1980s EE All-Decade Team

EDMONTON – The 1980s was the era of championships in Edmonton.

The City of Champions moniker was officially earned, with eight wins within the decade.

The Green and Gold captured Grey Cup victories from 1980 to 1982, also winning the 1987 Grey Cup. Their local counterparts in the Edmonton Oilers were lifted to dominance by Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier – winning the Stanley Cup in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988.

The Double E were able to maintain their run of dominance in part to the personnel inside the building. As much as the 1970s All-Decade team contained a group of greats, there is hardly any crossover with the 1980s team — showing just how good the general manager Norm Kimball led teams were at acquiring talent.

It certainly didn’t hurt that the man spearheading and integrating the new group of talent was legendary coach Hugh Campbell.

“It was really uncommon at the time,” Campbell said of the unprecedented run of success that saw him coach in six-consecutive Grey Cups from 1977 to 1982. There had been one time the Esks had three wins in a row, way before us, but it’s hard. It’s harder to win the second and third one than it is the fourth or fifth, because the playing career expectancy is so short in football.”

“In the first two years a guy might not be as good as his third, fourth, and maybe fifth. Then it starts going the other way a little bit, so you have to be willing to make changes. It was hurtful. I hated final cut down day, but we always cut three to four guys and kept growing our roster, trying to get a little bit better than we were before.”

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As much as the changes were difficult, the winning made it all worth it. The championship spirit that helped the Esks thrive on the field, created tight bonds with the group that have lasted decades. When the Elks held the largest gathering of EE Alumni in club history at the beginning of the season, it was remarkable to watch a group of men who have not seen each other for years and decades be able to rekindle a friendship at the snap of a finger.

“We were close off the field,” Warren Moon said about the five-in-a-row teams. “We did a lot of different functions together — barbecues and picnics and all types of things, and everybody would show up. We were a really close unit off the field as well as on the field.”

“I’m just going to say we had some really, really good times together and you saw a lot of grown men acting like little kids a lot of times,” Moon added. “We’ll just leave it at that.”

The 1980s All-Decade team features 11 members of the EE Wall of Honour. Here is the full list:

COACH

Head Coach – Hugh Campbell

Campbell is a 10-time Grey Cup Champion as a player, coach, and executive. He is one of the most pivotal figures in franchise history, finishing his six-year CFL coaching career with a 70-21-5 record and six Grey Cup appearances.

OFFENCE

Quarterback – Warren Moon

The legendary quarterback is one of the most decorated players in pro football history, having been enshrined in both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He finished his career as pro football’s all-time leading passer with 70.553 passing yards and 435 passing touchdowns between both the NFL and CFL.

Running Back – Jim Germany

Like many on this list, Germany was a five-time Grey Cup Champion. He holds the EE record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 18 and was inducted onto the team’s Wall of Honour in 2022.

Running Back/Full Back – Neil Lumsden

The Canadian back finished his CFL career with 5,484 total yards and 51 total touchdowns. Lumsden won three Grey Cups in the 80s with the EE, and now serves as a Member of Parliament in Ontario.

Wide Receiver – Stephen Jones

Jones was a member of Edmonton’s 1987 Grey Cup squad in a season where he recorded 55 catches for an incredible 1,147 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished his CFL career with over 8,000 receiving yards and 49 offensive touchdowns.

Wide Receiver – Brian Kelly

Arguably the greatest wideout to ever wear the Green and Gold, Kelly holds many EE records to this day including: Most receiving yards in a season (1,812), Most career receiving touchdowns (97), Most receiving touchdowns in a season (18), and most receiving yards in a career (11,169)

Slot Back – Tom Scott

A five-time CFL All-Star and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Scott was a reliable target for EE QBs in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He finished his career with six 1,000 yard seasons and 88 receiving touchdowns.

Slot Back – Marco Cyncar

A local product, Cyncar played for Edmonton for nearly the entirety of the 1980s (1981 to 1991). In all, he amassed 4,345 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a member of the Double E.

Offensive Tackle – Bill Stevenson

An Alberta native, Stevenson was a fixture on the EE’s offensive line for well over a decade. He was a seven-time Grey Cup champion and is forever enshrined on the EE Wall of Honour.

