1954 in Canadian football
The 1954 season of Canadian football is widely considered to be the first season of the modern era of Canadian football, although the Canadian Football League would not be officially founded for another four years.
Canadian Football News in 1954
The BC Lions joined the WIFU and adopted the colours of burnt orange and brown. The Lions played their first regular season game on Saturday, August 28, which they lost 8–6 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Empire Stadium.
Winnipeg's Gerry James (RB), became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award.
The NBC national network were televising IRFU games.
This was the last season that the Ontario Rugby Football Union would challenge for the Grey Cup.
Regular season
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.
- Edmonton has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals.
Grey Cup playoffs
Note: All dates in 1954
SEMI-FINALS
- Winnipeg won the total-point series by 27–25. The Blue Bombers will play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.
FINALS
- Kitchener-Waterloo wins the best of three series 2–0. The Dutchmen will advance to the Grey Cup Semi-Final.
- Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup Semi-Final.
- Montreal wins the best of three series 2–0. The Alouettes will advance to the Grey Cup game.
Grey Cup Semi-Final
- The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.
Playoff Bracket
| Quarter Finals
| | | Semi Finals
| | | Grey Cup
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| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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| IRFU
| Montreal Alouettes
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| IRFU
| BYE
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| | IRFU
| Montreal Alouettes
| 14-24
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| EAST
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| | IRFU
| Hamilton Tiger Cats
| 24-19
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| IRFU
| Hamilton Tiger Cats
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| |
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| IRFU
| BYE
|
| |
| | IRFU
| Montreal Alouettes
| 25
| |
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| | WIFU
| Edmonton Eskimos
| 26
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| WIFU
| Edmonton Eskimos
| 9-12-10
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| WIFU
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers
| 3-6-5
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| | WIFU
| Edmonton Eskimos
| 26
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| WEST
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| | ORFU
| Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
| 6
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| ORFU
| Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
| 13-16
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| ORFU
| Sarnia Imperials
| 12-8
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- Final appearance in the Grey Cup playoffs by the ORFU
Grey Cup Championship
Canadian Football Leaders
1954 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars
Offence
- QB – Sam Etcheverry, Montreal Alouettes
- RB – Alex Webster, Montreal Alouettes
- RB – Gene Wilson, Toronto Argonauts
- RB – Bernie Custis, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- E – Red O'Quinn, Montreal Alouettes
- E – Ray Ramsey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- FW – Joey Pal, Montreal Alouettes
- C – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes
- OG – Ray Cicia, Montreal Alouettes
- OG – Herb Trawick, Montreal Alouettes
- OT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes
- OT – Vince Mazza, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Defence
- DT – Tex Coulter, Montreal Alouettes
- DT – Jim Staton, Montreal Alouettes
- DE – Pete Neumann, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- DE – Doug McNichol, Montreal Alouettes
- DG – Vince Scott, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- DG – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- LB – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts
- LB – Tommy Hugo, Montreal Alouettes
- DB – Lou Kusserow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- DB – Hal Patterson, Montreal Alouettes
- S – Bill MacFarlane, Toronto Argonauts
- S - Billy Cross, Toronto Argonauts
1954 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars
Offence
- QB – Frank Tripucka, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- RB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
- RB – Jackie Parker, Edmonton Eskimos
- RB – Howard Waugh, Calgary Stampeders
- RB – Ed Macon, Calgary Stampeders
- E – Mac Speedie, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- E – Bud Grant, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- C – Eagle Keys, Edmonton Eskimos
- OG – Mario DeMarco, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- OG – Roy Jenson, Calgary Stampeders
- OT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- OT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Defence
- DT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- DT – Martin Ruby, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DE – Frank Anderson, Edmonton Eskimos
- DE – Phil Brito, Calgary Stampeders
- DG – Mike Cassidy, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DG – Bob Levenhagen, BC Lions
- LB – John Wozniak, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- LB – Ed Henke, Calgary Stampeders
- DB – Stan Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DB – Bobby Marlow, Saskatchewan Roughriders
- DB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos
- S – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
1954 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars
NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.
- QB – Bob Celeri, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- RB – Cookie Gilchrist, Sarnia Imperials
- RB – Paul Amodio, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- RB – Nayland Moll, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
- RB – Blake Taylor, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- E – Harvey Singleton, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
- E – Gerry McTaggart, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- FW – Carl Totzke, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials
- G – Jay Fry, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen
- G – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials
- T – Keith Carpenter, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
- T – Dan Nykoluk, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
1954 Canadian Football Awards
References
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| Western Interprovicial Football Union | |
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| Interprovincial Rugby Football Union | |
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| Ontario Rugby Football Union |
- Kitchener-Waterloo
- Sarnia
- Toronto Balmy Beach
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| See also | |
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