David Fennell
Football Athlete — Inducted 1995
David “Doctor Death” Fennell was one of the most dominant defensive linemen in CFL history and a cornerstone of the Edmonton Eskimos dynasty of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Born February 4, 1953, Fennell began his football career at Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton and played junior football with the Edmonton Wildcats before joining the University of North Dakota. After graduating in 1973, he joined the Edmonton Eskimos in 1974.
From 1974 to 1983, Fennell anchored the defensive line known as “Alberta Crude”, helping lead the Eskimos to five consecutive Grey Cup championships (1978–1982) — one of the greatest dynasties in CFL history.
In 1978, he was named CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Defensive Star of the Grey Cup, and began a streak of five consecutive seasons as a CFL and Western All-Star (1977–1981). He was named CFL Most Outstanding Canadian in 1979 and was runner-up in 1980.
Fennell’s relentless style of play earned him the nickname “Doctor Death,” and he became one of the league’s most feared interior defenders.
He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and later into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was ranked No. 24 on TSN’s Top 50 CFL Players of the Modern Era.
After Induction
Fennell earned a law degree from the University of Alberta in 1979. Following retirement, he founded Golden Star Resources, a gold mining company operating in Guyana. He later served as executive vice-chairman and director of Miramar Mining Corporation.
He is the father of John Fennell, a Canadian Olympic luger who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Career Highlights & Honours
- Five-Time Grey Cup Champion (1978–1982)
- 1978 — CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player
- 1979 — CFL Most Outstanding Canadian
- Defensive Star — 1978 & 1982 Grey Cups
- Five-Time CFL & Western All-Star (1977–1981)
- 1990 — Canadian Football Hall of Fame
- Ranked No. 24 — CFL Top 50 Players (2006)
