The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the CFL. The results were announced as part of the 2006 Grey Cup festivities in

Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,60 ...

The Top 50

The panel voted on a list of 185 players, including 119 named to the

Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is maintained by the Canadian Football League (CFL). It includes displays about th ...

on the basis of performance since 1945, and 66 others identified during a three-month research process. Brothers

Doug Flutie Douglas Richard Flutie (born October 23, 1962) is an American former football quarterback whose professional career spanned 21 seasons. He played 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), eight seasons in the Canadian Football League (C ...

and

Darren Flutie Darren Paul Flutie (born November 18, 1966) is a former Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He is the Canadian Football League's fifth all-time leader in catches, behind Nik Lewis, ...

bookended the top 50, while

Damon Allen Damon L. Allen (born July 29, 1963) is a former professional quarterback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is currently fourth in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after h ...

(professional

gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...

's all-time leading passer at the time; his record was surpassed on October 10, 2011, by

Anthony Calvillo Anthony Calvillo (born August 23, 1972) is the quarterbacks coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and is a former professional Canadian football quarterback. He was professional football's all-time passing yards ...

, who did not make the list),

Milt Stegall Milton Eugene Stegall (born January 25, 1970) is a former professional gridiron football player who played 17 years of professional football, three years in the National Football League with the Cincinnati Bengals and 14 years in the Canadian Foo ...

(the CFL's all-time leader in

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

receptions),

Terry Vaughn Terry Vaughn (born December 25, 1971) is a former Canadian Football League receiver most recently with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 2005, Terry Vaughn's 1113 receiving yards combined with those of his teammates ( Kerry Watkins's 1364 yards, Ben C ...

(the CFL's all-time leader in receptions at the time; his record was beaten by

Ben Cahoon Ben Cahoon (born July 16, 1972) is a former professional Canadian football slotback who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He won the award for the Most Outstanding Canadian in the CFL two years i ...

in October 2010), and Joe Montford (perennial all-star defensive end), were still active when named to the list. Madden07ReleaseParty WarrenMoon

Lui Passaglia and Damon Allen with Grey Cup

The Honour Roll

The remaining players were named to an honour roll. Rocky Dipietro - 1989

Jack Abendschan Jack Abendschan (born December 18, 1942) is a former Canadian Football League offensive lineman and placekicker who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1965 through 1975. Professional career Jack Abendschan began his career with the Sask ...

, OL *

Junior Ah You Miki "Junior" Ah You (born December 30, 1948) is a former college and professional Canadian and American football player who played primarily at the defensive end position. Ah You enjoyed most of his professional career success with the CFL Mont ...

, DL *

Kelvin Anderson Kelvin Anderson (born February 4, 1972) is a former professional gridiron football player. As a running back, he rushed for over 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons in the Canadian Football League, a league record. He won the CFL's Grey Cup c ...

, RB *

Ron Atchison Ronald William Atchison (April 21, 1930 – June 23, 2010) was a Canadian football defensive lineman who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1952 through 1968. He was part of the Grey Cup championship-winning Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1 ...

, DL *

By Bailey Byron Ledare "By" Bailey (October 12, 1930 – January 18, 1998) born to Rollin Edward and Cora Helen (Bruner). Bailey, was a professional American and Canadian football player, primarily as a fullback and defensive back with the Canadian Fo ...

, RB *

Greg Battle Greg Battle (born April 14, 1964) is a former Canadian Football League linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He graduated from Arizona State University. He had a tryout with the Denver Broncos of the NFL but turned north to Canada in 1987. ...

, LB * Jerald Baylis, DL *

Al Benecick Al Benecick (March 20, 1937 – September 29, 2015) was a Canadian Football League offensive lineman who played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1959 through 1968. He was part of the Grey Cup championship-winning Saskatchewan Roughriders ...

, OL * Paul Bennett, DB * Dieter Brock, QB * Tom Brown, LB * Willie Burden, RB *

, WR *

, QB * Bob Cameron, P *

Hugh Campbell Hugh Campbell (born May 21, 1941) is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Unit ...

, WR * Jerry Campbell, LB * Eric Carter, DB * Tom Casey, RB * Ken Charlton, RB *

Bryan Chiu Bryan Chiu (born August 16, 1974) is the former offensive line coach for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and current head coach of Vancouver College. He was a professional Canadian football centre for the Montreal Alouettes fro ...

