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February 8, 2017

Number 67

 

NUMBER SIXTY-SEVEN
NAME POSITION YEAR
Mike Abou-Mechrek G, T 1999-01, 2005-06
George Bethune DE 1993
Lester Brinkley DE 1992
Percey Cutler C 1950
Asotui Eli (also #65) OL 2019-21
Chuck Harrison T 1968-74
Jeff Hart T 1977-78
Benny Hatskin (also #9) C, G 1937-41
Cory (Poop) Johnson DT 2017-18
Chris Kolankowski OL 2021-
Chris Kowalczuk OL 2011-13
John Malinosky T 1979
Ross McCallum T 1952-53
Matt O’Meara OL 2007-08
Frank Rigney T, DT 1958-67
Jason Riley G, DT 1983
Gary Shugrue DE 1976
Jim Smyrl OL 1994-96
John Taylor T 1977
Mike Topolevec DE 1980
Eric Wilson (also #69, #94) G, DT 2002-03, 2006

 

Canadian Football Hall of Famers:

  • Frank Rigney (1984)

 

Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Famers:

  • Frank Rigney (1985)

 

CFL All-Stars:

  • Frank Rigney (1962, 1965, 1966)
  • DeMarco-Beckett Trophy (Most Outstanding Lineman, West Division) – Frank Rigney, 1960, 1961

 

Division All-Stars:

  • Frank Rigney (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966)

 

CFL Award Winners:

  • Most Outstanding Lineman – Frank Rigney, 1961

 

Bomber Team Awards:

  • Most Outstanding Lineman – Frank Rigney, 1961

 

He Wore It Well:

Frank Rigney, OL, 1958-67

Rigney followed a University of Iowa teammate, Ken Ploen, to Winnipeg, arriving in 1958 and the start of the franchise’s run of four Grey Cup titles in five years.

A draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles, Rigney chose the Bombers instead and was a seven-time West Division All-Star, a CFL All-Star three times (the CFL didn’t begin selecting league-wide stars until 1962) and the league’s Most Outstanding Lineman in 1961.

After his retirement, Rigney became a highly respected and popular analyst on CFL telecasts on both CBC and CTV and covered the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympics.

FYI:

Hockey fans will recognize Ben Hatskin’s name as the founder of the Winnipeg Jets and the man who helped bring the World Hockey Association and Bobby Hull to this town.

But Hatskin’s sports background also includes football. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Benny Hatskin was such a gifted high school football player he landed an athletic scholarship at the University of Oklahoma. He joined the Bombers in 1936 and was part of two championship teams, in 1939 and 1941.

He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder in 1985 and is also a member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.

Notable:

Chuck Harrison – ‘Charlie Hustle’ – came to the Bombers via a trade with Ottawa in 1968 and spent seven seasons in Winnipeg. He was a devout man who helped with Athletes in Action and coached at various amateur levels, including for a time at the University of Manitoba. His son Craig, a fullback, would later play for the Bombers in 1991-92.