It's time for the second installment of the Canadian Football League Top Five Series. This week is the Kickers and Punters of this great game.
5. Justin Medlock
Justin Medlock is automatic, and he has proved that recently. When Winnipeg would stall a drive the last few years, it has almost a guarantee that they would still walk away with points. Medlock holds the CFL record for field goals in a season at 60 (2016) and is fourth all-time on career field goal accuracy (86.47%). Medlock is only held back by his yet to come longevity in the league.
4. Troy Westwood
Troy Westwood makes this on merit, and folklore. Westwood sits fifth on the all-time Made Field Goals list at 617. Westwood is also second all-time for most consecutive games (279) and ninth all-time in total games (293). We also have the Dauphin, Manitoba native to thank for the annual Banjo Bowl.
3. Bob Cameron
Bob Cameron has the most punting yards of any player in Canadian Football History at 134,301 yards. He has the most punt yards in one season at 8214 in 1988. The Ancaster, Ontario is a three-time Grey Cup champion with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1984, 1988, and 1990. Cameron has the second-most games in a career at 394 and has the longest consecutive game streak, at 353, in Canadian Football League history.
2. Paul McCallum
Paul “No Chin” McCallum was another kicker with a long stay in the league. McCallum sits 4th all-time on the most games list at 340, second for most regular seasons play at 24, second-most field goals in a career at 721, was able to reliably punt and kick and holds the Canadian Football record for longest field goal at 62 yards (which is only 2 yards behind the pro football record). McCallum moved around having played for: the BC Lions (four stints), the Ottawa Rough Riders, the Saskatchewan Roughriders (three stints), Scottish Claymores (of the World League of American Football), and the Las Vegas Outlaws (of the original XFL). McCallum has two Grey Cup rings and was named the game’s most valuable Canadian in 2006. Plus, having no chin earned him his nickname in my family. Seriously, go find a photo of him, he has no chin.
1. Lui Passaglia
Lui Passaglia could rival for the top spot as the greatest Canadian Football Leaguer of all time. Passaglia holds the current record for most games in a career at a whopping 408 games, has the Canadian Football League record for most season played at 25, is second on the most punt yards list at 133,826, most punts in a career at 3142, and most made field goals in a career at 875. Passagila has three Grey Cup rings as a player, winning with the Lions in 1985, 1994, and 2000, and winning as a member of the Lions front office in 2006, but the reason that Passaglia is number one on this list for me is that he hit what was the most important field goal in Canadian History. The 1994 Grey Cup was a national battle, as this was the first time that a non-Canadian team was fighting for Earl Grey’s trophy. With the game tied and the clock running out, Passaglia hit a game-winning field goal as time expired to keep the Grey Cup on Canadian Soil, at least for that year. Passaglia was Canada’s hero in that moment, and because of that is number one on this list.
Check back in soon to see who makes the Kick Returner list of the Drew's Football Take's CFL Top Fives.
La Cheeserie, Littles
Fight On, Sleepers
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