The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced today that legendary former player Garney Henley will be honoured by the club with the retirement of his jersey number (26) at the team’s first regular season home game of the 2025 Canadian Football League season, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the final season of Henley’s illustrious 16-year career in 1975.
Henley joins Angelo Mosca and Bernie Faloney as the only players in franchise history to have their numbers retired. Mosca’s #68 was retired on August 27, 2015 while Faloney’s #10 was enshrined in 1999.
Henley played all 16 seasons of his CFL career with the Tiger-Cats, beginning in 1960. In 216 games as a defensive back, receiver and kick returner, Henley totaled 4,657 receiving yards, 5,209 yards from scrimmage, 2,944 punt return yards, 9,100 combined yards, 59 interceptions and 56 total touchdowns.
At the time of his retirement following the 1975 season, Henley owned Ticats records for most combined yards, most receiving yards, most punt return yards, most total touchdowns, and most receiving touchdowns. He still owns team records for most takeaways (72), most interceptions, most interception return touchdowns (five) and most interception return yards (916). His 216 appearances rank second all-time among Tiger-Cats players.
Over the course of his distinguished CFL career, the Hayti, South Dakota native was nominated for the league’s Most Outstanding Player award six times, winning once in 1972. He was named an All-Canadian and All-Eastern defensive back for nine consecutive seasons from 1963 to 1971, before earning All-Canadian and All-Eastern status as a wide receiver in 1972. He was a monumental part of four of Hamilton’s Grey Cup championships with the Tiger-Cats (1963, 1965, 1967, 1972) and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Henley was also involved in amateur athletics, serving in various roles with the University of Guelph, Mount Allison University, Brock University and Huron University. He would later return to the Canadian Football League as a coach with the Tiger-Cats from 1989 to 1993 and Director of Football Operations for the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1995 to 1996.
Henley’s name was added to the Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour in 2000 and in 2012, he was voted by fans, media, and alumni members as both a defensive back and receiver on the All-Time Tiger-Cats team as part of an initiative to help commemorate the final season of Ivor Wynne Stadium. Henley is also a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame, the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Guelph Athletics Hall of Fame.
Statement from Tiger-Cats Caretaker Bob Young:
“I—along with several generations of Tiger-Cats fans—admired Garney’s talent on the field, so it was great fun, after becoming involved with the Tiger-Cats, to get to know Garney and become his friend.
Knowing Garney reminds you that it is the quality of character that enables great leaders to lead. They also need great skills in their field of endeavour, but skills alone are not sufficient.
Great teams—whether in sports, in your community, in business, or anywhere else—depend on great leaders. Those leaders don’t have to be presidents, head coaches, or quarterbacks. Teams can be led by undersized wide receivers who also played defensive back. The Tiger-Cats were blessed to have been led by one such leader for more than a decade and a half—an era marked by some of the franchise’s greatest achievements, which was no coincidence.
Garney Henley remains one of the greatest athletes in Canadian Football League history and one of the most respected players to ever wear a Tiger-Cats uniform. It’s time that his legacy is properly commemorated with his number proudly displayed in our stadium. We’re incredibly excited to honour Garney and recognize his immense contributions to our team, our league, and our sport, at our first home game next season.”
Statement from Garney Henley:
“Playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was more than just a career—It was a privilege. To be honoured in this way is something you never expect but it means so much. The degree of one’s success is built from the players you play with, and I was fortunate to have played during some of the most successful years in Tiger-Cats history. I had the opportunity to share the field with some of the best players in the league, two of whom I now have the honour of joining on the retired number list. Thank you for this honour.”