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January 16, 2017

Number 44

NUMBER FORTY-FOUR
NAME POSITION YEAR
Zach Anderson DT 2013-15
Adam Boomer LB 2001
Tom Canada DE 2004-08
Paul Desjardins (also #47) C 1965-70
Jim Foubister (also #18, 35, 44) HB, FW, P 1942, 1945-46, 1948-49
Shayne Gauthier LB 2016-
Mike Hameluck C, G 1986
Leon Hatziioannou DL 1988-93
DeWayne Knight (also #8) LB 1997
Jordan Matechuk LS 2012
Lou Mogul (also #14, 35) T 1932-42
Ed Pollock (also #8) 1945
Ken Preston QB, HB, FW 1941-42
Roger Savoie (also #62) T, DT 1951-65
Moe Simovich (also #45, 48) T 1939-42, 1945, 1949
Andy Sokol (also #90, 94) HB 1950-54
Bob Swift C 1971-77
Garland Warren LB 1958-64
Bob White (also #54) G, DT 1963-64
K.D. Williams LB 1995-96, 2002

Canadian Football Hall of Famers:

  • Ken Preston (1990, as a builder)

 

Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Famers:

  • Lou Mogul (1984)
  • Roger Savoie (1987)
  • Bob Swift (1991)

 

CFL All-Stars:

  • Bob Swift (1971, 1972, 1974)
  • K.D. Williams (1996)

 

Division All-Stars:

  • Lou Mogul (1937, 1941)
  • Garland Warren (1959)
  • Roger Savoie (1962)
  • Bob Swift (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974)
  • K.D. Williams (1996)
  • Tom Canada (2004)

 

Bomber Team Awards:

  • Most Outstanding Player – K.D. Williams, 1996
  • Most Outstanding Canadian Player – Roger Savoie, 1956, 1962; Bob Swift, 1972, 1975
  • Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman – Bob Swift, 1974, 1977
  • Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Tom Canada, 2007
  • Most Outstanding Rookie – K.D. Williams, 1995; Tom Canada, 2004

 

Other Awards:

  • Paul Desjardins – Outstanding French-Canadian Athlete in Canada, 1965

 

He Wore It Well:

Bob Swift, C, 1971-77

There have been countless tales in CFL history of a player converting from offence from defence, particularly along the line of scrimmage.

And then there is the story of Bob Swift, who began his career as a fullback with the B.C. Lions and rushed for 1,054 yards as a rookie – third best in the West Division – and then worked out of the offensive backfield for two more years. The Toronto Argonauts converted him to centre in 1967 and in 1971 he was traded to Winnipeg for another #44, Paul Desjardins, and continued his transformation into one of the league’s best linemen.

Swift played seven years as a Bomber and was a three-time CFL All-Star and four-time West Division All-Star during his days in blue and gold.

FYI: 

We will make note of Bomber Hall of Famer Roger Savoie at #62, the number for which he is most remembered… Lou Mogul was singled out at #14… Ken Preston is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame as a builder for his work as the Roughriders GM and his work in amateur football in that province. He did play for the Bombers, although his days here weren’t without some controversy. Preston came west to Regina from Ottawa and played for the Roughriders. His work commitments saw him transferred to Winnipeg in 1941 and a conditional agreement – later hotly contested between the two clubs – allowed him to play in Manitoba, but not in games against the Riders.

Notable:

Tom Canada wasn’t a Bomber for long, but made an impact as a popular fan favourite who played the game with charisma. He was traded to Hamilton in 2008 for Zeke Moreno, but when it was discovered he had an enlarged spleen the deal was revoked – although the Bombers still landed Moreno for a first-round pick and the rights to Corey Mace. Canada was later released that winter… Strange, but true: Leon Hatziioannou played 19 games in an 18-game schedule in 1988 after being traded five times between the Bombers and Ottawa.