Monroe Eley
Encyclopedia
Monroe Eley is a former running back
who played in the Canadian Football League
and the National Football League
.
Having played his college football with Arizona State University
, Eley was not drafted by the NFL, so he headed north to play with the British Columbia Lions
. In his first year, 1972, he rushed for 517 yards and led the West Conference with 1033 kickoff return yards. His totals fell in 1973, to 373 rushing yards, as he played behind 1000 rusher Johnny Musso. The next season Musso was injured and Eley had his best year, racking up 1176 yards. His fellow running back, Lou Harris
also rushed for 1239 yards, giving the Lions one of the most productive backfields in CFL history.
He wasn't able to reach contract terms with the Lions, so he headed south to the Atlanta Falcons
, who had noticed him and drafted him in 1974. In 1975 he played only 6 games, rushing once for 3 yards and mostly returning kicks. In 1977 he played 7 games and rushed for 273 yards, but his average was a low 2.8 yards per carry. This was his final season.
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
who played in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
Having played his college football with Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, Eley was not drafted by the NFL, so he headed north to play with the British Columbia Lions
British Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
. In his first year, 1972, he rushed for 517 yards and led the West Conference with 1033 kickoff return yards. His totals fell in 1973, to 373 rushing yards, as he played behind 1000 rusher Johnny Musso. The next season Musso was injured and Eley had his best year, racking up 1176 yards. His fellow running back, Lou Harris
Lou Harris
Lou Harris is a former all-star Canadian Football League running back.A graduate of USC, Harris played 4 seasons with the British Columbia Lions. His best year, his second, 1974 saw him rush for 1239 yards, 3rd best in the CFL...
also rushed for 1239 yards, giving the Lions one of the most productive backfields in CFL history.
He wasn't able to reach contract terms with the Lions, so he headed south to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who had noticed him and drafted him in 1974. In 1975 he played only 6 games, rushing once for 3 yards and mostly returning kicks. In 1977 he played 7 games and rushed for 273 yards, but his average was a low 2.8 yards per carry. This was his final season.