Roy Shivers facts for kids

Roy Shivers (born July 5, 1941) is a famous person in both American and Canadian football. He was a professional running back (a player who carries the ball) and later became a very important person behind the scenes in football teams. He made history as the first Black general manager in professional football.

Roy Shivers worked as a general manager for eight seasons with the Birmingham Barracudas and Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has won the Grey Cup (the CFL championship) four times while working as a director of player personnel and assistant general manager for the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders. He is also a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Before his management career, he played for seven years in the National Football League (NFL) with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Roy Shivers' Early Life

Roy Shivers grew up in Oakland, California, in a busy neighborhood. He was one of eight children in his family. His father moved the family to the U.S. west coast to escape unfair treatment in the southern states. Roy faced challenges from a young age, including unfair treatment because of his race.

In West Oakland, Black children were only allowed to play at DeFremery Park. This park is special because many great athletes and leaders have spent time there. Roy Shivers went to school with famous athletes like Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, Joe Morgan, and Vada Pinson. He finished high school at Oakland Technical High School in 1959. In 1960, he joined the U.S. Army and served for four years.

Roy Shivers' Football Playing Career

After serving in the army, Roy Shivers went to Utah State in 1964. He became a fantastic running back there. In 1966, the St. Louis Cardinals picked him in the first round of a special draft.

During his time with the Cardinals, Shivers was excellent at returning kickoffs. He led the team with 27 kickoff returns for a total of 762 yards, and he even scored a touchdown on one of them! He played in the NFL for seven years.

Roy Shivers: Coaching and Management Roles

After his playing days in the NFL, Roy Shivers started coaching. He coached at Merritt College in Oakland, California, and then at bigger universities like the University of Nevada, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

Starting in the CFL

Later, he took a job as an assistant coach for the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Roy stayed with the Lions for six seasons and moved up to important roles in the team's management. In 1985, the BC Lions won the Grey Cup championship.

In 1989, Shivers moved to the Calgary Stampeders to become their U.S. scout, looking for new players. By 1991, he was the team's assistant general manager. The Calgary Stampeders won the Grey Cup in 1992.

In 1995, Roy Shivers became the General Manager for a new team called the Birmingham Barracudas. However, this team, along with other new American teams, closed down after just one season. Shivers returned to Calgary in 1996 as assistant GM. The Stampeders won another Grey Cup in 1998 with Wally Buono as their head coach.

Leading the Saskatchewan Roughriders

On December 24, 1999, Roy Shivers became the General Manager of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. When he took over, the team was struggling. They had won only 3 games and lost 15 in the previous season, and they didn't have many strong players. The team also had serious money problems, with $3 million in debt.

Roy knew he had to make big changes. He brought in many new players, with about 80% of the starting team being new in 2000. One important player he signed was Henry Burris, a backup quarterback from the Calgary Stampeders. Even with new players, the team's defense struggled, and they finished with 5 wins, 12 losses, and 1 tie, missing the playoffs. Roy had told fans it would take three years to make the Roughriders a top CFL team again, so people were patient.

In 2001, the team had another tough start. Quarterback Henry Burris left to play in the NFL, leaving the Roughriders without a main quarterback. While the team's defense improved a lot, their offense struggled. They ended the season with 6 wins and 12 losses, missing the playoffs again.

In 2002, Roy Shivers made a key trade, getting starting quarterback Nealon Greene from the Edmonton Eskimos. Nealon helped the team play better and make fewer mistakes. This helped the Roughriders reach the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

Since 2002, the team has paid off its $3 million debt. This was helped by hosting the Grey Cup championship game and by the government forgiving some of their debt. More fans also started coming to games because Roy had made the team respected again. The Roughriders made the playoffs for four years in a row, reaching the Western Division Finals twice (2003–2004).

Leaving the Roughriders

Roy Shivers was known for speaking his mind and sometimes criticized players if he felt they weren't trying hard enough. This often helped motivate the team.

One situation that caused some discussion was when quarterback Henry Burris left the team in 2005. Burris wanted to be the clear starting quarterback, but he chose to sign with the Calgary Stampeders instead, even though the Roughriders offered him a big contract. Some people believe that not re-signing Burris was the beginning of the end for Roy Shivers as the Roughriders' general manager.

Roy Shivers was fired by the Saskatchewan Roughriders' board of directors on August 21, 2006. The board was worried that the team was not improving enough and that many players who would become free agents in 2007 had not signed new contracts. Also, Roy was not happy with new changes to the team's leadership structure. The team's president, Jim Hopson, was given more power than Roy, and Roy publicly said he would not work for Hopson because he didn't trust him. The board then decided to fire Roy Shivers.

Back with the BC Lions

On January 28, 2008, Roy Shivers was hired as the director of player personnel for the BC Lions. This meant he was working again with Wally Buono, who was the Lions' GM and head coach. They had worked together before with the Calgary Stampeders in the 1990s.

On June 21, 2022, it was announced that Roy Shivers would be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a "builder," recognizing his important contributions to the sport.

Roy Shivers' CFL General Manager Record

Roy Shivers' record as a General Manager in the CFL is shown below:

Personal Life

Roy Shivers lives in Henderson, Nevada with his wife, Carol Brown. They have three daughters named Rommy, Renne, and Nicole. They also have a grandson named Nicholas and a granddaughter named Nico.