Bio:
Born: Herbert Thomas English on Feb. 13, 1932 in Montreal
Herbert Thomas English was born in Montreal on February 13, 1932 and graduated from McGill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. A centre in hockey, who also played both ways in football, at running back and defensive back, he was offered a contract by the Montreal Canadiens after playing on the 1950 Junior Canadiens team that won the Memorial Cup. Also a star in football, he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in 1955.
English holds the rare distinction of serving as captain of both the McGill football and hockey teams in 1954-55.
He was voted winner of the W.S. Lea memorial trophy as MVP of the Redmen football team in 1953. The next year, he won the team’s Fred Wigle trophy as most sportsmanlike player and the Forbes trophy as McGill’s athlete of the year. In 1954, English was named to St. Lawrence University’s “all-opponent team” in hockey, for “exemplifying the most desirable qualities of good sportsmanship, athletic skill, and competitive spirit which make intercollegiate athletics a worthwhile part of education.”
• attended McGill from 1952 to 1955 and was a two-sport athlete:
• played football in 1953 and 1954; played hockey in 1953-54 and 1954-55
• became the second Memorial Cup champion to play for the Redmen (there are now five such individuals)
• won the Forbes trophy as McGill male athlete of the year in 1954-55
• holds rare distinction of being the football team co-captain AND hockey team captain in 1954-55
• football team’s most sportsmanlike player (Fred Wigle Trophy),1954-55
• football team’s most valuable player (W.S. Lea Memorial Trophy),1953-54
• Senior Intercollegiate Hockey League second-team all-star, 1954-55
• in football: played both offence (running back) & defence (defensive back) with exceptional tackling ability
• was an all-round athlete & a heady centre in hockey
• named to St. Lawrence University’s all-opponent hockey team, for “exemplifying the most desirable qualities of good sportsmanship, athletic skill, and competitive spirit which make intercollegiate athletics a worthwhile part of education (SLU Varsity Hockey Program, 1954-55)
RELATED RELEVANT ACHIEVEMENTS OUTSIDE McGILL ATHLETIC CAREER:
• inducted to the Loyola Sports Hall of Fame (1969)
• drafted by the Montreal Alouettes (McGill Daily, March 18, 1955)
• offered contact by Canadiens (Where Are They Now? Feature by Ian Macdonald, The Gazette, fall, 2001)
• previously played for Junior Canadiens (1949-52) and won Memorial Cup in 1949-50
EXCERPTS FROM JEAN BELIVEAU -- MY LIFE IN HOCKEY McClennan & Stewart, 1994, p.55):
• “Dickie (Moore) aside, what made playing against the Junior Habs of 1949-50 so difficult was Moore’s formidable support cast: Bill Sinnett, Dave McCready, Donnie Marshall, Herb English…. The boys could skate like the wind, pass beautifully, and frustrate the opposite with both their forechecking and control of the defensive zone.”
