Mike Pringle (gridiron football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mike Pringle

No. 24, 20, 27, 28, 34
Pringle holding the Grey Cup, 1995
Born:	(1967-10-01) October 1, 1967 (age 57) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Career information
CFL status	American
Position(s)	RB
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	202 lb (92 kg)
College	Cal State Fullerton
High school	John F. Kennedy (Los Angeles)
NFL draft	1990 / Round: 6 / Pick: 140
Drafted by	Atlanta Falcons
Career history
As player
1990–1991	Atlanta Falcons
1992	Edmonton Eskimos
1992	Sacramento Surge
1993	Sacramento Gold Miners
1994–1995	Baltimore Stallions
1996	Denver Broncos*
1996–2002	Montreal Alouettes
2003–2004	Edmonton Eskimos Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
3× Grey Cup champion (1995, 2002, 2003) 2× CFL's Most Outstanding Player (1995, 1998) 4× Terry Evanshen Trophy (1994, 1995, 1998, 2000) World Bowl champion (1992) Third-team All-American (1989) Montreal Alouettes No. 27 retired
CFL All-Star	1994, 1995, 1997–2000, 2003
CFL East All-Star	1994, 1996–2001
CFL West All-Star	2003
Records	Eskimos Record Most Rushing Touchdowns – Game - August 29, 2004
Career stats
Playing stats at CFL.ca (archive)
Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 2008

Mike Pringle (born October 1, 1967) is a famous American football player. He played as a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He broke or matched many important records for his position. He also played college football for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. He was even named an All-American. He briefly played for National Football League (NFL) teams too.

Many people consider Mike Pringle one of the greatest running backs in CFL history. He is often mentioned alongside other legends like George Reed and Johnny Bright. In 2006, a Canadian sports network called TSN voted him the 4th best CFL player of the modern era. In 2008, Mike Pringle was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. This honor came in his very first year of eligibility.

Early Life and High School

Mike Pringle was born in Los Angeles, California. He went to John F. Kennedy High School. While there, he was a student and played football.

College Football Career

Pringle started his college football journey at Washington State University. Later, he moved to California State University, Fullerton for his junior year. He played for the Cal State Fullerton Titans football team.

At Cal State Fullerton, Pringle once shared a special record. He rushed for 357 yards in a single game against New Mexico State in 1989. This was a huge achievement in college football. That same year, he led the entire nation in "all-purpose yardage." This means he gained the most yards from running, catching, and returning the ball. He set a school record with 2,690 all-purpose yards.

Professional Football Journey

Playing for the Atlanta Falcons

Mike Pringle played so well in college that the Atlanta Falcons picked him in the 1990 NFL draft. He was the 139th player chosen overall. Pringle spent most of the 1990 NFL season on the practice team. He did play in the last three games. The Falcons released him before the 1991 season. After this, Pringle decided to try playing in the Canadian Football League.

First Time with the Edmonton Eskimos

Pringle joined the CFL in 1992 with the Edmonton Eskimos. He played in three games and ran for 129 yards. Even though he played well in limited time, the Eskimos decided to release him. They chose to keep other Canadian running backs instead.

Time with Sacramento Teams

After leaving the Eskimos, Pringle played for the Sacramento Surge in 1992. This team was part of the World League of American Football.

In 1993, Pringle returned to the CFL. He joined the Sacramento Gold Miners. He became a regular player for them. He ran for 366 yards and scored four touchdowns that season. After one year, he was traded to the Baltimore Football Club. This team later became the Baltimore Stallions.

Becoming a Star with the Baltimore Stallions

Before joining Baltimore, Pringle had not carried the ball much in his CFL career. But in Baltimore, he became the main running back in 1994. He quickly showed how talented he was.

In 1994, Pringle had an amazing season. He ran for 1,972 yards and scored thirteen touchdowns. He almost became the first CFL running back to reach 2,000 rushing yards. He also set a CFL record with 2,414 yards from scrimmage. This means he gained yards from both running and catching the ball. He even returned kicks for 814 yards. Pringle helped Baltimore reach the Grey Cup championship game. They lost a close game to the BC Lions.

