J.I. Albrecht was born in St. James, NY and had a five decade long career in football in the United States and Canada. Albrecht was best known for his ability to size up talent and spent spent much of his career travelling and evalauting players. Among Albrecht's accomplishments were the signing of Heisman Trohy winner Johnny Rodgers with the Aloutes, recruiting Marv Levy to coach the Als and choose Michael (Pinball) Clemons as the Argo head coach.
After graduating from the Georgia Military College in 1950, Albrecht started his football career in the NCAA ranks at the Uniersity of Tennessee (1950-52) as the director of recruiting. Albrecht held similar posts with at Southern California(1953), Maryland(1954), Wyoming(1955) and South Carolina (1956-58). Albrecht spent 1959 working with the fledgling AFL.
Albrecht came to Canada in 1960 to become the Director of Player Personel with the Montreal Alouettes in 1960. Albrecht remained with the Als in that position until after the 1963 season.
Albrecht became the Assistant GM with the Oakland Raiders of the AFL. Albrechted served stints as a scount for the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos before returning to the CFL and the Alouettes in 1970. Albrecht served as both Directgor of Player Personel and Assistant GM of the Als for two seasons (1970-71) and then the GM from 1972 to 1973.
Fired by owner Sam Berger, went to work for the New England Patriots of the NFL before returning to the CFL with the Toronto Argonauts in the 1970s.
Albrecht had a big impact on sport and football in the Atlactic provinces in the early 1980s. He attempted to get a CFL franchise called the Atlantic Schooners. The team paid the $25,000 expansoin fee, but the deal fell through when one of the financial backers pulled out. Later, Albrect would be named Athletic Director of University College of Cape Breton. His first action was to start a football program. The team had only 21 players, and Albrecht talked an old friend and former CFLer George Brancato to coach it. Unfortunately, the team folded after one season, but did win their final game of the season.
In the 1990s, Albrecht spent two years as a consultant with the Ottawa Rough Ridres (1992-93) and two as VP of Football Operations with the expansion Shreveport Pirates (1994-95). Albrecht finished his football career with one final season in Toronto as the General Manger in 2000.
Albrecht suffered a stroke in 2002 and was confined to a nursing home in Toronto where he passed away on March 11, 2008.
RIP JI Albrecht, Former Argo GM - March 14, 2008
J.I. Albrecht's Impact on Atlantic CanadaCFL Legend J.I. Albrecht Passes Away
Former CFL Executive J.I. Albrecht Dies - CBC
This Isn't How a Legend Should End
