Alouettes retire jersey of Patterson

Nov 22, 2008 - 12:25 AM MONTREAL (Ticker) -- Already a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Hal Patterson received another prestigious honor Friday, when the Montreal Alouettes made his No. 75 the eighth retired number in franchise history.

Patterson joins Mike Pringle (No. 27), George Dixon (28), Herb Trawick (56), Pierre Desjardins (63), Peter Dalla Riva (74), Junior Ah You (77) and Sam Etcheverry (92) as players who have had their numbers retired by the Alouettes.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971, Patterson played for Montreal from 1954-60 and helped the club reach the Grey Cup three straight seasons from 1954-56. The wide receiver was named the CFL's Most Valuable Player in 1956 and set a league record that year that still stands, recording 338 receiving yards on 11 catches in a game on September 26.

Patterson went on to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, winning three Grey Cups and earning All-Star honors on three occasions.