Ron Lancaster Ronald " Ron " Lancaster ( October 14 , 1938 – September 18 , 2008 ) was one of the pre - eminent quarterbacks of the Canadian Football League during his playing career ; after his retirement as a player , he was also coach and general manager in the same league , and a sports announcer for CBC Television . At the time of his death , he was the Senior Director of Football Operations of the Hamilton Tiger - Cats . He is enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame ( 1982 ) , the Canada ' s Sports Hall of Fame ( 1985 ) and the Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Honour ( 1985 ) . Early life . Lancaster was born in the Pittsburgh area industrial town of Fairchance , Pennsylvania but moved to nearby Clairton , Pennsylvania as a young boy . At the time of his death , his mother still resided in Clairton . Playing career . Lancaster was a talented quarterback by the time he graduated from Clairton High School , but due to his small 5 ′ 5 ″ ( 165 cm ) stature , he was ignored by most college scouts . He attended tiny Wittenberg University and again showed talent , but no NFL scouts showed any interest ; however , a scout for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League liked his on - field leadership , and Lancaster was signed by Ottawa . During his rookie season with Ottawa in 1960 , while he shared the quarterbacking duties with another future Hall of Famer , Russ Jackson , Ottawa won the Grey Cup . He spent two more years with Ottawa , but after a losing season in 1962 ( 6 – 7 – 1 ) , Lancaster was traded to the Saskatchewan Roughriders . ( He would have a losing record only one other time in his career , in his last season as a player . ) It was with Saskatchewan that " The Little General " found his stride . In 16 seasons with Saskatchewan ( 1963 – 1978 ) , he led the team into the playoffs 14 consecutive times , and made it to the CFL ' s Western Football Conference final 12 times . During that period , Saskatchewan represented the West in the Grey Cup five times ( 1966 , 1967 , 1969 , 1972 , and 1976 ) ; however the Roughriders won the big game only once , in 1966 , when they defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders 29 – 14 . Over Lancaster ' s 16 seasons with the Roughriders , they won 170 games with him at quarterback , and had only one losing record , 4 – 11 – 1 in 1978 , which was Lancaster ' s final season as a quarterback . He was the first quarterback in CFL history to reach 50 , 000 career passing yards , was a finalist for the Schenley Award as most outstanding player in 1966 , 1970 and 1976 , ( winning in 1970 and 1976 ) , was an All - Canadian in 1970 , 1973 , 1975 and 1976 and a Western all - star in 1966 , 1968 , 1969 , 1970 , 1973 , 1975 and 1976 . He was so dominant as a quarterback , that on the day that he died , which was 30 years after he retired from playing , he was still ranked in the top 3 in career stats in a number of categories : In November 2006 , the Canadian sports network TSN listed Lancaster in 7th place on their Top 50 players of the CFL ' s modern era . Coaching career . Lancaster was a player - coach in the 1977 and 1978 seasons , serving as Saskatchewan ' s offensive co - ordinator . Lancaster became Saskatchewan ' s head coach immediately after his 1978 playing season but found " the glorious fifties and sixties were over , and he was the first Roughrider coach in sixteen years who did not have Ron Lancaster at quarterback . " The Green Riders finished 2 – 14 in consecutive seasons and Lancaster would not coach again for 11 years . After serving as a colour commentator for " The CFL on CBC " for several years , he returned to the coaching ranks when he was named 12th head coach in Edmonton Eskimos history on February 4 , 1991 . He coached the Eskimos from 1991 – 1997 , amassing an 83 – 42 regular season record and a Grey Cup win in 1993 . He passed Hugh Campbell for first place on the Eskimos ' list for coaching wins October 27 , 1996 . Lancaster became the 17th head coach in Hamilton Tiger - Cat history on November 26 , 1997 . He coached the Tiger - Cats from 1998 – 2003 . He took the team to the Grey Cup twice ( 1998 , 1999 ) winning it in 1999 . On July 10 , 2006 , Ron Lancaster was re - hired as the teams head coach on an interim basis after the firing of coach Greg Marshall . Lancaster ’ s 142 career regular - season wins place him fourth on the CFL ’ s career regular season wins list . Broadcasting career . CBC Television invited Lancaster to become a colour commentator on CFL broadcasts in 1980 . He was part of a trio that included Don Wittman doing the play - by - play and former Argonaut head coach Leo Cahill doing colour commentary along with Lancaster . He was with the CBC from 1980 – 1991 and was a member of the CBC team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul , Korea as the play - by - play broadcaster for basketball . Illness and death . In 2004 , Lancaster was diagnosed with bladder cancer , but appeared to have beaten it after treatment . In 2008 , he was diagnosed with lung cancer and immediately started treatment . Lancaster was positive in his outlook , stating " Five years ago , I survived a battle with cancer , and now we have another battle on our hands . The goal is to get this taken care of and move forward just like I did five years ago . We will approach this the same way as then and I thank you all in advance for your kindness as I am on my path to recovery . " Lancaster died of a heart attack 6 weeks later on September 18 , 2008 . He was survived by his wife , Bev and his three children Lana , Ron , and Bob , and four grandchildren . At the 2008 CFL season Awards ceremony on November 20 , 2008 , he was posthumously awarded the Commissioner ' s Award for outstanding contribution to the CFL by Commissioner Mark Cohon . Videos . Seen in game 3 of the 1970 Western finals in its entirety