For years, Jim Rountree was an Argo rarity, a record-holder on both offence and defence.
Not only did he set the Argo record for longest pass reception (108 yards), which he still holds today, but he also held the mark for most interceptions in a season (10 - tied with Bill McFarlane) and most career interceptions (41 - since surpassed by Reggie Pleasant's 47).
A graduate of the University of Florida, where he was the 1957 team MVP, Rountree was one of the CFL's last great two-way players, which earned him seven all-star selections and a place on the Argo modern era all-star team (1945-73) at cornerback. However, it was a career that almost did not happen, since he was placed on the taxi squad in his rookie season and wanted to quit.
"They were going to give me $200 a week," said Rountree to Gord Walker. "I said it was nice money, but I thought I was a little bit better than that. I was disappointed, disillusioned by the whole scenario, so I called my dad and said, 'Dad, I'm going to jump home. I'm going to give it up.' And he said, 'No, I don't want you to do that. I want you to stay up there and do what I know you're capable of doing.' So I stayed around another week, someone got hurt, I was activated, and I played 10 years."
While he played the vast majority of time on defence, Rountree remembers that 108-yard TD in Regina as the highlight of his career, one which unfortunately did not see a Grey Cup win.
"We were on our two-yard line and Tobin called a quick slant pattern and I was going against the grain," said Rountree. "I went to the opposite sideline and turned up field. Jimmy Copeland caught up with me at the goalline, but I managed to stagger over the line for the touchdown."
The run had Rountree in need of a breather, but after missing a couple of series, Argo coach Lou Agase went over to him and said: "Jim, son, we appreciate the touchdown, but are you going to play anymore?"
Rountree did play, for six more years in fact, retiring as a player after the 1967 season. But he didn't leave the Argonauts organization, and instead signed on as the defensive backs coach under Leo Cahill, a job that lasted until 1972, when Cahill and the entire staff were let go following a disappointing 3-11 season, which came on the heels of a 1971 Grey Cup appearance.
"An image was built by Leo," said Rountree. "He did a maginificent job of selling our personnel (the idea) that they were a bunch of rejects, renegades - nobody wanted them. So they could identify with this image, the Bobby Taylors and Bill Franks. It was one big family."
But while the Argo family broke up, the relationship Rountree had with Cahill stayed together. He joined his mentor in Memphis with the Southmen of the World Football League. Upon Leo's reinstatement with the Argos in 1977, Rountree was one of his first hirings, and when Leo got the boot two years later, Rountree was gone as well. This left a permanent bitter taste in his mouth, and he quit football altogether to go into the construction business, where he did quite well for himself.
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