The 1969 CFL season is considered to be the 16th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the 12th Canadian Football League season.
CFL news in 1969 The 1969 Grey Cup game started play on a Sunday for the first time in CFL history; all Grey Cup games since (except for 1970) have been played on a Sunday. (The CFL did play a Grey Cup game on Sunday before, in 1962, when the original Saturday Grey Cup game was delayed due to heavy fog that caused the final 9 minutes and 28 seconds to be played the following day.)
The Grey Cup was held in Montreal, Quebec for the first time since 1931.
A new logo was introduced to the league on November 26, four days before that year's Grey Cup game: A white helmet with a one-bar face mask with a maple leaf in the centre and the word CFL in white in the maple leaf. It replaced the leaf/football/ribbon logo used since the league's formation in 1958, and would be used until 2002.
Records: The Rough Riders' Margene Adkins set the record for average gain per pass in a season with 25.0 yards. The record stood for 28 years, until Milt Stegall broke it.
Regular season standings
Saskatchewan and Ottawa had first round byes.
Grey Cup playoffs Note: All dates in 1969
Conference semi-finals
+ Western semi-finals BC Lions @ Calgary Stampeders Date Away Home November 8 BC Lions 21 Calgary Stampeders 35
+ Eastern semi-finals Hamilton Tiger-Cats @ Toronto Argonauts Date Away Home November 9 Hamilton Tiger-Cats 9 Toronto Argonauts 15
Conference finals + Western finalsCalgary Stampeders vs Saskatchewan RoughridersGame Date Away Home1 November 15 Calgary Stampeders 11 Saskatchewan Roughriders 172November 19Saskatchewan Roughriders 36Calgary Stampeders 13Saskatchewan won the best of three series 2–0.
+ Eastern finalsOttawa Rough Riders vs Toronto ArgonautsGame Date Away Home1 November 16 Ottawa Rough Riders 14 Toronto Argonauts 222November 22Toronto Argonauts 3Ottawa Rough Riders 32Ottawa won the 2 game total-point series by 46–25.
Playoff bracket
Grey Cup Championship November 30 57th Annual Grey Cup Game: Autostade—Montreal, Quebec Western Champion Eastern ChampionSaskatchewan Roughriders 11 Ottawa Rough Riders 29 1969 Grey Cup Champions: Ottawa Rough RidersGrey Cup Most Valuable Player: Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders
CFL leaders CFL passing leaders CFL rushing leaders CFL receiving leaders
1969 CFL All-Stars
Offence QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders RB – Vic Washington, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Dave Raimey, Toronto Argonauts TE – Herman Harrison, Calgary Stampeders SE – Margene Adkins, Ottawa Rough Riders F – Ken Nielsen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Charlie Bray, Toronto Argonauts OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders OT – Ellison Kelly, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Defence DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos DT – Ed McQuarters, Saskatchewan Roughriders DE – Billy Joe Booth, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Ed Harrington, Toronto Argonauts LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Jerry "Soupy" Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Phil Minnick, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – John Wydarney, Edmonton Eskimos DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts DB – Bruce Bennett, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Don Sutherin, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Larry Fairholm, Montreal Alouettes
1969 Eastern All-Stars
Offence QB – Russ Jackson, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Dennis Duncan, Montreal Alouettes RB – Vic Washington, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Dave Raimey, Toronto Argonauts TE – Mel Profit, Toronto Argonauts SE – Margene Adkins, Ottawa Rough Riders F – Bobby Taylor, Toronto Argonauts C – Basil Bark, Montreal Alouettes OG – Charlie Parker, Montreal Alouettes OG – Charlie Bray, Toronto Argonauts OT – Danny Nykoluk, Toronto Argonauts OT – Ellison Kelly, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Defence DT – John Barrow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DT – Marshall Shirk, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Billy Joe Booth, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Ed Harrington, Toronto Argonauts LB – Ken Lehmann, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Jerry "Soupy" Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – Henry Sorrell, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Ed Learn, Toronto Argonauts DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts DB – Dick Thornton, Toronto Argonauts DB – Don Sutherin, Ottawa Rough Riders DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
1969 Western All-Stars
Offence QB – Ron Lancaster, Saskatchewan Roughriders RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders RB – Jim Evenson, BC Lions RB – Jim Young, BC Lions TE – Herman Harrison, Calgary Stampeders SE – Terry Evanshen, Calgary Stampeders F – Ken Nielsen, Winnipeg Blue Bombers F – Hugh Campbell, Saskatchewan Roughriders C – Ted Urness, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders OG – Ken Sugarman, BC Lions OT – Clyde Brock, Saskatchewan Roughriders OT – Lanny Boleski, Calgary Stampeders
Defence DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos DT – Ed McQuarters, Saskatchewan Roughriders DE – Bill Whisler, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DE – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders LB – Wayne Shaw, Saskatchewan Roughriders LB – Wally Dempsey, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – John Wydarney, Edmonton Eskimos DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders DB – Bruce Bennett, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Jerry Bradley, BC Lions DB – Rich Robinson, BC Lions
1969 CFL awards CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – John LaGrone (DT), Edmonton Eskimos CFL's Coach of the Year – Frank Clair, Ottawa Rough Riders Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Russ Jackson (QB), Ottawa Rough Riders Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) - Ron Lancaster (QB), Saskatchewan Roughriders Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) - Al Phaneuf (DB), Montreal Alouettes Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) - Dave Easley (DB), BC Lions DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) - Ed McQuarters (DT), Saskatchewan Roughriders
References