REGINA — It’s perhaps the most unenviable task in any professional sport: becoming the player who has to replace an absolute legend at their position.
In 1976, Saskatchewan Roughriders fullback Steve Molnar suddenly found himself in exactly that role when George Reed -- one of the greatest ball carriers in Canadian Football League history -- announced his retirement leading into that campaign.
As recounted in this outstanding article on Riderville.com by Rob Vanstone, not only would Molnar thrive as Saskatchewan’s feature back, he’d put together the best season of his career, going on to claim his first of two Most Outstanding Canadian honours for the team.
All told, Molnar would play 10 seasons in the Green and White, displaying the grit and hard-nosed playing style that personified Saskatchewan’s teams of that era -- and becoming a legend in his own right.
For his efforts, Molnar is now officially a member of the Roughriders Plaza of Honour.
The Saskatoon product was originally selected to be enshrined in 2024, but his induction was deferred to this year at the family’s request. Molnar had passed away three years earlier at the age of 73.
“What really strikes me is the feeling that dad had a part in growing this,” said son Jeremy Molnar during the Plaza of Honour ceremony on Thursday morning. “Saskatchewan-born, Saskatchewan-raised, what it meant to him in that spirit kind of coming alive and what I see behind me today and what it means to Saskatchewan and Regina. Yeah, it's super special.”
As Jeremy recounted, his father was a quiet man who rarely spoke of his time in the CFL, but the values he took to the field are reflected in his family today.
“We didn't talk a lot about football, but it kind of came through in his spirit and how he raised us,” Jeremy said. “So the family is here to say, yeah, this is where dad was grounded. This is where he came from.”
Molnar ended up playing for Saskatchewan from 1969 to 1978 and ran for 2,549 yards and 20 touchdowns while also catching 142 passes for 1,552 yards. His greatest season was the aforementioned 1976 campaign, where he’d rush for 822 yards and helped lead the Riders to the regular-season Western Conference title.
Molnar played in three Grey Cup Games in 1969, 1972 and 1976 and would be named Saskatchewan’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 1976 and 1977.
Seeing the Plaza of Honour and his father’s name alongside so many of the team’s greats was a special experience for the Molnar family.
“Like I said, he didn't talk a lot about football, but now to see it kind of come to life, what it meant to the community, what he meant to the team, it's been emotional,” he said. “We haven't been back in 30-plus years, but it's been amazing. A lot of stuff coming forward that we just haven't gotten to over those years. It honestly brings a bit of a tear to my eyes, seeing dad’s name up there.”
The Plaza of Honour gala will take place on Thursday evening, and Molnar will join fellow inductees Chris Best and Alex Smith Sr. in being formally enshrined at halftime of Saturday’s Legends Night game against the Montreal Alouettes.