Offensive Tackle – Hector Pothier

A CFL All-Star and six-time Grey Cup Champion, Pothier spent the entirety of the 1980s with the Green and Gold. He still resides in Edmonton and has made himself a fixture of the community with the Alumni association and as a school principal.

Offensive Guard – Leo Blanchard

The product of Edmonton, Blanchard was a five-time CFL West All-Star and spent nine of his 13 seasons in the Green and Gold.

Offensive Guard – Eric Upton

Upton spent the entirety of his 10-year career with Edmonton, winning five Grey Cups and being named a CFL West All-Star once.

Centre – Rod Connop

One of the best linemen to ever suit up for the Green and Gold, Connop was a six-time CFL All-Star, the 1989 CFL’s Most Outstanding Lineman, and a three-time Grey Cup Champion. He was added to the team’s Wall of Honour in 2005 and has still holds the club record for games played (274).

DEFENCE

Defensive End – Stewart Hill

Hill played seven seasons in Edmonton and stil holds the club record for career sacks with 102. He was named the West Division Rookie of the Year in 1984, was the Grey Cup defensive MVP in 1987, and the West Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive player in 1990.

Defensive End – James ‘Quick’ Parker

Parker was a dominant force on the defensive line for the entirety of the 1980s. He still holds the EE’s single-season sack record with 18.5 and was a three-time CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.

Defensive Tackle – Brett Williams

Brett ‘The Toaster’ Williams was the CFL equivalent of William ‘ The Refrigerator’ Perry – a nickname given to him for his usage on offence in short yardage situations. A dominant defensive force, he was named a three-time CFL All-Star.

Defensive Tackle – Tom Tuinei

A two-time Grey Cup champion, Tuinei played six seasons in Edmonton, recording 48 sacks.

Linebacker – Craig Shaffer

In three seasons in Edmonton, Shaffer recorded 10 sacks, three interceptions, and was a 1987 Grey Cup Champion.

Linebacker – Danny Bass

One of the best players in CFL history, Bass was a six-time CFL All-Star and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 1989. He was inducted onto the EE Wall of Honour in 1992.

Linebacker – Larry Wruck

The Canadian product played 12 seasons in Edmonton and was the team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Canadian five times. He was added to the EE Wall of Honour in 2011.

Cornerback – Darryl Hall

Hall played two seasons in Edmonton from 1984-1985, intercepting an incredible 11 passes in 1984.

Cornerback – Stanley Blair

Blair only played three seasons in Edmonton, (1987-1989) but he was named the West Division’s Most Outstanding Rookie in his first season, and was a CFL All-Star in his other two years in Green and Gold.

Defensive Halfback – Ron Howard

In three seasons (1986-1988) in Edmonton, Howards intercepted 11 passes for the Green and Gold.

Defensive Halfback – Don Wilson

A Canadian Football League Hall of Famer, Wilson Wilson was a four-time Grey Cup Champion over his 12-year CFL Career. He was also named a CFL All-Star four separate times.

Safety – Lou Deslauriers

The Canadian was a 1984 CFL All-Star, intercepting 27 passes in his four-year Canadian Football League career.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker – Dave Cutler

Cutler played on six Edmonton Grey Cup winning teams (1975, 1978-‘82) and was a Western All-Star in 1977, 1978 and 1980 and an All-Canadian in 1977 and 1978. He was the West Division’s Top Scorer eight times. Cutler joined the Wall of Honour in 1986 and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

Punter – Hank Ilesic

A CFL Hall of Famer, Ilesic is a seven-time Grey Cup Champion and played 19 season in the Canadian Football League. He was a member of the EE’s five-in-a row team and is third all-time in CFL history in punting yardage.

Kick Returner – Henry ‘Gizmo’ Williams

The greatest returner in the history of professional football, Giz joined the Green and Gold in 1986 and established a legacy that is still revered to this day. He holds nearly every major returning record in the CFL and his 26 punt return touchdowns is 11 more than anyone in history.

Long Snapper – Blake Dermott

A two-time Grey Cup champion, Dermott was a local product who spent his entire 14-year career in the Green and Gold.