, OL * Ken Clark, P * Bill Clarke, DL *

Lovell Coleman Lovell Coleman (May 9, 1938 – August 10, 2016) was an American-born Canadian football player. He was born in Hamtramck, Michigan. Coleman played his college football with the Western Michigan University Broncos from 1957 to 1959. He rushed for ...

, RB *

Marvin Coleman Marvin Coleman (born January 31, 1972) was a football player in the Canadian Football League for ten years. Coleman played cornerback for the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadia ...

, DB *

Rod Connop Rod Connop (born June 4, 1959, in North Vancouver, British Columbia) is a former professional Canadian football player for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Connop spent his entire 16-year career with the Eskimos as an offensiv ...

, OL * Royal Copeland, RB * Jim Corrigall, DL * Larry Crawford, DB *

Dave Cutler David Neil Cutler Sr. (born March 13, 1942) is an American software engineer. He developed several computer operating systems, namely Microsoft's Windows NT, and Digital Equipment Corporation's RSX-11M, VAXELN, and VMS. Personal history ...

, K *

Peter Dalla Riva Peter Dalla Riva (born December 11, 1946), is a former professional Canadian football player with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League at the tight end and wide receiver positions. Dalla Riva played with the Alouettes for his en ...

, WR * Dave Dickenson, QB * Rocky DiPietro, WR * George Dixon, RB *

Ron Estay Ron Estay (born December 22, 1948) is a former defensive lineman for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Career After graduating from Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1972, he was selected by the Denver Broncos in the ...

, DL *

Terry Evanshen Terrence Anthony "Terry" Evanshen (born June 13, 1944) is a motivational speaker and former star receiver in the Canadian Football League. CFL Drafted by the Montreal Alouettes, Terry went on to have an outstanding career in the CFL playing for ...

, WR * Lloyd Fairbanks, OL * Bernie Faloney, QB *

Dan Ferrone Dan Ferrone (born April 3, 1958) is a former professional Canadian football player. He played with the Toronto Argonauts for 8 seasons, interrupted by one season with the Calgary Stampeders, in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was an offens ...

, OL * Norm Fieldgate, LB * Joe Fleming, DL *

Willie Fleming Willie Fleming (born February 2, 1939) is a former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League's BC Lions. Fleming played collegiately as a halfback at the University of Iowa, where he was a member of the Hawkeyes' ...

, RB *

Dick Fouts Richard Lee Fouts (August 7, 1933 – August 5, 2003) was an American professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts and the BC Lions. After playing college football at the University of Missouri, whe ...

, DL * Cam Fraser, P * Gene Gaines, DB *

Jeff Garcia Jeffrey Jason Garcia (born February 24, 1970) is a former American football quarterback. After attending high school and junior college in Gilroy, California, Garcia played college football at San Jose State University. A four-time CFL All-Sta ...

, QB * Ed George, OL *

Cookie Gilchrist Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist (May 25, 1935 – January 10, 2011) was an American football player who played professionally in the American Football League (AFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Career A star player at Har-Brack High S ...

, RB *

Tony Golab Anthony Charles Golab, (January 17, 1919 – October 16, 2016) was a Canadian football halfback and flying wing who played in the Ontario Rugby Football Union and Interprovincial Rugby Football Union for 11 years with the Sarnia Imperials, ...

, RB * Tommy Grant, WR *

Herb Gray Herbert Eser Gray (May 25, 1931 – April 21, 2014) was a Canadian lawyer who became a prominent federal politician. He was a Liberal member of parliament for the Windsor area over the course of four decades, from 1962 to 2002, making Gray on ...

, DL *

Terry Greer Terry Greer (born September 27, 1957) is a former professional American and Canadian football player who played wide receiver with the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts and the NFL Cleveland Browns as well as the San Francisco 49ers. He ...

, WR *

Tracy Ham Tracy Ham (born January 5, 1964) is an American former professional football quarterback in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Edmonton Eskimos, Toronto Argonauts, Baltimore Stallions, and Montreal Alouettes. He was known for ...

, QB * Herm Harrison, WR * Tom Hinton, OL *

Condredge Holloway Condredge Holloway Jr. (born January 25, 1954) is a former quarterback for the University of Tennessee and later in the Canadian Football League. Holloway was one of the first African-American quarterbacks to receive national exposure. His nickna ...

