Tracy Ham facts for kids

Tracy Ham (born January 5, 1964) is an American former professional football quarterback. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for many years. Tracy was known as a "dual-threat quarterback." This means he was great at both throwing the ball and running with it.

He played for teams like the Edmonton Eskimos, the Toronto Argonauts, the Baltimore Stallions, and the Montreal Alouettes. Before going pro, he played college football for the Georgia Southern Eagles. There, he made history as the first quarterback to run for over 3,000 yards and throw for over 5,000 yards in his college career. Tracy Ham is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Today, he works as a Senior Associate Athletics Director at Georgia Southern University.

Tracy Ham's Football Career

College Football Success

Tracy Ham led the Georgia Southern Eagles to amazing victories. They won two Division I-AA national titles in a row.

In the 1985 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, the Eagles beat Furman. Tracy threw for 419 yards and four touchdowns in that game. He also ran in a two-point conversion. The next year, in the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, they won against Arkansas State. Tracy ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns. He also passed for 306 yards and one touchdown. Because of his incredible college career, Tracy was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

Professional Football Journey

After college, the Los Angeles Rams picked Tracy Ham in the 1987 NFL draft. However, Tracy decided to join the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL instead. He believed CFL teams would let him play quarterback, which was his main goal.

Starting in the CFL

When he first joined the Eskimos, Tracy was the third-string quarterback. But soon, he became the main starter. He helped the team win the Grey Cup in his first year, 1987. In 1989, Tracy had an amazing season. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. He threw for 4,366 yards and ran for over 1,000 yards. This made him the first CFL quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

Grey Cup Wins and Challenges

In 1990, Tracy had another great year, rushing for 1,096 yards. He led the Eskimos to the Grey Cup, but they lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. After an injury-filled season in 1992, Tracy was traded to the Toronto Argonauts in 1993. The team struggled that year.

Baltimore Stallions and a Historic Win

In 1994, Tracy joined the new Baltimore team as the CFL expanded into the United States. He led them to the Grey Cup, but they lost. Finally, in 1995, Tracy led the Baltimore Stallions to a Grey Cup victory. This was a special win because they were the only US-based team to ever win the Grey Cup. Tracy was named the Grey Cup MVP for his efforts.

Finishing His Career

After the US-based CFL teams closed, the Baltimore team moved to Montreal and became the Montreal Alouettes. Tracy continued to play quarterback there. He shared playing time with Anthony Calvillo in his later years. Tracy Ham retired from playing football after the 1999 season.

Career Records

Tracy Ham's career numbers are impressive. He threw for 40,534 yards, which is one of the highest totals in CFL history. He also rushed for 8,043 yards. This puts him second all-time among CFL quarterbacks for rushing yards. In 2010, Tracy was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching Career

After his playing days, Tracy Ham became a football coach. In 2002, he was hired as the head coach for the Clark Atlanta Panthers football team. He coached them for two seasons before leaving in 2004.