When Lafa
Lane signed Joe Peyton to the Rangers after a stellar
career at the University of Puget Sound, Joe wasn't an
unknown commodity to the semi-pro world in the
Northwest.
Joe was a
kid in the military when he got his first taste of semi
pro football as a 6'1" wide receiver for the Fort Lewis
Rangers in 1961 helping lead the soldiers to victories
over the Seattle Cavaliers and Tacoma A's and tight
loses to the legendary Seattle Ramblers. Following
his stint in the military he enrolled at UPS where he
earned 11 varsity letters in football, basketball and
track. An injury kept him from a 12th letter.
He was All-Evergreen in all three sports and the Pacific
Coast High Jump champion and is considered the best pass
receiver in Logger history.
As a
Seattle Ranger, Joe set team highs with 56 catches, 664
yards and 5 TD's as a 31-year old rookie. He set a
record of 14 receptions in one game and was rewarded by
the Continental Football League with a Western
Conference All-Star selection as well as being voted a
CFL All-Pro, a title he would carry for two more years
as the 6'2" 200 lb receiver earned All-Pro in '67, '68
and '69.
In July of
1968, Joe was hired to coach Track & Field at UPS where
he spent 29-years. His work earned him election
into the NAIA National Hall of Fame in 1996, the UPS
Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Tacoma Sports Hall of Fame
in 2005. His UPS Hall of Fame induction was 23
years after he had already been inducted as a player and
now found himself at the podium as a coaching legend.
The Joe
Peyton Invitational Track & Field meet takes place
annually and Peyton Field was constructed for football,
soccer and women's lacrosse and dedicated to Peyton on
April 29, 2003.
Joe was
diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away July 2, 2003
Aerial View of Peyton Field,
University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington
