The Winnipeg Blue Bombers alumni have lost two men this week with the passing of Norm Rauhaus and Roger Hamelin.Both were born and raised in Winnipeg before playing for their hometown Bombers. Rauhaus died Monday at the age of 82; Hamelin passed away on Sunday. He was 77.
Rauhaus was a former safety and wide receiver for the Bombers from 1956-67 and was inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame in 1987. He was named the Bombers Most Outstanding Canadian and a West All-Star in 1961, after being selected as the Most Outstanding Canadian Rookie in the West Division in 1957.
He played 12 years with the Bombers after attending Kelvin High School and playing junior ball with the Weston Wildcats. Rauhaus was part of the club’s glory years as part of four Grey Cup championships in 1958, 1959, 1961 and 1962. It was Rauhaus who made one of the critical plays in the 1958 Grey Cup when he recovered a blocked punt on the last play before halftime in one of the game’s critical moments. He retired with 34 interceptions during his playing days, which still ranks second on the club’s all-time list to Rod Hill.
Hamelin was a product of St. Paul’s High School who first suited up for the Bombers in 1961. He would play both offensive and defensive tackle for the club through to 1969 and was a member of the 1961 championship squad. He was inducted into the Manitoba Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
The Winnipeg Football Club wishes to send its condolences to the families of both men.
