1954 in Canadian football

Overview of the events of 1954 in Canadian football

The Edmonton Eskimos upset the Montreal Alouettes to send the Grey Cup trophy back west for the first time since 1948.^[1]

Canadian Football News in 1954

1954 is generally recognized as the start of the modern era of Canadian football.^[2]

The BC Lions joined the WIFU and adopted the colours of burnt orange and brown. The NBC national network were televising IRFU games.^[3]

Winnipeg's Gerry James (RB), became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award.^[4]

This was the last season that the Ontario Rugby Football Union would be allowed to challenge for the Grey Cup.^[5]

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Source:^[5]

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

Source:^[5]

Note: All dates in 1954

Semifinals

• 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 semifinal.

• Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup semifinal.

• Montreal wins the best of three series 2–0. The Alouettes will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Grey Cup semifinal

• The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.

Playoff bracket

• Final appearance in the Grey Cup playoffs by the ORFU

Grey Cup Championship

Canadian Football Leaders

• CFL Passing Leaders
• CFL Rushing Leaders
• CFL Receiving Leaders^[6]

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 – Gene 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 – Danny Nykoluk, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers

1954 Canadian Football Awards

• Most Outstanding Player Award – Sam Etcheverry (QB), Montreal Alouettes
• Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Gerry James (RB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (IRFU MVP) – Sam Etcheverry (QB), Montreal Alouettes
• Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (WIFU MVP) - Jackie Parker (RB), Edmonton Eskimos
• Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - Ron Howell (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Lynn Bottoms (HB), Calgary Stampeders
• Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Bob Celeri - Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

References

1. "Grey Cup Memories: 1954". CFL.ca. 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
2. "Mullin: Changing the game - The Ratio". CFL.ca. 2011-02-11. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
3. "Canadian Football Timelines (1860-2005)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
4. https://www.cfl.ca/gibsons Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Gibsons Finest Player Awards
5. "1954". www.cflapedia.com. Retrieved 2019-10-31.
6. "CFLapedia".