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Athletes for Christ............................................................Pages
from His Grace Magazine
by His Grace
Page 18 Remembrance Month! November 2021
Athletes for Christ...Tracy Ham
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Tracy Ham was born on January 5, 1964 in
Gainsville, Florida. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame; he was also a specialist on the running of the option offence while he played in college at Georgia Southern. Tracy's skills and athletic strength had led him to be drafted by the Los Angeles Rams during the 1987 draft, which he was picked in the 9th round. The Rams had seen Tracy as a running back but he still wanted to continue playing quarterback. Tracy then decided to head north to the CFL where he signed a contract with the Edmonton Eskimos, who are now the (Elk) in 1987. Later that year, Edmonton would go on to be eliminated by the eventual Grey Cup
Champions, Saskatchewan Rough Riders, with an upset win in the Western Final during the 1989 season. But Tracy would be named CFL's Most Outstanding Player. During the season, he passed for 4,360 yards and 30 touchdowns, and incredibly he also added 1,005 yards rushing with 10 rushing touchdowns.
Tracy with his athletics and speed would go on to help redefine the position of Quarterback in the CFL during the 1990's. Tracy brought the position of Quarterback with the rushing threat to a whole new level, with other great CFL quarterbacks like Dough Flutie and Damon Allen.
During the season of 1993, Tracy was moved to the Toronto Argonauts in a 10 player trade. Now under a new coach, the run & shoot offense was a disaster and the team struggled terribly that year.
By the end of that season, it looked like the interest of Tracy had stumbled alot around the league, except the late coach Don Matthews saw something still there in Tracy and brought him to Baltimore, as the CFL had expanded to the United States in 1993. Tracy was a veteran with lots of experience in the CFL, and their success would bring a championship that year as the Baltimore Colts became the 1995 Grey Cup Champions by beating the Calgary Stampeders.
After the ending of the American franchises in 1995, the Baltimore Colts were moved to Montreal where Tracy was the face of the Alouettes. Tracy would play until he retired at the end of the 1999 season. Throughout his career, he
November 2021
Remembrance Month!
Athletes for Christ...Tracy Ham
presented himself with class and as a true professional, his athletic skill level grew as the position of quarterback changed.
Tracy left his mark in the CFL; the results were fantastic over his 12 year football career. From 1987 to 1999, he accomplished 40,534 passing yards which is currently seventh of all time. He also threw 4,943 times with 2,670 completions, 164 interceptions and 284 touchdowns. Tracy's 8,043 rushing yards currently places him in the tenth all time and second among quarterbacks. Tracy also recorded 1,059 carries with 62 touchdowns. Tracy was honoured by being elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame for the Class of 2010.
Tracy has devoted his time to many charitable organizations, which includes the Children's Hospital in Macon and Bethesda Home for Boys in Savannah.
When Tracy lived in Statesboro, he was a member of the Whitesville Full Gospel Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and a member of the finance committee. Tracy still attends the church when he is in Statesboro.
Tracy Ham with the Baltimore Colts 1995 Grey Cup Champions
Since then Tracy has moved to Atlanta area; he also now attends Total Grace Christian Centre and is actively involved in athletic ministry, new member's orientation and the children's ministry.
Tracy lives in McDonough with his wife, Valarie FlippenHam and their two sons, Tracy Jr, and Caleb.
