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February 2, 2017

Number 61

NUMBER SIXTY-ONE
NAME POSITION YEAR
Kesi Afalava DL 1984
Kai Bjorn OL 1997
Eddie Blake OL 1996, 2000
Fred Childress OL 1995
Fred Cole T 1959
Percy Daigle (also #29) HB, QB 1934-40
Drew Desjarlais OL 2019-21
Bill Ellenbogen G 1979
Luke Fritz G, T 2009-10
Matthias Goossen C, G 2014-18
Randy Halsall G 1974-78
Roger Hamelin DT, T 1961-69
Floyd Harrawood T 1955
Ed Henke DE, T 1950
Ivan Kaminski T 1957
Kyle Koch OL 2007-08
Bob Lueck G 1971-72
Ray Lychak (also #65) G, T 1972-73
Tracy Mack LB 1986
Charles Marshall DT 1978
Ed Norvack (also #65) G, T 1947-52, 1954
Allan Passman (also #37, #38) G, T 1945-49, 1951-52
Rob Robinson (also #90) DT 1997-98
John Simerson G 1959
Bobby Thompson T 1979-83
Brad Tierney T 1988

 

CFL All-Stars:

  • Bob Lueck (1972)
  • Bobby Thompson (1982)
  • Matthias Goossen (2018)

 

Division All-Stars:

  • Floyd Harrawood (1955)
  • Bob Lueck (1971, 1972)
  • Bobby Thompson (1982)
  • Matthias Goossen (2018)
  • Drew Desjarlais (2021)

 

Bomber Team Awards:

  • Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award — Matthias Goossen, 2016, 2018

 

He Wore It Well:

Bobby Thompson, T, 1979-83

He was affectionately known as ‘Big Cat’ by his teammates and, at 6-foot-8 and over 300 pounds, it was a nickname that needed no further explanation.

Thompson was part of a line that featured mainstays like John Bonk, Butch Norman and Larry Butler that helped Dieter Brock win back-to-back CFL Most Outstanding Player Awards in 1980 and 1981. Thompson moved back to Winnipeg after his playing days and, sadly, passed away at the age of 46 after suffering a stroke.

FYI:

Kai Bjorn played in just seven games for the Bombers in 1997, his last of three CFL seasons that began in Ottawa, went through Montreal and ended in Winnipeg. But we point him out here because the big offensive lineman also participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics – in sailing. His family runs a sailboat business in Montreal.

Notable:

Bob Lueck was a two-time division all-star for the Bombers and a CFL All-Star in 1972 after his days with the Cleveland Browns, but really made a name for himself in the wrestling ring. He began in Calgary with Stampede Wrestling and had a apparently had a ring ‘feud’ with a couple of other CFLers who had turned to wrestling: Angelo Mosca and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham’ Coleman.