The 1976 CFL season is considered to be the 23rd season in modern-day

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 ( ...

, although it is officially the 19th

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a c ...

season.

CFL news in 1976

For the first time in

history, more than two million fans attended CFL games, with a total attendance of 2,029,586. In the

CFL All-Star Game The Canadian Football League played an all-star game regularly during the 1950s and 1970s and twice in the 1980s. 1950s The first game in 1955 actually precedes the establishment of the Canadian Football Council and the CFL, and was known as the ...

, the East team defeated the West, 27-16, in front of 21,762 fans at

Clarke Stadium Clarke Stadium is a multipurpose facility located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The stadium was originally used for Canadian football. Over the years different sports have participated at the site. Presently, it is the home of the Edmonton Hus ...

in Edmonton. The game was played before the pre-season on May 29, the first time a CFL contest was held in the month of May (and the last time until 2018).

Regular season standings

Final regular season standings

''Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points'' *Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs. *''Saskatchewan and Ottawa have first round byes.''

Grey Cup playoffs

The

Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine ...

are the 1976

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

champions, defeating the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

, 23–20, at

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium) was a multi-purpose stadium that formerly stood on the Exhibition Place grounds, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally built for Canadian National E ...

. This was the third championship game between the two Rough Riders with Ottawa winning two out of three games. Ottawa's Tom Clements (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Saskatchewan's Cleveland Vann (LB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. Ottawa's Tony Gabriel (TE) was named

Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian The Dick Suderman Trophy (french: Trophée Dick Suderman) for the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian (''Le Canadien le plus précieux de la Coupe Grey'') is awarded annually to the Canadian player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup ...

. This was the only year between 1973 and 1982 that the Edmonton Eskimos did not appear in the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

CFL Leaders

* CFL Passing Leaders * CFL Rushing Leaders * CFL Receiving Leaders

1976 CFL All-Stars

Offence

*QB –

Ron Lancaster Ronald Lancaster (October 14, 1938 – September 18, 2008) was an American-Canadian professional football player and coach in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As the starting quarterback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for 16 seasons, he ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *RB –

Jimmy Edwards James Keith O'Neill Edwards, DFC (23 March 19207 July 1988) was an English comedy writer and actor on radio and television, best known as Pa Glum in ''Take It from Here'' and as headmaster "Professor" James Edwards in ''Whack-O!''. Early lif ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *RB –

Jim Washington James H. "Jumpin' Jimmy" Washington (born July 1, 1943) is a former professional basketball player. A 6'6" forward born in Philadelphia and from Villanova University, he was selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the 6th pick of the 1965 NBA Draf ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *SB – Art Green, Ottawa Rough Riders *TE – Tony Gabriel, Ottawa Rough Riders *WR –

Rhett Dawson Rhett Motte Dawson (born December 22, 1948) is a former American and Canadian football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 10th round of the 1972 NFL ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *WR –

George McGowan George McGowan (born March 10, 1948) is an American-born former football player for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) where he played for eight seasons from 1971–1978. During his career with the Eskimos, he set CFL le ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *C –

Al Wilson Aldra Kauwa Wilson (born June 21, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and ...

, BC Lions *OG –

Ralph Galloway Ralph Galloway (born August 27, 1946) is a former professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played eleven seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was a CFL All-Star in 1976 and 1977, and named to ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *OG –

Dave Braggins Dave Braggins (January 9, 1945 – July 19, 2004) was a professional Canadian football offensive lineman who played nine seasons in the Canadian Football League for two different teams. He won the Leo Dandurand Trophy in 1975 and also was named CF ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OT – Dan Yochum, Montreal Alouettes *OT – Butch Norman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Defence

*DT –

Granville Liggins Granville "Granny" Liggins (born June 2, 1946 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a former American football and a Canadian Football League player. College At the University of Oklahoma, Liggins was not only a football player, but also a wrestler. In 1967, ...

, Toronto Argonauts *DT –

John Helton John Helton (born 23 May 1947) is a former defensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders from 1969 to 1978 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1979 to 1982 of the Canadian Football League. High school and college John Helton graduated from Captai ...

, Calgary Stampeders *DE – Bill Baker, BC Lions *DE –

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 Montr ...

, Montreal Alouettes *LB – Harry Walters, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *LB –

Mark Kosmos Mark Kosmos (October 28, 1945 – November 11, 2020) was an American football player in the ACFL, for the Pottstown Firebirds in 1968 and 1969 and in the CFL for eight years. Kosmos played linebacker for the Montreal Alouettes, Hamilton Tiger-C ...

, Ottawa Rough Riders *LB – Roger Goree, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB –

Brian Herosian Brian Herosian (born September 14, 1950) is a former professional defensive back in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League. A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Herosian attended Worcester Academy, where he excelled i ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *DB –

Dickie Harris Dickie Harris (born May 24, 1950 in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey) is a former all-star defensive back with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, Harris started his 10-year ...

, Montreal Alouettes *DB – David Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DB – Paul Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB –

Lewis Porter Lewis Robert Porter (born May 14, 1951) is an American jazz pianist, composer, author, and educator. Education and career Porter was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, but raised primarily in the Bronx in New York City. Porter decided at age 10 that ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1976 Eastern All-Stars

Offence

*QB – Tom Clements, Ottawa Rough Riders *RB –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *RB –

Andy Hopkins Andrew P. Hopkins Sr. was an all-star Canadian Football League (CFL) running back. Andrew "Shay" Hopkins, a native of Crockett, Texas attended Ralph Bunche High School. He was a member of the High School Choir, Ralph Bunche Gazette, Year-book S ...

