955

Heyman Returns to Argos as GM - October 29, 1956

 

Lew Hayman from the Canadian Football Hall of Fame