, QB *

Dick Huffman Richard Maxwell Huffman (March 27, 1923 – September 13, 1992) was an American gridiron football tackle in the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). A 9th round selection (81st overall ...

, DL *

Tommy Hugo Tom Hugo (August 25, 1930 – November 15, 2004) was a Canadian Football League offensive lineman and linebacker who played seven seasons for the Montreal Alouettes from 1953 to 1959. He was a Montreal All-Star 12 times (1953 offence, 1954–1958 ...

, OL *

Hank Ilesic Henry "Hank" Ilesic (born September 7, 1959, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former all-star punter in the Canadian Football League. He also handled place kicking and kickoffs. He was twice an all-star punter and played in the CFL for 19 seasons. He pl ...

, P * Glen Jackson, LB *

Jack Jacobs Jack Jacobs (August 7, 1919 – January 12, 1974), nicknamed "Indian Jack", was an American and Canadian football player in the National Football League and Western Interprovincial Football Union. He was a charter member of the Canadian Foo ...

, QB * Gerry James, RB * Alondra Johnson, LB * Will Johnson, DL *

Tyrone Jones Tyrone Jones (August 3, 1961 – June 10, 2008) was a gridiron football all-star and Grey Cup champion linebacker in the Canadian Football League. Born in St. Mary's, Georgia, Ty's football career began at Camden County High School, Camden Coun ...

, LB * Bobby Jurasin, DL *

Joe Kapp Joseph Robert Kapp (born March 19, 1938) is an American former football player, coach, and executive. He played college football as a quarterback at the University of California, Berkeley. Kapp played professionally in the Canadian Football Lea ...

, QB * Jerry Keeling, DB *

Ellison Kelly Ellison Lamar Kelly (May 17, 1935 – February 11, 2016) was an American and Canadian football offensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1960–1970 and the Toronto Argonauts from 1971-1972 of the Canadian Football League. He also play ...

, OL * John LaGrone, DL *

Ken Lehmann Kenneth E. Lehmann (born January 13, 1942) is a former linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League from 1964 to 1972. He was a CFL All-Star from 1965 to 1969 and was a part of two Grey Cup victories for th ...

, LB * Billy Ray Locklin, DL *

Earl Lunsford Earl Lunsford (October 19, 1933 – September 3, 2008), known as the "Earthquake", was a fullback for the Calgary Stampeders and is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. College football Lunsford played during college at with Oklahoma ...

, RB * Don Luzzi, DL * Dave Mann, P * George McGowan, WR *

Mark McLoughlin Mark McLoughlin (born October 26, 1965) is a former placekicker in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders from 1988 to 2003 and the BC Lions in 2005. He won three Grey Cups for the Stampeders in 1992, 1998, and 2001, and was the ...

, K *

Danny McManus Danny McManus (born June 17, 1965) is a former professional American football and Canadian football quarterback who passed for over 53,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League and currently serves as the Assistant General Man ...

, QB *

Ed McQuarters Eddie Lee McQuarters (born April 16, 1943 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a former defensive tackle (number 61) for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1966–1974. McQuarters was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1988. College and NFL A ...

, DL *

Derrell Mitchell Derrell Lavoice "Mookie" Mitchell (born September 16, 1971) is a former Canadian Football League slotback with the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Eskimos and former wide receivers coach for the Edmonton Eskimos. Junior College Career Mitchell att ...

, WR * Frank Morris, OL * James Murphy, WR * Don Narcisse, WR * Roger Nelson, OL * Ray Nettles, LB *

Pete Neumann Peter Michael Neumann (1931 – January 1, 2020) was a Canadian Football League player for 14 seasons the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was a 9-time CFL's Eastern All-Star and a part of three Grey Cup championship teams. Neumann was inducted into the ...

, DL * Ray Odums, DB * Uzooma Okeke, OL * Red O'Quinn, WR *

Paul Osbaldiston Paul Osbaldiston (born April 27, 1964) is a former punter and placekicker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from 1986-2003. He was the Assistant Special Teams/Kicking Coach for the Tiger-Cats until 2014. Osbaldiston was ...

, K * Mike O'Shea, LB * Tony Pajaczkowski, OL * Elfrid Payton, DL *

Ken Ploen Kenneth Ploen LAYN (born June 3, 1935) is a former star quarterback in American college football and for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). College football In 1956, Ploen became the University of Iowa Hawkeyes ...

