Charlie Ganter

Quarterback

Portland Thunderbirds

First Team All-League quarterback in 1964, Ganter hammered the air lanes to the tune of 27 touchdown passes, a record at the time.  The former Oregon Tech star, lit up the North Pacific League right off the bat throwing 6 TD passes in the first two games.  He was named T-Bird MVP for the season by his teammates.

Ganter had been a finalist in 1963 battling for QB supremacy with 1962 Player of the Year Jerry Thacker, coming up short to former San Francisco 49er defensive end Joe Kominski of the Champion Tacoma Tyees.

Charlie signed with the Calgary Stampede of the CFL until a knee injury where he returned to Portland as a back up in 1966 and moved into coaching the Thunderbirds in 1967.

Ganter would go on to coach the 1982 Washington County Grizzlies to the Northwest International League championship over the Oregon City Steelheads in the first year of the franchise.