Dave Fennell (born February 4, 1952 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former defensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. After graduating from the University of North Dakota in 1973, he played for Edmonton from 1974–83, and helped lead the team to five straight Grey Cup championships from 1978-82 as a key member of the "Alberta Crude" defense.
Fennell was named CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1978, CFL Most Outstanding Canadian in 1979, and Defensive Star of the 1978 and 1982 Grey Cup games. He was a CFL and Western All-Star at Defensive Tackle from 1977 to 1981, and was runner-up for the Most Outstanding Canadian Award in 1980. His nickname was "Doctor Death."
Fennell is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, and the Eskimos Hall of Fame. In November, 2006, he was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#24) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports network The Sports Network/TSN.
Fennell earned a law degree from the University of Alberta in 1979. After retiring from football, he founded Golden Star Resources, one of the largest and most successful mining companies in Canada. He is currently Executive Vice-Chairman and a Director of Miramar Mining Corporation.
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Neil Lumsden |
Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian 1982 |
Succeeded by Rick Klassen |