Vince Goldsmith

Vince Goldsmith

Born:	(1959-07-20) July 20, 1959 Fort Riley, Kansas, U.S.
Career information
Status	Retired
CFL status	American
Position(s)	Defensive end Linebacker
College	Oregon
Career history
As player
1981–1983	Saskatchewan Roughriders
1984	Toronto Argonauts
1985–1987	Calgary Stampeders
1988–1990	Saskatchewan Roughriders
Career highlights and awards
Second-team All-American (1980)
CFL All-Star	1983
CFL West All-Star	1981, 1983, 1988
Awards	1981 - CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award
Career stats
Games played	163
Sacks	103.5
Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 2024

Vince Goldsmith (born July 20, 1959) is an American former professional gridiron football linebacker and defensive end who played for ten years in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He spent the majority of his career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders with whom he won a Grey Cup championship in 1989. Goldsmith was named a CFL All-Star in 1983 and was named a CFL West All-Star three times. He also won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1981. He had also been a member of the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks.

College career

Goldsmith played college football with the University of Oregon Ducks (from 1977 to 1980) as a defensive tackle. At 230 lbs but only 5 feet 11 inches Goldsmith earned First Team All-Conference honors twice while becoming the school’s only defensive lineman ever to receive the Morris Trophy as top lineman. A 1980 Second Team Associated Press All-American, he recorded 13 tackles in his collegiate debut. His most productive year was as a sophomore, when he tallied 87 tackles (62 unassisted) and 14 tackles for losses. He finished his collegiate career with 281 tackles, including 34 sacks, or tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He was inducted into the University of Oregon Hall of Fame in 2002.

Professional career

Thought too small for the National Football League, Goldsmith came to Canada and played for 10 years. He made an instant impression in 1981 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, recording 17 sacks, being named an All-Star and winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award. He was also a CFL All-Star in 1983. He played with the Roughriders from 1981 to 1983 and again from 1988 to 1990; in his second stint with the Roughriders, he appeared in the team's Grey Cup win in 1989. He played 101 games with the team and came in second in team history for sacks with 89. He played 17 games for the Toronto Argonauts in 1984 and played three years (1985 to 1987) with the Calgary Stampeders. His career total of 130.5 sacks is the eighth-best in CFL history.

Goldsmith was announced as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame 2024 class on May 3, 2024.