Pringle drinking from the Grey Cup in 1995

The 1995 season was still excellent for Pringle. He rushed for 1,791 yards, which was the best in the CFL that year. In the playoffs, Pringle was a key player. He ran for 484 yards and scored four touchdowns in three games. His strong running helped the Baltimore Stallions reach the Grey Cup again. This time, they won the famous "Wind Bowl" against the Calgary Stampeders by a score of 37–20.

Brief Stint with the Denver Broncos

After his great seasons in Baltimore, NFL teams noticed Pringle again. The Denver Broncos signed him for the 1996 NFL season. However, he was released from the team before the season started.

Dominating with the Montreal Alouettes

Since no other NFL teams were interested, Pringle returned to the CFL. He joined the Montreal Alouettes late in the 1996 season. This team was the same Baltimore franchise that had moved to Montreal. Pringle played only eight games but still rushed for 825 yards and five touchdowns.

In 1997, Pringle proved he was the CFL's best running back again. He rushed for 1,775 yards. The Alouettes were not doing well in the playoffs, but Pringle was a bright spot. In 1998, the Alouettes moved to a smaller stadium, Percival Molson Stadium, which was always full of fans. They came to watch the Alouettes, especially Pringle.

Pringle's 1998 season was one of the best ever for an offensive player in the CFL. He ran for an incredible 2,065 yards. This set a new CFL record by a large amount. Pringle became the first, and so far only, player in CFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. He also matched his CFL record of 2,414 yards from scrimmage. Even at 31 years old, Pringle was at his peak.

In 1999, Pringle rushed for 1,656 yards. The Alouettes continued to struggle in the playoffs. In 2000, the Alouettes finally reached the 88th Grey Cup but lost to the BC Lions. Pringle's rushing yards increased to 1,778. More importantly, he set a new CFL record with 19 rushing touchdowns that year. This was much higher than his previous best of 13. Pringle also scored a touchdown in the Grey Cup game.

By the end of the 2001 season, Pringle was 34 years old. This is quite old for a running back. He started to have more injuries. He rushed for 1,323 yards that season. In 2002, the Alouettes won the 90th Grey Cup against the Edmonton Eskimos. However, Pringle was not a big part of that game. He was injured for much of the year. He also had disagreements with his coach, who thought Pringle was too old. Pringle left the Alouettes after the season. He signed with the Edmonton Eskimos, the team he started his CFL career with.

Second Time with the Edmonton Eskimos

Pringle's 2003 season with the Eskimos was a strong comeback. He was not as fast as he was in 1998, but he was still a very good player. He ran for 1,376 yards, his best total since 2000. He helped the Eskimos reach and win the 91st Grey Cup. It was amazing that Pringle was now close to breaking George Reed's records for career rushing yards and touchdowns.

The 2004 season proved that Pringle could break those records. He rushed for 1,141 yards. This gave him a total of 16,425 career rushing yards. Pringle broke the record in Vancouver, British Columbia against the BC Lions. He had been very close to breaking it in the previous home game, but he did not quite make it in front of his home fans.

The season ended with some disappointment for Pringle. In the last game, the Eskimos were near the goal line. Pringle had 137 touchdowns, tied with George Reed's record. He needed just one more to break it. However, the coach called a play where the quarterback scored instead. This meant Pringle finished his career tied with Reed for touchdowns. Pringle was publicly upset about this.

Retirement from Football

After the 2004 season, Mike Pringle announced he was retiring from professional football. He finished his career with 16,425 rushing yards. He also had 20,254 total yards from scrimmage. Both of these were CFL records at the time. He ended up tied with George Reed for 137 career touchdowns. Pringle led the CFL in rushing yards six times during his career.

On June 22, 2005, Pringle signed a contract with the Montreal Alouettes. He then officially retired as an Alouette. The Alouettes retired his jersey number 27 at their season opener on June 23. This means no other Alouettes player will wear that number.

On April 2, 2008, Mike Pringle was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Career Statistics