Born in Ontario, Canada, Valiquette took up football at North Tonawanda High School in New York and played semi-professionally prior to his service with the United States Navy during World War II.
Upon graduation, he played semi-professional football in the Niagara Falls area for several years before joining the United States Navy and serving in World War II[3] in the South Pacific.
[6] Nonetheless, Valiquette was nominated for the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy,[7] which was given annually to the best player in the IRFU, although the eventual winner that year was Eric Chipper of the Ottawa Rough Riders.
[12] The Eskimos went 7–7–0 in the regular season, finishing in third place, and then went on to defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the semi-finals, before losing the divisional finals to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
[14] In 1951 the Tiger-Cats finished at the top of their division in regular season play, with a record of 7–5–0, defeating the Toronto Argonauts in the semi-finals, but ultimately losing the divisional finals to the Ottawa Rough Riders.
[17] Valiquette was still employed as the Logan plant's manager at the time of his death on June 18, 1975, in Columbus, Ohio, at the age of 54, after being in poor health for a number of months.
[19] A few months after his death, his employer announced the establishment of the $250 Earl J. Valiquette Memorial Scholarship, which was to be given annually in support of the financial needs of a Logan High School football senior.