# Val Belcher
> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Val_Belcher
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Val_Belcher.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Belcher
> Source revision: 1316033433
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (1954–2010)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox CFL biography
|image =
|name=Val Belcher
|birth_date={{Birth date|1954|7|6}}
|birth_place= [Houston, Texas](/source/Houston), U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|2010|9|12|1954|7|6}}
|death_place= [Ottawa, Ontario](/source/Ottawa), Canada
|Position=[Guard](/source/Guard_(gridiron_football))
|College=[Houston](/source/Houston_Cougars_football)
|NFLDraftedYear=1977
|NFLDraftedRound=3
|NFLDraftedPick=81
|career_highlights =
* [Grey Cup](/source/Grey_Cup) champion ([1984](/source/72nd_Grey_Cup))
* 2× [Leo Dandurand Trophy](/source/Leo_Dandurand_Trophy) (1980, 1981)
* First-team All-[SWC](/source/Southwest_Conference) ([1976](/source/1976_All-Southwest_Conference_football_team))
* 3× CFL All-Star ([1980](/source/1980_CFL_season), [1981](/source/1981_CFL_season), [1982](/source/1982_CFL_season))
|playing_years1=1979–1983
|playing_team1=[Ottawa Rough Riders](/source/Ottawa_Rough_Riders)
|playing_years2=1983–1984
|playing_team2=[Winnipeg Blue Bombers](/source/Winnipeg_Blue_Bombers)
}}
'''Val Belcher''' (July 6, 1954 – September 12, 2010) was an American professional [football](/source/Gridiron_football) [offensive guard](/source/Guard_(American_and_Canadian_football)) in the [Canadian Football League](/source/Canadian_Football_League) (CFL) for the [Ottawa Rough Riders](/source/Ottawa_Rough_Riders) and [Winnipeg Blue Bombers](/source/Winnipeg_Blue_Bombers). He was selected in the third round of the [1977 NFL draft](/source/1977_NFL_draft) by the [Dallas Cowboys](/source/Dallas_Cowboys) of the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL). He played [college football](/source/college_football) at the [University of Houston](/source/University_of_Houston).
==Early life==
Belcher attended [Reagan High School](/source/John_H._Reagan_High_School_(Houston%2C_Texas)), before moving on to the [University of Houston](/source/University_of_Houston). He was a three-year starter, that began his career playing [offensive guard](/source/Guard_(American_and_Canadian_football)), before moving to [offensive tackle](/source/offensive_tackle) as a senior.
He was a part of the 1976 [SWC](/source/Southwest_Conference) championship team, receiving All-[SWC](/source/Southwest_Conference) and honorable mention [All-America](/source/All-America)n honors at the end of the season.
==Professional career==
===Dallas Cowboys===
Belcher was selected by the [Dallas Cowboys](/source/Dallas_Cowboys) in the third round (81st overall) of the [1977 NFL draft](/source/1977_NFL_draft) to play [offensive guard](/source/Guard_(American_and_Canadian_football)). He was waived on August 30, [1977](/source/1977_NFL_season).[{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=110&dat=19770831&id=-I1aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KUoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5181,5487152|title=Deals |publisher=Ludington Daily News |date=August 31, 1977 |access-date=March 12, 2024}}]
===Ottawa Rough Riders===
In [1979](/source/1979_CFL_season), he signed with the [Ottawa Rough Riders](/source/Ottawa_Rough_Riders) where he became a starter at [right guard](/source/Guard_(American_and_Canadian_football)), a three-time East All-Star and a CFL All-Star ([1980](/source/1980_CFL_season), [1981](/source/1981_CFL_season), [1982](/source/1982_CFL_season)).[{{Cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/college-football/article/Belcher-former-standout-lineman-for-UH-dies-at-1712660.php|title=Belcher, former standout lineman for UH, dies at 57|date=15 September 2010|access-date=March 12, 2024}}] He also was nominated three times for Most Outstanding [Offensive lineman](/source/Offensive_lineman) ([1979](/source/1979_CFL_season), [1980](/source/1980_CFL_season), [1981](/source/1981_CFL_season)). On July 21, [1983](/source/1983_CFL_season), he was the traded to the [Winnipeg Blue Bombers](/source/Winnipeg_Blue_Bombers).[{{Cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19830722&id=gNEyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1330,501503|title=Rough Riders trade import Belcher to Blue Bombers|publisher=Ottawa Citizen|date=July 22, 1983|access-date=March 12, 2024}}]
===Winnipeg Blue Bombers===
He played for the [Winnipeg Blue Bombers](/source/Winnipeg_Blue_Bombers) for two more seasons, before retiring in November [1984](/source/1984_CFL_season), after the team won the [Grey Cup](/source/Grey_Cup).
==Personal life==
Following his retirement from professional football, Belcher began a highly successful career as a restaurant entrepreneur. In 1986, he founded the Lone Star Cafe restaurant with former Rough Rider teammate [Larry Brune](/source/Larry_Brune) in the Ottawa suburb of Nepean. Over the years, it expanded into a franchise business and was renamed Lone Star Texas Grill, operating under the Lone Star Group of Companies. In 2020, the Lone Star Texas Grill operated in over 20 locations across southern and eastern Ontario, including seven in the Greater Ottawa Area where it originated, as a family-style restaurant specializing in wood-fire grill fajitas, authentic Tex-Mex fare and frozen margaritas. In 2008, he opened the Big Easy's Seafood & Steak House restaurant, in Ottawa (since closed).
Belcher died September 12, 2010, at the age of 56. He died from congestive heart failure while waiting for a heart transplant at the Ottawa Heart Institute. He was survived by his three children (Layne, Ashton and Meagan) and his life partner, Leslie Hines.[{{Cite news|title=Rider, restaurateur Val Belcher dies|publisher=Ottawa Sun|date=September 12, 2010}}]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Cowboys1977DraftPicks}}
{{72nd Grey Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Belcher, Val}}
Category:1954 births
Category:2010 deaths
Category:Canadian football offensive linemen
Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players
Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players
Category:Houston Cougars football players
Category:Players of Canadian football from Houston
Category:Players of American football from Houston
Category:Dallas Cowboys players
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Val Belcher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Belcher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Belcher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.