1954 in Canadian football
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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
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- 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
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- Winnipeg won the total-point series by 27–25. The Blue Bombers will play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.
Finals
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- Kitchener-Waterloo wins the best of three series 2–0. The Dutchmen will advance to the Grey Cup semifinal.
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- Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup semifinal.
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- Montreal wins the best of three series 2–0. The Alouettes will advance to the Grey Cup game.
Grey Cup semifinal
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- The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.
Playoff bracket
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Grey Cup | ||||||||||||
| IRFU | Montreal Alouettes | |||||||||||||
| IRFU | BYE | |||||||||||||
| IRFU | Montreal Alouettes | 14-24 | ||||||||||||
| EAST | ||||||||||||||
| IRFU | Hamilton Tiger Cats | 9-19 | ||||||||||||
| IRFU | Hamilton Tiger Cats | |||||||||||||
| IRFU | BYE | |||||||||||||
| IRFU | Montreal Alouettes | 25 | ||||||||||||
| WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 26 | ||||||||||||
| WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 9-12-10 | ||||||||||||
| WIFU | Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 3-6-5 | ||||||||||||
| WIFU | Edmonton Eskimos | 38 | ||||||||||||
| WEST | ||||||||||||||
| ORFU | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ORFU | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen | 13-16 | ||||||||||||
| ORFU | Sarnia Imperials | 12-8 | ||||||||||||
- Final appearance in the Grey Cup playoffs by the ORFU
Grey Cup Championship
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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 – 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