, QB * Joe Poplawski, WR * Noel Prefontaine, P * Dave Raimey, RB * Willard Reaves, RB *

Dave Ridgway David Ridgway (born April 24, 1959) is a former placekicker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. His CFL career began in 1981 when he was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes. He did not make the squad that year and retu ...

, K *

Frank Rigney Frank Rigney (April 9, 1936 – June 29, 2010) was an offensive tackle for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League. College Rigney played college ball with another Blue Bomber great, quarterback Ken Ploen at the University of ...

, OL * Charles Roberts, RB *

Larry Robinson Larry Clark Robinson (born June 2, 1951) is a Canadian former ice hockey coach, executive and player. His coaching career includes head coaching positions with the New Jersey Devils (which he held on two occasions), as well as the Los Angeles Ki ...

, DB *

Jim Rountree James W. Rountree (April 24, 1936 – October 1, 2013) was an American college and professional football player who was a defensive back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for ten years during the 1950s and 1960s. Rountree played college foo ...

, DB * Paul Rowe, RB *

Martin Ruby Martin Owen Ruby (June 9, 1922 – January 3, 2002) was an offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers in the All-America Football Conference, New York Yanks of the National Football League,''Will Coa ...

, OL * Tom Scott, WR * Vince Scott, DL *

Dick Shatto Richard Darrell Shatto (February 5, 1933 – February 4, 2003) was a professional Canadian football player for the Canadian Football League Toronto Argonauts. Shatto also served as the Argonauts general manager after his playing days with the c ...

, RB * David Shaw, DB * Wayne Shaw, LB * Bob Simpson, WR * Ron Stewart, RB * Jim Stillwagon, DL *

Don Sutherin Don Paul "Suds" Sutherin (February 29, 1936 – January 11, 2022) was a Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) defensive back and placekicker. He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (1992). Playing care ...

, DB *

Bill Symons Bill Symons (born June 14, 1943 in Nucla, Colorado) is a former professional Canadian football running back with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. College football career Symons played for the University of Colorado Buf ...

, RB * Dave Thelen, RB * Dick Thornton, DB * Buddy Tinsley, OL * Herb Trawick, DL *

Whit Tucker Whitman D. (Whit) Tucker (born November 15, 1940) is a former professional Canadian football Flanker (American football), flanker in the Canadian Football League who played the entirety of his career with the Ottawa Rough Riders. He was a CFL-All ...

, WR * Ted Urness, OL *

Pierre Vercheval Pierre Vercheval (born November 22, 1964) is a former all star offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. Vercheval played his university football at the University of Western Ontario, where he won the J. P. Metras Trophy top lineman in ...

, OL *

Virgil Wagner Virgil Wagner (February 27, 1922 - August 22, 1997) was an award-winning, all-star and Grey Cup champion Canadian football halfback for the Montreal Alouettes. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame The Canadian Football Hall of ...

, RB * James West, LB * Mike Widger, LB *

Tom Wilkinson Thomas Geoffrey Wilkinson (born 5 February 1948)Born January–March 1948, according to the ''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com is an English actor of film, television, and stage. He has rece ...

, QB * Al Wilson, OL *

Earl Winfield Earl Winfield (born August 6, 1961) is a former Canadian Football League receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats who, in an 11-year career from 1987-1997, caught 573 passes for 10,119 yards and 75 touchdowns. Winfield played college football at the ...

, WR * Harvey Wylie, DB *

Dan Yochum Dan Yochum (August 19, 1950 – August 26, 2020) was an American professional football player who was an offensive lineman for the Montreal Alouettes from 1972–1980 and the Edmonton Eskimos in 1980 of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He wo ...

, OL * Jim Young, WR *

Ben Zambiasi Benjamin Ray Zambiasi (born August 19, 1956) is a former linebacker for the University of Georgia and in the Canadian Football League. Zambiasi was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended high school at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon playing ...

, LB * Bill Zock, OL *

Joe Zuger Joe Zuger (born February 25, 1940) is a former American and Canadian football player. He played his entire professional career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected in the 18th round (248th overall) b ...

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Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tsn Top 50 Cfl Players Canadian Football League lists Canadian football media

Canadian Football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area (e ...

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