The 1987 CFL season is considered to be the 34th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 30th Canadian Football League season.
CFL news in 1987 The Canadian Football League celebrated the 75th Annual Grey Cup game at BC Place Stadium on Sunday, November 29.
The Canadian Football Network, which was syndicated on Canadian television stations, was created by the league, taking the place of CTV, which ended its partnership with the CFL the previous season. The CFL experimented with their blackout policy by blacking out four televised games in both, Hamilton and Toronto (two in Hamilton and two in Toronto). The cable outlet TSN also began broadcasting the CFL in 1987, gaining the rights to games that had been passed on by CBC and CFN; TSN has aired CFL games ever since, eventually becoming the exclusive broadcaster in 2008. The CFL made money off the CBC and TSN agreements, money that largely covered the startup costs for CFN for the first year.
Game rosters were revised from 35 to 34 that included 19 Non-Imports, 13 Imports and 2 Quarterbacks. The reserve list was increased from three to four. Even with these reductions, all eight remaining CFL teams lost money.
After losing money for three years, Charles Bronfman sold the Concordes to Norm Kimball, who renamed them the Alouettes the previous year to renew interest in the team, but after losing money during the 1986 season, and playing before sparse Olympic Stadium crowds of less than 10,000, he, along with the CFL folded the Montreal Alouettes for the second time, this time for good on June 24 (the first week of the regular season), after the team played two preseason games on the road. With the team's demise the CFL (reduced to eight teams) revised the season schedule and moved the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the East Division to balance out the divisions. The Alouettes, however, would return in 1996 when the CFL's American operations ended with the Baltimore Stallions moving to Montreal to become the third and current incarnation of the team.
In January 1987, the league rejected a proposal from Arizona Outlaws owner Bill Tatham to allow the Outlaws, then without a league after the collapse of the United States Football League, to play in the CFL.
The single-elimination Semi-Final/Final playoff format (in use since 1972) that was scrapped last season in favour of the "total point series" format was restored; the crossover playoff format was not revisited until 1997.
1987 CFL dispersal draft After the Alouettes folded just prior to the 1987 season - folding after the league's season opener, but before their first game - a dispersal draft was held among the remaining 8 teams. The draft took place on 26 June 1987, and 23 players were selected.
Round one +Pick #PlayerPositionTeam1James HoodWROttawa Rough Riders2Brett WilliamsDLSaskatchewan Roughriders3Matt FInlayLBToronto Argonauts4Rick RyanDBCalgary Stampeders5Nick ArakgiTEWinnipeg Blue Bombers6Glenn KulkaDLBritish Columbia Lions7Steve BenjaminDBEdmonton Eskimos8Jacques ChapdelaineWRHamilton Tiger Cats
Round two +Pick #PlayerPositionTeam9Larry MohrRBOttawa Rough Riders10Dave RidgwayKSaskatchewan Roughriders11Bob SkempOLToronto Argonauts12Mike PalumboOLCalgary Stampeders13Jeff TreftlinDBWinnipeg Blue Bombers14Dan RashovichLBBritish Columbia Lions15William MitchellLBEdmonton Eskimos16Lloyd FairbanksOLHamilton Tiger Cats
Round three +Pick #PlayerPositionTeam17Doug ScottDLOttawa Rough Riders18Brad TaylorQBSaskatchewan Roughriders19Calvin TaylorDLToronto Argonauts20PassCalgary Stampeders21Don WilsonDBWinnipeg Blue Bombers22PassBritish Columbia Lions23PassEdmonton Eskimos24Sean McKeownOLHamilton Tiger Cats
Round four +Pick #PlayerPositionTeam25PassOttawa Rough Riders26Jerry GordonWRSaskatchewan Roughriders27PassToronto Argonauts28PassCalgary Stampeders29Eric EmeryLBWinnipeg Blue Bombers30PassBritish Columbia Lions31PassEdmonton Eskimos32PassHamilton Tiger Cats
Regular season standings
Final regular season standings
BC and Winnipeg have first round byes.
Grey Cup playoffs
The Edmonton Eskimos are the 1987 Grey Cup champions, defeating the Toronto Argonauts 38–36, at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. This game eventually became the battle of the backups when starters, Matt Dunigan and Gilbert Renfroe became injured leaving backups Damon Allen and Danny Barrett to take over. The Eskimos' Damon Allen (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Stewart Hill (DE) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence, while Milson Jones (RB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.
