The Canadian Football League 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 city in Canada. They are divided into two divisions: four teams in the East Division and five teams in the West Division. As of 2024, it features a 21-week regular season in which each team plays 18 games with three bye weeks. This season traditionally runs from mid-June to early November. Following the regular season, six teams compete in the league's three-week playoffs, which culminate in the Grey Cup championship game in late November. The Grey Cup is one of Canada's largest annual sports and television events. The CFL was officially named on January 19, 1958, upon the merger between the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union or "Big Four" and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.
Uzooma Okeke is a former Canadian Football League tackle for the Montreal Alouettes. He won a Grey Cup with Montreal in 2002. Okeke is currently the Football Operations Assistant/Scout for the Montreal Alouettes.
William Thomas Hinton is a former Canadian Football League (CFL) offensive guard who played nine years for the BC Lions from 1958 to 1966. In 1991, he was enshrined into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Raymond Elgaard is a former Canadian Football League slotback for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1983 through 1996, including winning the 77th Grey Cup in 1989. A big man, he was noted for his reliability as a receiver and his toughness on the field. He retired as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards in the Canadian Football League.
Tom Brown is a former professional Canadian football player, and a former outstanding American college football player. He played collegiately at the University of Minnesota, and won the Outland Trophy in 1960 as the nation's best lineman. He played professional football with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and was made a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1984. Brown was inducted into College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Brent Johnson is a retired Canadian football defensive lineman who played for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He attended Ohio State University where he played for the Buckeyes.
Less Browne is a former gridiron football defensive back who played in the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League for the Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL), the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Ottawa Rough Riders and the BC Lions.
Greg Battle is a former Canadian Football League linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
John Helton 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 (CFL).
Larry Highbaugh was an American defensive back who played with the BC Lions from 1971 to 1972 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1972 to 1983 of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Rod Connop 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 offensive lineman. Connop played CIS football at Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. He was named CFL All-Star six times and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award in the 1989 CFL season. Connop played 210 consecutive games with the Eskimos from 1983 until his retirement following the 1997 season. As of 2011, he continued to be the all-time Eskimo leader in games played (274). He is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 2005. His son Rory Connop played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL as a defensive lineman.
Hector "Hec" Pothier is a former professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos. After playing college football at McGill University and at St. Mary's University (Halifax), Pothier spent his entire 12 year CFL career as an offensive lineman. He was named CFL All-Star 2 times and was a part of six Grey Cup championship teams with the Eskimos.
Dan Ferrone 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 offensive lineman with the teams from 1981 to 1992, part of the Argonaut's Grey Cup championships in 1983 and 1991.
Kenneth E. Lehmann is a former linebacker for the Ottawa Rough Riders and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1964 to 1972. He was a CFL All-Star from 1965 to 1969 and was a part of two Grey Cup victories for the Rough Riders, in 1968 and 1969.
Tom Hugo was a Canadian Football League (CFL) offensive lineman and linebacker who played seven seasons for the Montreal Alouettes from 1953 to 1959. He was a Montreal All-Star 12 times during his seven seasons in the CFL. Besides being an All-Star at centre every season he played, he also intercepted 25 passes and returned two for touchdowns, and also returned kickoffs. September 2018. Hugo was inducted into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame as a player in 2018.
William Alexander Johnson is a former professional Canadian football defensive lineman who played nine seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL), mainly for the Calgary Stampeders. Johnson was a five-time All-Star and won a Grey Cup with Calgary in 1992. He started his career in the NFL, playing for the Chicago Bears in 1987, where he was a linebacker. He was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Jesse Newman is a former Canadian football guard for the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted in the first round with the 3rd overall pick in the 2008 CFL Draft by the Calgary Stampeders. He played college football for UL Lafayette. He retired from professional football on June 4, 2010, for personal reasons. Following Calgary's bye week later that season, Newman announced that he was coming out of retirement, much to the chagrin of some of the team's players. Consequently, Newman was traded to the BC Lions on September 4 for a second-round pick in the 2011 CFL Draft as well as a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2012 CFL Draft.
Simeon Rottier is a retired professional Canadian football offensive lineman. He was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with the first overall pick in the 2009 CFL Draft, becoming the first player from Alberta to be taken first overall. He played CIS football for the Alberta Golden Bears and he played junior football for the Edmonton Huskies.
Matt Norman is a former Canadian football offensive lineman for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected 22nd overall by the Lions in the 2012 CFL Draft. After the 2011 CIS season, he was ranked as the tenth best player in the Canadian Football League’s Amateur Scouting Bureau rankings for players eligible in the 2012 CFL Draft, and fifth by players in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. He played CIS football with the Western Ontario Mustangs. He also took a year away from football in 2012–2013 to get his teaching degree and was a student teacher at H.B. Beal Secondary School, where he was loved by many of his students. He retired from football in June 2016.
Keenan MacDougall is a Canadian football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He was selected 15th overall by the Stampeders in the 2012 CFL Draft. After the 2011 CIS season, he was ranked as the 14th best player in the Canadian Football League’s Amateur Scouting Bureau final rankings for players eligible in the 2012 CFL Draft, and eighth by players in Canadian Interuniversity Sport. He played CIS football with the Saskatchewan Huskies.
