Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 1969-1971
Place of Birth: Portsmouth, OH
Date of Birth: Jan. 6, 1950
Jersey Number: 16
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
High School: Notre Dame HS (Portsmouth, OH)
The signal caller for the best run in Toledo football history, Chuck Ealey never lost a game in his three seasons as the Rockets' starting quarterback. The NFF Veterans Committee selection becomes the second player in school history to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Named a 1971 First Team All-American, Ealey went a remarkable 35-0 as Toledo's starting quarterback. The three-time MAC Back of the Year became the first player in conference history to receive votes for the Heisman Trophy, tallying 168 points for an eighth-place finish in 1971. A three-time First Team All-MAC selection, Ealey led the Rockets to three consecutive conference titles. He guided the team to three-straight Tangerine Bowl victories, earning MVP honors in all three games.
A 1971 team captain, Ealey finished his career as Toledo's all-time leader with 5,275 passing yards and 45 touchdown passes, both marks that still rank in the top 10. In both 1970 and 1971, he received the team's Jim Nicholson Award. Voted No. 1 on Toledo's All-Century Football Team, Ealey is one of just four players to have his number retired by the Rockets. The Portsmouth, Ohio, native played alongside College Football Hall of Famer Mel Long during his time in the Glass Bowl.
After going undrafted by the NFL, Ealey signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. Taking over as the starting quarterback in 1972, he would go on to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award and lead the Tiger-Cats to a victory in the Grey Cup, where he earned MVP honors. In total, Ealey played seven seasons in the CFL with the Tiger-Cats (1972-74), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1974-75) and Toronto Argonauts (1975-78).
Following his football career, Ealey served as a financial advisor in the Toronto area. He currently serves as a consultant and public speaker, helping people of all ages discover and embrace their undefeated spirit so they can better themselves and their community. He founded the Chuck Ealey Foundation, which annually awards academic scholarships to college and high school recipients of The Chuck Ealey Undefeated Spirit Award. The Chuck Ealey Foundation also provides opportunities to high school students to help build their mentoring skills while guiding underprivileged youth to discover and embrace their sense of self-worth and "undefeated spirit."
