Death of a legend Former Roughrider, Hilltop great Ron Atchison dies at age 80

By Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix June 24, 2010

Ron Atchison's long and storied football journey began in 1948 when he reputedly wore rubber boots to his first practice with the Saskatoon Hilltops.

He created a lasting footprint.

Atchison, who died at age 80 following congestive heart failure Wednesday in Regina, played 17 CFL seasons with the Sask-atchewan Roughriders. He was a six-time defensive all-star and a member of the Riders' 1966 team that won the .

But did his amazing run really begin in rubber boots?

"It may be true," Atchison said in a 1991 interview with StarPhoenix writer Ned Powers.

"But I think the story gets exaggerated each time it's told. I was raised partly in the country, partly in the city. And if I showed up for practice in rubber boots, it was because it was a practical thing to do. When it rained, I wore rubber boots when other people might have been wearing runners."

Born in Mullingar, northeast of North Battleford, Atchison eventually moved to Saskatoon. A friend introduced him to the Hilltops and he joined the team in 1948 after their inaugural season.

"Atch came out of a country town with no football experience," Powers said Wednesday.

"A lot of guys who played for (coach Al) Ledingham in later years had maybe played six- man football or something. But I don't think Atch had ever touched a football until he tried the Hilltops."

Atchison played two seasons with the Toppers and eventually made the Roughriders as a walk-on in 1952. The 6-foot-3 defender's aggression soon became legendary.

"I'm sure as hell glad that I didn't have to play against him," said former Riders centre Ted Urness, who roomed with Atchison on road trips. "He didn't show much mercy on centres." Atchison particularly despised opponents who tried to hold him, added Urness. , the Riders' legendary head coach, showed an example during film study one day of Atchison's vengeance.

"Eagle ran the film," said Urness, "and then he wound it back and said, 'Atch, what are you doing on this play?'

"Atch had lined up in front of a centre from Winnipeg who had been holding him. When the offensive play started, the centre snapped the ball and Atch literally kicked him where you're not supposed to be kicked. Then he watched the centre fall over. The fullback ran right past him. Atch never even looked at him; he never even tried to tackle him.

"He just excused himself from the game for a moment while he took care of business."

Gerry Wenzel, who played the 1949 season with the Hilltops, had a similarly painful encounter with Atchison during practice. Wenzel was already wounded -- having suffered a concussion from a different defender on the previous play -- but he didn't confess his injury and coach Bob Arn told him to line up across from Atchison.

"Normally I didn't play on the line because I was pretty small; I was only 150-some pounds," said Wenzel. "Ron was a big kid, but he was just learning to use his forearm shiver. He caught me with a forearm and I saw those same Technicolor stars for the second time that evening."

Atchison would bash many more opponents with his casted right forearm during the years. In the 2007 football documentary Season of Dreams, he readily admitted, "That arm was famous for agony."

Off the field, though, Atchison radiated a different persona.

"As an individual, he was as good a person as you'd ever want to meet," said Urness. "Atch was a very outgoing person and he had a real soft spot for people. He really enjoyed kids and he spent lots of time kibbitzing with them. He always encouraged young people to play sports, play fairly and enjoy it."

A few years back, Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant invited Atchison to address his old junior team. The elder statesman's passion resonated with the younger players.

"He's the greatest Hilltop of all time," said Sargeant. "For what he accomplished, there's no question about that."

The Hilltops' practice field bears Atchison's name and the walls of their clubhouse chronicle his legacy. A caricature of Atchison -- commissioned in 1978 for his Hall of Fame induction -- hangs in one corner of the directors' room.

Wearing a warm grin, he keeps watch over his old team. "You could tell," said Sargeant, "that he was a man you'd follow to battle any day of the week."

Atchison's funeral is scheduled for Monday at Regina's St. Cecilia Church.