View source for Roy Dewalt

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1956)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
| name = Roy Dewalt
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|9|4}}
| birth_place = [[Houston, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| team = 
| number = 
| import = yes
| position1 = Quarterback
| height_ft = 
| height_in = 
| weight_lb = 
| college = [[Texas–Arlington Mavericks football|UT Arlington]]
| NFLDraftedYear = 1980
| NFLDraftedRound = 9
| NFLDraftedPick = 236
| NFLDraftedTeam = [[Cleveland Browns]]
| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1980}}–{{CFL Year|1987}}
| playing_team1 = [[BC Lions]]
| playing_years2 = {{CFL Year|1988}}
| playing_team2 = [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]]
| playing_years3 = {{CFL Year|1988}}
| playing_team3 = [[Ottawa Rough Riders]]
| career_highlights = 
* [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[73rd Grey Cup|1985]])
* [[Grey Cup MVP]] (1985)
| CFLWestAllStar = {{CFL Year|1987}}
}}
'''Roy Dewalt''' (born September 4, 1956)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cflapedia.com/Database/d.htm|title=d|website=cflapedia.com|access-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703124422/http://cflapedia.com/Database/d.htm|archive-date=3 July 2017}}</ref> is a former [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL) [[quarterback]] who, in a career lasting nine years, played for the [[BC Lions]] between 1980 and 1987, and the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] and [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] in 1988. He led the Lions to their second [[Grey Cup]] championship in [[73rd Grey Cup|1985]] and was named the [[Grey Cup Most Valuable Player]] on offence.

==Professional career==
Dewalt joined the Lions in 1980 after being originally drafted out of [[University of Texas at Arlington|Texas-Arlington]] as a running back by the [[Cleveland Browns]] in the ninth round of the [[NFL Draft]] that season,<ref>{{cite news|title=Dewalt signs with Lions|work=The Vancouver Sun|date=1982-11-09|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0fllAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bIwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1061,3984214|access-date=2011-04-10}}</ref> and served as the back-up quarterback to [[Joe Paopao|Joe "the Throwin' Samoan" Paopao]] for two seasons. In 1982, he succeeded Paopao, which coincided with the arrival of [[Mervyn Fernandez]] who became Dewalt's favourite target. The next season Dewalt helped to lead the team to first place in the CFL Western Division,<ref>{{cite news|title=Dewalt's play key to Lions' success|work=The Leader-Post|agency=Canadian Press|date=1983-10-26|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MZlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LUANAAAAIBAJ&pg=5932,2560676|access-date=2011-04-10}}</ref> with an 11-5-0 record, and to its first [[Grey Cup]] appearance since 1964. However, they lost to the [[Toronto Argonauts]], 18 to 17. In 1984, despite a first place record of 12-3-1, the Lions lost the West championship to the Blue Bombers. However, in 1985 the Lions came back with a 13-3-0 record, again first in the West, and a 37-24 Grey Cup victory over the [[Hamilton Tiger-Cats]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Dewalt Answers Critics|work=Toledo Blade|agency=Associated Press|date=1985-11-25|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rw1PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0QIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4582,7440420|access-date=2011-04-10}}</ref>

Although in 1985 Dewalt completed 301 out of 476 pass attempts for 4,237 yards and 27 touchdowns to 12 interceptions,<ref>{{cite news|title=Dewalt signs 4-year deal with B.C.|work=Ottawa Citizen|date=1986-04-25|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Br8yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ke8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1263,2071216|access-date=2011-04-10}}</ref> his best season, he was not chosen as the division's all-star quarterback. That honour went to Matt Dunigan of the Edmonton Eskimos.

For the next two seasons Dewalt was not as effective of a quarterback, in part due to an injury to Fernandez in 1985 and the receiver's departure for the [[Los Angeles Raiders]] in 1986. In 1988, he was allowed to sign with the [[Winnipeg Blue Bombers]] after the Lions replaced him with [[Matt Dunigan]]. An arm injury led Dewalt to a number of poor performances and he was sent packing to the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] where, overall, his play did not improve. He retired from pro football after the season.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Browns1980DraftPicks}}
{{73rd Grey Cup}}
{{BCLionsQuarterback}}
{{Winnipeg Blue Bombers starting quarterback navbox}}
{{Ottawa Rough Riders starting quarterback navbox}}
{{CFL passing yardage leaders}}
{{CFL passing touchdowns leaders}}
{{Grey Cup Most Valuable Player}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dewalt, Roy}}
[[Category:Canadian football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:BC Lions players]]
[[Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players]]
[[Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players]]
[[Category:UT Arlington Mavericks football players]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Houston]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Houston]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]