CFL is highest level of football league in Canada which consists of total 9 Teams. These 9 teams are further divided into 2 divisions: East division contains four teams and West division has five. Each team in this league plays 18 games.
In its long campaign CFL has produced several gem players who will be always memorized for their contribution and achievements in CFL. They have a tremendous contribution in making CFL so popular.
Let’s pen down below Top 9 Players of CFL
Zach Collaros QB, WPG
After being rewarded as the league’s Most Outstanding Player in the year 2021, Zach Collaros gained the position as the top player in the CFL in TSN’s annual top 50 players list.
Collaros being the league’s most effective passer, finished the season with a efficiency rating of 111.0 leading the league , his completion percentage of 70.2 was second just next to Montreal’s Trevor Harris.
2017 was the last tenure when Collaros was able to get himself listed in top 50 . He was ranked as the No.11 player in that season and was the starting quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He has defeated them twice in the last two Grey Cups.
Willie Jefferson DL, WPG
Willie Hebert Jefferson (born Jan’ 1991) is a Canadian Football defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jefferson is a thrice Grey Cup champion, with records setting to first ring win at the 103rd Grey Cup with Edmonton in 2015. He then won in the year 2019, the 107th and 108th Grey Cups when his WPG defeated the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 33–12. Next win was again in 2021 against Hamilton Tiger-Cats with 33-25. He was entitled the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019 with the Bombers, and was also listed as three-time CFL and CFL West All-Star for outstanding performances.
In the start of 2019 i.e 02/2019 , a announcement was made that Jefferson had signed a deal lasting for 1 year with Winnipeg Blue Bombers through the 2019 season. Later, Jefferson noticed that the offer did not match his market value; he was also courted by the Toronto Argonauts, but signed with the Blue Bombers for $210,000 CND. Most remarkable performance of JEFFERSON’s came against Edmonton, where he recorded three sacks, two forced fumbles, recovered another fumble, knocked down two passes, four tackles (two for a loss) and scored a rouge. He also recovered an onside kick attempt when he kicked a fumble through the endzone.
At Stephen F. Austin University Jefferson played college Football, he has also been a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders , Edmonton Eskimos, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins.
William Stanback RB, MTL
Stanback began his career at UCF with college football . In 2013, at nail biting game Stanback delivered a hit to Rutgers defensive back Anthony Cioffi . This move went viral and made that night’s Hero to get listed in Top 10 plays. Few of his major associations are mentioned below
Green Bay Packers (May 2017)
Montreal Alouettes – CFL (May 2018 – 14 regular seasons)
Las Vegas Raiders (Jan 2020)
Montreal Alouettes (II) – ( Dec 2020)
On 12/2020 , Stanback had re-signed with the Alouettes to a two-year contract. With 12 regular season games in the year 2021 this was a shortened season but still with the outstanding performance, he was named the East Division’s Most Outstanding Player .In the very next season Stanback suffered with a mis happening of a broken ankle in the first game of the season and then was forced to be placed on the six-game injured reserve list.
Adam Bighill LB, WPG
Adam Bighill is a born on oct 16th 1988 is a football linebacker and is playing for Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Few of the popular associations for Adam Bighill are listed as BC Lions , New Orleans Saints and last comes Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Bighill was in agreement with WPG for 1 year in May 2018 and finished this season as the outstanding defensive player. WPG then extended the contract for next 3 years with Bighill with $750,000 making him most expensive player of the CFL.
The Bombers were all set to defend their title during the 2020 CFL season although it was cancelled because of the ongoing pandemic Covid 19. Bighill suffered a financial loss at the moment as he was scheduled to make $265,000 in the following season, but a pay cut of $145,000 was made for him to stay with the Bombers which would have help the team in a league that was troubled financially by the pandemic
Damon Allen, Quarterback
He was one of the most versatile players in the history of CFL. One of the best in the town of Quarterback players. During his CFL Career he was named 3 times for Grey cup MVP. He got CFL most Outstanding Player award at age of 42. He won 4 Grey Cup Titles for 3 different teams in CFL. He was a daunting passer and rusher, recorded over 84,000 combined passing and rushing yards. He was also elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Doug Flutie, Quarterback
He played total 8 season in CFL (1990-1997). In his span of 8 years CFL career he was named CFL’s Most Outstanding Player for record 6 times. He also won 3 grey cup titles and in each of these titles wins he was awarded as the Grey Cup MVP. Two of his wins came with Argonauts and one with the Stampeders. His CFL career statistics include 270 touchdowns and 41,355 passing yards. Flutie was named the greatest Canadian Football League player of all time conducted by TSN. He was first non-Canadian to be named for Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. He remains the only player to pass 6,000+ yards in a season twice in his CFL career.
John Barrow, OL/DL
Barrow played all 14 CFL seasons for Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was a versatile Offensive and defensive Lineman. He was voted for CFL “lineman of the century” in 1967. He was part of Grey Cup-winning Tiger-Cats teams 4 times in (1957, 1963, 1965, 1967). He retired as a player after 1970 season. Later he joined as General Manager for Toronto Argonauts. He was voted as one of the CFL’s top 50 players of all time. In 1976 he was inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Less Browne, DB
Browne played for various teams like Hamilton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and BC in his CFL Career. He holds the CFL record for most interceptions in a career with 87. He played in 4 grey Cup games and won 3 of them. He was awarded CFL All-Star status 6 times. He blocked eight kicks which is 3rd highest in the CFL history. He also holds 1500 plus interception return yards which is the record in CFL by anyone
Pinball Clemons, RB, KR
Clemons undoubtedly is one of the most exciting running backs and return specialist CFL player of all time. He played for Toronto team in his entire CFL Career. He has been part of Grey Cup championship teams in 6 times. Clemons won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award for setting record for all-purpose yards (3,300) in a single season. He was admitted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2008, Next year,2009 he was inducted into Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. He also holds many single season CFL records like punt returns and kick-off returns in year 1997.