Playoff bracket
CFL leaders CFL passing leaders CFL rushing leaders CFL receiving leaders
1987 CFL All-Stars
Offence QB – Tom Clements, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Willard Reaves, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Gill Fenerty, Toronto Argonauts SB – Darrell Smith, Toronto Argonauts SB – Perry Tuttle, Winnipeg Blue Bombers WR – Brian Kelly, Edmonton Eskimos WR – Jim Sandusky, BC Lions C – Rod Connop, Edmonton Eskimos OG – Roger Aldag, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Dan Ferrone, Toronto Argonauts OT – Chris Walby, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OT – Chris Schultz, Toronto Argonauts
Defence DT – Mike Walker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DT – Jerald Baylis, Toronto Argonauts DE – Greg Stumon, BC Lions DE – Bobby Jurasin, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – James West, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Tyrone Jones, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Kevin Konar, BC Lions CB – Roy Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers CB – James Jefferson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Larry Crawford, BC Lions DB – Ken Hailey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers S – Scott Flagel, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Special teams P – Hank Ilesic, Toronto Argonauts K – Dave Ridgway, Saskatchewan Roughriders ST – Henry "Gizmo" Williams, Edmonton Eskimos
1987 Eastern All-Stars
Offence QB – Tom Clements, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Willard Reaves, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Gill Fenerty, Toronto Argonauts SB – Darrell Smith, Toronto Argonauts SB – Perry Tuttle, Winnipeg Blue Bombers WR – James Murphy, Winnipeg Blue Bombers WR – Steve Stapler, Hamilton Tiger-Cats C – Ian Beckstead, Toronto Argonauts OG – Nick Bastaja, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OG – Dan Ferrone, Toronto Argonauts OT – Chris Walby, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OT – Chris Schultz, Toronto Argonauts
Defence DT – Mike Walker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DT – Jearld Baylis, Toronto Argonauts DE – Grover Covington, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DE – Rodney Harding, Toronto Argonauts LB – James West, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Tyrone Jones, Winnipeg Blue Bombers LB – Frank Robinson, Hamilton Tiger-Cats CB – Roy Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers CB – James Jefferson, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Howard Fields, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Ken Hailey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers S – Scott Flagel, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Special teams P – Hank Ilesic, Toronto Argonauts K – Dean Dorsey, Ottawa Rough Riders ST – Darnell Clash, Toronto Argonauts
1987 Western All-Stars
Offence QB – Roy Dewalt, BC Lions RB – Gary Allen, Calgary Stampeders RB – Walter Bender (Canadian football), Saskatchewan Roughriders SB – Ray Elgaard, Saskatchewan Roughriders SB – Emanuel Tolbert, Calgary Stampeders WR – Brian Kelly, Edmonton Eskimos WR – Jim Sandusky, BC Lions C – Rod Connop, Edmonton Eskimos OG – Roger Aldag, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Gerald Roper, BC Lions OT – John Blain, BC Lions OT – Hec Pothier, Edmonton Eskimos
Defence DT – James Curry, Saskatchewan Roughriders DT – Harold Hallman, Calgary Stampeders DE – Greg Stumon, BC Lions DE – Bobby Jurasin, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Dan Bass, Edmonton Eskimos LB – Glen Jackson, BC Lions LB – Kevin Konar, BC Lions CB – Keith Gooch, BC Lions CB – Harry Skipper, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Larry Crawford, BC Lions DB – Melvin Byrd, BC Lions S – Nelson Martin, BC Lions
Special teams P – Glenn Harper, Calgary Stampeders K – Dave Ridgway, Saskatchewan Roughriders ST – Henry "Gizmo" Williams, Edmonton Eskimos
1987 CFL awards CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Tom Clements (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Scott Flagel (DS), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Greg Stumon (DE), BC Lions CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award – Chris Walby (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award – Gill Fenerty (RB), Toronto Argonauts CFLPA's Outstanding Community Service Award – Nick Arakgi (DE), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Coach of the Year – Bob O'Billovich, Toronto Argonauts
References