Hall of Fame
Much like his brother before him, Eddie Blake made quite the name for himself as well during his two seasons with the Northwest football program.
A native of Fayetteville, Tenn., Blake arrived at Northwest shortly after his older brother, Ricky, finished up his stint with the Rangers in 1988. Nicknamed "Earthquake", Eddie Blake played offensive guard for two seasons under Bobby Franklin, helping pave the way for First Team All-MACJC tailbacks Michael Crenshaw and Vince Powell.Â
During his sophomore season in 1989, Blake helped the Rangers to a 12-1 overall record, an MACJC championship and a Shrine Bowl victory against Kilgore College. For his efforts, he was named a First Team All-MACJC selections and a back-to-back J.C. Gridwire All-American.
After Northwest, Eddie Blake transferred to Auburn and helped guide the Tigers and legendary coach Pat Dye to an 8-3-1 overall record, a No. 19 national ranking and a 27-23 victory against Indiana in the 1990 Peach Bowl. During his senior campaign in 1991, the Tigers failed to make a bowl game but Blake still stood out on a national scale, earning All-SEC honors.
Blake was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft as the 43rd overall pick. Injuries kept him off the field for most of his tenure in Miami, leading to his release in 1994. After a brief stint with Green Bay as a free agent signing, Blake would follow in the footsteps of his older brother and join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League in 1996, appearing in nine games.
Following his stint with Winnipeg, Blake spent two years playing in Germany with the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football from 1996-97, before returning to the U.S. to play with the New York CityHawks of the Arena Football League.
In 1998, Blake returned to the Blue Bombers organization before playing for the Mobile Admirals of the semi-pro Regional Football League in 1999, helping the team to the league championship. He would then spend one final stint in the AFL with the New England Sea Wolves in 2000 before retiring as a member of the Blue Bombers in 2001.
Since leaving the game of football, Blake has been very active as an entrepreneur, opening promotions and security companies in Winnipeg and a radio station as well. In 2004, Blake began a stint as a professional boxer, going 3-0 in the ring. He has since retired.
