Orrin Dean Griffing (1915 – 1998) was an American

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

player, coach, and executive. He played as a center and linebacker for the

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

in 1933 and 1934, for the Regina Roughriders from 1936 to 1943, for Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers in 1944, and the Calgary Stampeders from 1945 to 1947; the last he also part owned. Griffing was inducted into the

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about t ...

in 1965. He coached Saskatchewan during the mid-1950s. In 1960, Griffing became the first general manager of the Denver Broncos, selected in part because of his known and needed frugality. He was responsible for the team's unappealing brown and yellow uniform and ugly socks, which he had bought secondhand from a high school all-star game. He later worked as special assignment scout for the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. Griffing died in 1998 in Sarasota, Florida.

References

1915 births 1998 deaths American football centers American players of Canadian football Canadian football offensive linemen Calgary Stampeders coaches Calgary Stampeders players Denver Broncos executives Kansas State Wildcats football players Ontario Rugby Football Union players Saskatchewan Roughriders coaches Saskatchewan Roughriders general managers Saskatchewan Roughriders players Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers players Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Pottawatomie County, Kansas Players of American football from Kansas {{Canadianfootball-offensive-lineman-stub