Les Strayhorn facts for kids
| No. 40 | |||
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| Position: | Running back | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | September 1, 1951 Trenton, North Carolina, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Jones (NC) | ||
| College: | East Carolina | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1973 / Round: 17 / Pick: 438 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Les Strayhorn is a former American football player. He was a running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Dallas Cowboys. He also played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). His teams there were the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes. Les Strayhorn was born on September 1, 1951.
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Early Life and College Football
Les Strayhorn grew up in Trenton, North Carolina. He went to Jones High School there. After high school, he earned a scholarship. This scholarship allowed him to play college football at East Carolina University.
During his time in college, Les faced a big challenge. He had a serious shoulder injury early on. But he worked hard and got better. He became a starting running back for three years. By the end of his college career, he had run for 1,673 yards. He also scored 8 touchdowns.
Playing in the NFL
Joining the Dallas Cowboys
In 1973, Les Strayhorn was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys. This happened in the NFL draft. He was picked in the seventeenth round. This meant he was the 438th player chosen overall.
He played for the Cowboys for two seasons. He was a backup fullback. He played in 24 games. During his time with the Cowboys, he ran for 128 yards. He also scored one touchdown. In September 1975, he left the team.
Playing in the CFL
Hamilton Tiger-Cats Team
In 1975, Les Strayhorn moved to Canada. He joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats team. This team plays in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for them for two seasons. He ran for 342 yards and scored one touchdown. In August 1976, he left the Tiger-Cats.
Montreal Alouettes Team
Later in 1976, Les joined another CFL team. He signed with the Montreal Alouettes. The Alouettes' coach was Marv Levy, a famous coach. The Dallas Cowboys' coach, Tom Landry, even recommended Les to the Alouettes.
In July 1977, Les got another injury. He tore ligaments in his left knee. This meant he could not play for the rest of the season. Even though he was injured, his team did very well. The Montreal Alouettes won the Grey Cup championship that year. This is a very important trophy in Canadian football.
Life After Football
After his football career, Les Strayhorn started a new job. He worked for the Department of Social Services. This was in New Hanover County. Les also has a brother named Ken. Ken also played football at East Carolina University.
