1959 BC Lions season
Canadian football team season
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The BC Lions finished the 1959 CFL season in third place in the W.I.F.U. with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. After hiring new coach Wayne Robinson and signing University of Iowa stars Randy Duncan (#1 overall pick in the NFL draft) and Willie Fleming, the Lions were a much different team compared to the one a year before.
| 1959 BC Lions season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Herb Capozzi |
| Head coach | Wayne Robinson |
| Home stadium | Empire Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 3rd, West |
| Playoffs | Lost Western Semi-Final |
The battle for a playoff spot came down to the last game of the season against the Calgary Stampeders, with both clubs holding 8–7 records, the loser would be out of the playoffs. The Lions won the game 10–8 and secured the first playoff spot in franchise history as well as the first home playoff game (the first in a two-game series). The Lions season would come to an end in the combined 61–15 West semi-finals loss to Edmonton, but the foundation had been laid for future success.
The Lions changed their uniforms to a primarily Black scheme for the first time and introduced a "1930s-style" winged football helmet design.
Regular season
Season standings
| Team | GP | W | L | T | PF | PA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnipeg Blue Bombers | 16 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 418 | 272 | 24 |
| Edmonton Eskimos | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 370 | 221 | 20 |
| BC Lions | 16 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 306 | 301 | 18 |
| Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 356 | 301 | 16 |
| Saskatchewan Roughriders | 16 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 212 | 567 | 2 |
Season schedule
| Game | Date | Opponent | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Record | |||
| 1 | Aug 13 | vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | L 20–42 | 0–1 |
| 2 | Aug 17 | at Edmonton Eskimos | W 12–0 | 1–1 |
| 3 | Aug 20 | vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders | W 36–21 | 2–1 |
| 4 | Aug 24 | at Calgary Stampeders | L 17–29 | 2–2 |
| 5 | Aug 31 | vs. Edmonton Eskimos | W 8–7 | 3–2 |
| 6 | Sept 3 | at Winnipeg Blue Bombers | L 23–34 | 3–3 |
| 7 | Sept 7 | at Saskatchewan Roughriders | W 35–17 | 4–3 |
| 8 | Sept 14 | vs. Calgary Stampeders | W 14–8 | 5–3 |
| 9 | Sept 19 | vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers | W 17–6 | 6–3 |
| 10 | Sept 21 | at Edmonton Eskimos | L 7–29 | 6–4 |
| 11 | Sept 26 | at Calgary Stampeders | W 28–10 | 7–4 |
| 12 | Oct 5 | vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders | L 14–15 | 7–5 |
| 13 | Oct 10 | vs. Edmonton Eskimos | L 14–38 | 7–6 |
| 14 | Oct 17 | at Winnipeg Blue Bombers | L 6–31 | 7–7 |
| 15 | Oct 19 | at Saskatchewan Roughriders | W 45–6 | 8–7 |
| 16 | Oct 24 | vs. Calgary Stampeders | W 10–8 | 9–7 |
Playoffs
Semi-finals
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- Edmonton won the total-point series by 61–15. The Eskimos will play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Finals.
Offensive leaders
| Player | Passing yds | Rushing yds | Receiving yds | TD |
| Randy Duncan | 2746 | 123 | 0 | 0 |
| Willie Fleming | 774 | 517 | 7 | |
| Ed Vereb | 648 | 544 | 4 | |
| Don Vicic | 802 | 83 | 6 | |
| Jerry Janes | 0 | 936 | 6 | |
| Bruce Claridge | 0 | 519 | 4 | |
1959 CFL awards
None