, Montreal Alouettes *SB – Art Green, Ottawa Rough Riders *TE – Tony Gabriel, Ottawa Rough Riders *WR –

Mike Eben Michael Eben (born January 29, 1946) is a former wide receiver who played ten seasons in the Canadian Football League, mainly for the Toronto Argonauts. Eben also played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Ottawa Rough Riders and Edmonton Eskimos. Eben w ...

, Toronto Argonauts *WR –

Johnny Rodgers Johnny Steven Rodgers (born July 5, 1951) is an American former football player. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and won the Heisman Trophy in 1972. Rodgers played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL) ...

, Montreal Alouettes *C –

Donn Smith Laton Donn Frederick Smith (born September 3, 1949) is a retired Canadian football player who played for the Ottawa Rough Riders The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly o ...

, Ottawa Rough Riders *OG – Larry Butler, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *OG –

, Montreal Alouettes *OT – Dan Yochum, Montreal Alouettes *OT –

Jim Coode James Edward Coode (October 22, 1951 – June 17, 1987) was an American football and Canadian football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1970 to 1973 and professional football for the Detroit Wheels (two game ...

, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence

*DT – Glen Weir, Montreal Alouettes *DT –

, Toronto Argonauts *DE – Mike Samples, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DE –

, Montreal Alouettes *LB –

Larry Cameron Larry Cameron (November 4, 1952 – December 13, 1993) was an American professional football player and wrestler. Football career Larry Cameron was born and raised in Natchez, MS. When he was a teenager, he played football in high school and c ...

, Ottawa Rough Riders *LB –

Chuck Zapiec Chuck Zapiec (born July 1, 1949) is a former All-American linebacker at Penn State and defensive captain of the Cotton Bowl Champion Nittany Lions. He earned his All-American Status as a linebacker in the only year that he played linebacker at " ...

, Montreal Alouettes *DB – Steve Dennis, Toronto Argonauts *DB – Phil Price, Montreal Alouettes *DB –

, Montreal Alouettes *DB – David Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DB –

Larry Uteck Larry Uteck (October 9, 1952 – December 25, 2002) was a Canadian professional football athlete, university sports administrator, football coach, and municipal politician. Early life Born in Thornhill, Ontario of Ukrainian descent, Larry Ute ...

, Toronto Argonauts *DB –

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1976 Western All-Stars

Offence

*QB –

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *RB –

Mike Strickland Mike Strickland (born August 11, 1951) was a Canadian Football League (CFL) running back for the BC Lions from 1975 through 1977, and for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1978 and 1979. He was an All-Star in 1976 and won the Eddie James Memor ...

, BC Lions *RB –

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *RB – Steve Beaird, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *TE – Bob Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders *WR –

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *WR –

, Edmonton Eskimos *C –

, BC Lions *OG –

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *OG – Buddy Brown, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *OT –

Layne McDowell Layne McDowell (born August 12, 1949) is a 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 po ...

, BC Lions *OT – Butch Norman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Defence

*DT –

Tim Roth Timothy Simon Roth (born 14 May 1961) is an English actor and producer. He began acting on films and television series in the 1980s. He was among a group of prominent British actors of the era, the " Brit Pack". He made his television debut ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DT –

, Calgary Stampeders *DE – Bill Baker, BC Lions *DE – George Wells, Saskatchewan Roughriders *LB – Harry Walters, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *LB – Bill Manchuk, Saskatchewan Roughriders *LB – Roger Goree, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB – Lorne Richardson, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB –

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *DB – Joe Hollimon, Edmonton Eskimos *DB –

Ken McEachern Ken McEachern (born January 14, 1953) is a former professional Canadian football player who played eleven years in the Canadian Football League. Career McEachern played defensive back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Argonauts fro ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB – Paul Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders

1976 CFL Awards

CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Terry Evanshen Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy winner from ...

–

(QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders *

CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award The Most Outstanding Canadian Award is annually awarded to the best Canadian player in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Lew Hayman Trophy winner from the East Division, and the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy winner f ...

– Tony Gabriel (TE), Ottawa Rough Riders *

CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually awarded to the best defensive player in the Canadian football League. The winner of the award is selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with the head coaches in the CFL. ...

– Bill Baker (DE), BC Lions *

CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award The Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award is annually awarded to the best offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Leo Dandurand Trophy winner from the East Division, and the DeMarco-Becket Memor ...

– Dan Yochum (OT), Montreal Alouettes *

CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award The Most Outstanding Rookie Award is annually awarded to the player judged to be the best player in his first year in the Canadian Football League. The two nominees for the award are the Frank M. Gibson Trophy winner from the East Division, and the ...

–

John Sciarra John Michael Sciarra (born March 2, 1954) is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1978 to 1983. He also played receiver for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Foo ...

(QB), BC Lions * CFLPA's Outstanding Community Service Award – George Reed (RB), Saskatchewan Roughriders * CFL's Coach of the Year –

Bob Shaw Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story "Light of Other Days" ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1976 Cfl Season

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

Canadian Football League seasons