Ernie Pitts
| Date of birth | March 8, 1935 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Aliquippa, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death | September 24, 1970 (aged 35) |
| Place of death | Denver, Colorado |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | WR/DB |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg) |
| College | Denver |
| NFL draft | 1957 / Round: 8 / Pick: 92 |
| Drafted by | San Francisco 49ers |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1957–1969 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| 1970 | BC Lions |
| CFL West All-Star | 1957, 1959, 1960, 1966, 1968 |
Ernie Pitts (March 8, 1935 – September 24, 1970) was a Canadian Football League wide receiver and defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the BC Lions in a 14-year career in the CFL from 1957 to 1970. He won four Grey Cups with Winnipeg.
College
Ernie Pitts played college football at Denver University.[1]
Winnipeg
Ernie Pitts was a standout wide receiver who also played defensive back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1957 to 1969. For all those years except the last two, Ken Ploen was his quarterback . Together, along with Jim Van Pelt [1958-59], Pitts and Ploen were major factors in Winnipeg's six Grey Cup appearances (1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1965), including four victories: 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and two losses: 1957, 1965. His highest totals in caught passes was 68 in 1959 and 62 in 1962. In 1959, he scored 16 touchdowns. He once caught 5 touchdown passes in one game and scored on a 107-yard touchdown pass play. Evidence of his prowess on defense included 7 interceptions in 1968 and 5 more in 1969.
BC
Pitts ended his career with the BC Lions in 1970.
Sudden death
Pitts died after he was shot by his estranged wife in a domestic dispute in Denver Colorado.[2]
External links
References
- ↑ http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=pittsern001
- ↑ "Death was waiting as Ernie Arrived", Winnipeg Free Press, Saturday, September 26, 1970, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada