Canadian Football Hall of Famers:

• Fritz Hanson (1963)
• Ernie Pitts (2019)

Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Famers:

• Fritz Hanson (1984)
• Ernie Pitts (1986)
• Dick Thornton (1988)
• Rod Hill (1996)

CFL All-Stars

• Dick Thornton (1963, 1965)
• Rod Hill (1989, 1990)
• Henoc Muamba (2013)

Division All-Stars

• Fritz Hanson (1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941)
• Ernie Pitts (1957, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1966, 1968)
• Jim Van Pelt (1959)
• Dick Thornton (1962, 1963, 1965)
• Rick Shaw (1970)
• Rod Hill (1989, 1990, 1992)
• Henoc Muamba (2013)
• Nic Demski (2021, 2022, 2023)

CFL Award Winners

• Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy (West Division leading scorer) – Bernie Ruoff, 1976, 1979
• Dr. Beattie-Martin Trophy (Outstanding Canadian Rookie, West Division – until 1972) – Bob Kraemer, 1971
• Most Valuable Canadian Player, Grey Cup — Nic Demski, 2021

Bomber Team Awards

• Most Outstanding Player – -Jim Van Pelt, 1959; Henoc Muamba, 2013
• Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Henoc Muamba, 2013
• Most Outstanding Canadian Player – Bernie Ruoff, 1979; Henoc Muamba, 2012, 2013; Nic Demski (2021, 2022)
• Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award –  Rod Hill, 1990; Henoc Muamba, 2013

He Wore It Well: Rod Hill, 1988-92

A good collection at Number 10, although most of the images we have of Fritz Hanson have him wearing 40 and Ernie Pitts at 77, so the nod here goes to Rod Hill.

Hill was a first-round draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 1982 and didn’t come north to the Bombers until he was 29. He was the prototypical shut-down corner in Bomber colours, helping the Bombers win two championships in his five years and setting a CFL record that still stands with five interceptions in a game against Hamilton in 1990. Hill remains the Bombers all-time interception leader with 47

Notable:

‘Tricky’ Dick Thornton began his CFL career with the Bombers in 1961 and over the course of a decade-plus in the CFL – the last seven years with the Toronto Argonauts, before he finished with the Memphis Southmen of the World Football League – he became one of the most colourful men in pro football. He wore his hair long and sported an earring and Fu Manchu moustache when most of his teammates were buttoned-down. And during his days in Winnipeg – where he became known as an outstanding defensive back – he decided he wanted to play quarterback and hired a kid to run through the bleachers with a sign that read ‘Thornton for Quarterback”. Bud Grant didn’t budge, FYI: Thornton threw 104 passes in six years as a Bomber, but only in relief of the likes of Ken Ploen and Hal Ledyard.