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January 5, 2017

Number 33

 

NUMBER THIRTY-THREE
NAME POSITION YEAR
Michael Allen DB 1988-91
Steve Buchko (also #45) T 1945-46
Myron Caine HB 1943
Pat Cantner FB 1983-87
Sergio Castillo (also #14) K 2015, 2021
Malik Clements (also #0) LB 2022-
Richard Crump RB 1975-78
Tom Deacon WR 1970
George Depres QB 1949
Bobby Evans (also #12) DB 1990-94, 1996
Nick Ferguson DB 1997-99
Nick Fitzgibbon RB 2011
Ian Gibb (also #23, #39, #97) FW, RB, DB 1949-52
Andrew Harris RB 2016-21
Jack Manners (also #16, 46) G, T 1938-42, 1945-46
Clay McEvoy RB 1972-74
Norm McLeod 1931-32
William Miller RB 1980-82
Brad Newman LB 2007
Cory Olynick FB 2004-05
Laverle Pratt LB 1970
Ed Preston CB, WR 1979
Andre Sadeghian FB 2010
Bobby Schiller 1934
Mike Sellers RB 2002-03
Wayne Sheley (also #3, #11) QB, HB, P 1938-42
Joe Smith RB 2008
George Toman (also #10) E, QB 1945-46, 1948
Dan West S 2012-14

CFL All-Stars:                 

  • William Miller (1980, 1982)
  • Andrew Harris (2016, 2017, 2018)

 

Division All-Stars:

  • Wayne Sheley (1939)
  • William Miller (1980, 1982)
  • Bobby Evans (1993, 1994)
  • Andrew Harris (2016, 2017 2018, 2019)

 

CFL Award Winners:

  • Most Outstanding Rookie Player – William Miller, 1980
  • Most Outstanding Canadian Player — Andrew Harris, 2017
  • Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Most Outstanding Canadian Player, West Division) — Andrew Harris, 2017, 2018
  • Jackie Parker Trophy (Most Outstanding Rookie, West Division) – William Miller, 1980
  • Eddie James Memorial Trophy (West Division leading rusher) – William Miller, 1982; Andrew Harris, 2017, 2018
  • 107th Grey Cup MVP and Most Outstanding Canadian — Andrew Harris, 2019

 

Bomber Team Awards:

  • Most Outstanding Canadian Player – Andrew Harris, 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Most Outstanding Rookie Player – William Miller, 1980
  • Most Outstanding Special Teams Player (established in 2000) – Mike Sellers, 2002
  • Cal Murphy Heart of a Legend Award – Andrew Harris, 2016

He Wore It Well:

Andrew Harris, RB, 2016-21

Andrew Harris established himself as a Blue Bomber great almost instantly after arriving here in free agency. Already an established CFLer when he was signed by the Bombers  in 2016, Harris gave the club everything during his years here before signing with Toronto in free agency in 2022.
A hometown hero, Harris was outstanding in 2016 in becoming the first Canadian to lead the team in rushing since Gerry James in 1957, but topped that in 2017 in leading the CFL in rushing and in receptions; his 105 catches establishing a new league mark for receptions by a running back that had stood since 1985. He was honoured as the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian and named to the CFL All-Star Team.
He followed that with another stellar season in 2018, leading the CFL in rushing with a career best 1,390 yards rushing, another berth on the CFL All-Star Team and a runner-up to the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award. His 2019 campaign was again newsworthy, as he captured his third-straight CFL rushing title and was named a West Division All-Star, but was left off the CFL All-Star team and denied from league honours after serving a two-game suspension for use of an illegal substance. He capped off a spectacular campaign on the field by being named the Grey Cup MVP and Most Outstanding Canadian in the Bombers win over Hamilton.
In 2021 and what would be his final season in Winnipeg, Harris again led the club in rushing, with 623 yards in just seven games. Heading into 2022 Harris has rushed for 9,661 yards in his career, placing him sixth on the CFL’s all-time rushing yardage list behind only Mike Pringle (16,425), George Reed (16,116), Damon Allen (11,920), Johnny Bright (10,909) and Charles Roberts (10,285).
He is the CFL’s all-time leading Canadian rusher and in yards from scrimmage, and his 5,402 yards rushing for the Blue Bombers ranks sixth in franchise history behind Roberts (10,285), Leo Lewis (8,861), Willard Reaves (5,923), Jim Washington (5,736) and Gerry James (5,541).

FYI: 

William Miller came to Canada first with the Calgary Stampeders in 1980 after dominating at tin Ouachita Baptist University, where he is a member of the school’s hall of fame and after a tryout with the Atlanta Falcons. But the ’80 Stamps were led by James Sykes and Willie Burden, also running backs, and Miller was released. He surfaced with the Bombers in training camp and it proved to be a shrewd addition. Miller was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 1980 and rushed for over 1,000 yards in both 1980 and 1982 and then bolted south to the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Maulers and Orlando Renegades of the USFL before playing five games with the Toronto Argonauts in 1986.

Notable:

Richard Crump still holds the Bombers record for the longest rush, rumbling for 103 yards in a Labour Day Classic contest in Regina in 1978… Mike Sellers will be remembered in this parts as part of the ‘Thunder’ and ‘Lightning’ combination the Bombers had in their backfield with the diminutive Charles Roberts. A 265-pound beast, Sellers proved adept at opening holes for Roberts, but could also push the pile himself as a ball carrier when asked… Wayne Sheley was part of two Grey Cup teams in Winnipeg, in 1939 and 1941, and is a member of the Augustana College Hall of Fame.