RIP. One of my earliest heroes on the Bombers.
https://3downnation.com/2024/02/13/legendary-cfl-player-ken-ploen-dead-at-88/
https://twitter.com/Wpg_BlueBombers/status/1757537589089775960/photo/1
Very sad day.
One of the absolute greatest. Thank you, and RIP.
We've lost a fine gentleman. He is a huge part of why we cheer and love our Blue Bombers
Such sad news. A legend in every sense of the word. He will be missed.
RIP
True Bomber great. Also considered Kenny a hero and an all around good guy.
Before my time but I can certainly appreciate the loss to the community this is.
Loved when he was on the Bombers pre and post games shows back in the 80's with Cactus Jack Wells and curmudgeon Jack Matheson. Mitch Zalanazky was on the show too and course Bob Irving as well. All legends in Bomber town! Still miss the Happy Honker award given by Cacti after every home game! :D .....And it turned out nice again! ;D
Truly a sad day for Winnipeg and all CFL fans.....he was a tremendous leader and brought so much glory to the Blue and Gold. Will go down in Bomber historic as one of the greatest Bomber players of all time! Such a loss for the the City and the province!
R.I.P. Mr. Ploen. You were an all-time great! You will be missed, and remembered.
Blue Bombers mourn the passing of Ken Ploen
WINNIPEG, MB., February 13, 2024 - The Winnipeg Football Club is deeply saddened with the news today of the passing of Blue Bombers legend Ken Ploen at the age of 88.
"Ken Ploen was the face of the Blue Bombers for years and then became a part of the fabric of this community following his playing days," said Winnipeg Football Club President & CEO Wade Miller. "He was a four-time Grey Cup champion as a player and a great ambassador for our franchise and our city.
"The WFC would like to extend our deepest condolences to the Ploen family and to his many friends and family in Winnipeg as well as across Canada and the United States."
Ploen came to Winnipeg in 1957, not long after being named the MVP in the Rose Bowl after guiding the University of Iowa to a win. During his 11 years with the Blue Bombers (1957-67) Ploen was part of four Grey Cup championships in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962 as a two-way star at quarterback and defensive back.
Ploen was such a gifted athlete he was named an all-star three times, twice as a quarterback and once as a defensive back after leading the team in 1959 with what was then a club record 10 interceptions.
He retired in 1967 as the Blue Bombers all-time leading passer and sixth in the CFL and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1975, to the WFC Hall of Fame in 1984, and added to the club's Ring of Honour in 2016.
Played in the days of small salaries where players often worked a full time job plus playing. Not even upper decks or permanent end zone seating yet at Winnipeg Stadium. Practice was beside Canada Packers. The old man drove us kids out to see it one time and suffice to say it was hard to breathe. Roll up the windows hard. Don't know how the players did it. Also at a light we pull up right beside Kenny Ploen. He was driving an older model car and we were surprised, I mean he's Kenny Ploen! Isn't he rich?
Sorry to lose him, all due respect to our other players but Kenny was the greatest Bomber. I am forever grateful for the memories, the four cup wins and him making Winnipeg his home.
https://www.cfl.ca/2024/02/14/cfl-mourns-the-passing-of-kenny-ploen/
TORONTO - The Canadian Football League (CFL) has released the following statement regarding the passing of Kenny Ploen.
"Kenny Ploen will forever have an important place in CFL lore. An accomplished defensive back as well as an excellent quarterback, he led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to four Grey Cup victories in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962, earning him induction into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1975, and status as one of the true legends of our game.
"Growing up in Winnipeg, and playing minor football, I heard a lot about Kenny and those championship Bomber teams, as we young players were encouraged to meet the standard they set.
"Saddened by news today of his passing, at age 88, we will be forever grateful for Kenny Ploen's many contributions to our league, from the excitement he created in his era, to the inspiration he provided to the generations that followed it."
Randy Ambrosie
Commissioner
Canadian Football League
God bless Kenny Ploen and his family.
Oh no!
Perhaps the biggest ever blue bomber legend. Such a nice and gracious man. I had the awesome chance to meet him at my cousins wedding at my lake no less.
A true blue bomber hero. Rest in peace, kind sir.
I saw the sad news late yesterday. A very sad day for all Bomber Fans and the CFL in general. I go back to Kenny Ploen at Iowa days. I delivered papers for the Des Moines Register and got to attend a number of Iowa games as rewards for subscriptions. Kenny Ploen , Ray Rauch , Bobbie Jetter - all early heros of mine. And finally getting to Winnipeg and becoming a Bomber Fan - I came to learn more about Mr. Ploen post football. I had the chance on a few occasions to meet him at various functions throughout the early 1980's prior to moving my company to Calgary.
A very Sad Day Indeed - RIP Kenny we will all remember you fondly.
Since I can't post pictures on this forum, here's a link to the Kenny Ploen tribute I posted on a card forum:
https://forum.vintagenonsports.com/post/r-i-p-kenny-ploen-3-june-1935-13-february-2024-12853687?pid=1337229172
:)