1961 CFL season

The 1961 CFL season is considered to be the eighth season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the fourth Canadian Football League season.

The season was notable for being the first in which all CFL teams played each other during the regular season. In the previous three seasons the Eastern and Western sections, despite being formally unified in a single "League," they had maintained separate regular season schedules and playoff schedules.

CFL News in 1961
The Western Canada Intercollegiate Rugby Union merged with the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union.

The WIFU changed its name to become the Western Football Conference.

The CFL season schedule was partially interlocked to allow teams of the Eastern Football Conference to play regular season games against the teams of the Western Football Conference. Beginning this season, teams played opponents in their own conference three times and opponents in the other conference once, meaning the length of the regular season remained unchanged in both conferences (i.e. sixteen games for Western teams and fourteen games for Eastern teams). The format remained as such until 1974 when the Eastern Conference extended its schedule to sixteen games.

A third consecutive year of interleague exhibition matches were scheduled with teams in the National Football League. As in 1959 and 1960, both CFL teams lost, with the Toronto Argonauts falling to the St. Louis Cardinals, 36–7, on August 2, and the Montreal Alouettes losing to the Chicago Bears, 34–16, on August 5). The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a better idea for success: challenge the nascent American Football League to a duel. The Tiger-Cats faced off against their cross-border "rivals", the Buffalo Bills, on August 8. The Tiger-Cats defeated the Bills, 38–21, giving the Canadian league its first win over an American team since 1941. The AFL, embarrassed over the loss, declined to play another international game, and with the CFL consistently losing to NFL teams, the CFL ended international competition.

The 49th edition of the Grey Cup went to overtime for the first time at Toronto's CNE Stadium. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers won championship over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 21–14.

The CFL made rule changes for the 1962 season, permitting four defensive backs per team to have unlimited blocking during rushing plays, as long as they are lined up outside the ends. Additionally the tackle-eligible play became illegal.

Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points


 * Bold text means that they have clinched the playoffs.
 * Winnipeg and Hamilton have first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs
Note: All dates in 1961

Grey Cup Championship
The 1961 Grey Cup was the first CFL championship game to be decided in overtime. The 2005, 2016, and 2021 Grey Cups were also decided in overtime. It also marked the fourth time in five years that the championship was decided between the Blue Bombers and Tiger-Cats.

CFL Leaders

 * CFL Passing Leaders
 * CFL Rushing Leaders
 * CFL Receiving Leaders

Offence

 * QB – Bernie Faloney, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * RB – Dick Shatto, Toronto Argonauts
 * RB – Don Clark, Montreal Alouettes
 * RB – Ron Stewart, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * E – Marv Luster, Montreal Alouettes
 * E – Paul Dekker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * F – Dave Mann, Toronto Argonauts
 * C – Norm Stoneburgh, Toronto Argonauts
 * OG – Ellison Kelly, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * OG – Kaye Vaughan, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * OT – Milt Crain, Montreal Alouettes
 * OT – Tom Jones, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence

 * DT – Bobby Jack Oliver, Montreal Alouettes
 * DT – John Barrow, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DE – Billy Ray Locklin, Montreal Alouettes
 * DE – Pete Neumann, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DG – Marty Martinello, Toronto Argonauts
 * LB – Hardiman Cureton, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * LB – Jim Andreotti, Toronto Argonauts
 * LB – Ron Brewer, Montreal Alouettes
 * LB – Gerald Nesbitt, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * DB – Don Sutherin, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DB – George Brancato, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * S – Jim Rountree, Toronto Argonauts

Offence

 * QB – Jackie Parker, Edmonton Eskimos
 * RB – Willie Fleming, British Columbia Lions
 * RB – Earl Lunsford, Calgary Stampeders
 * RB – Leo Lewis, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * RB – Johnny Bright, Edmonton Eskimos
 * E – Jack Gotta, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * E – Farrell Funston, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * C – Neil Habig, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * OG – Cornel Piper, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * OG – Mike Kmech, Edmonton Eskimos
 * OT – Frank Rigney, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * OT – Don Luzzi, Calgary Stampeders

Defence

 * DT – Mike Wright, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * DT – Bill Clarke, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * DE – Tony Pajaczkowski, Calgary Stampeders
 * DE – Herb Gray, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * MG – Ron Atchison, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * LB – Gord Rowland, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * LB – Bob Ptacek, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
 * LB – Dave Burkholder, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * DB – Oscar Kruger, Edmonton Eskimos
 * DB – Norm Rauhaus, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * S – Harvey Wylie, Calgary Stampeders

1961 CFL Awards

 * CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Bernie Faloney (QB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Tony Pajaczkowski (DE), Calgary Stampeders
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Frank Rigney (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * CFL's Coach of the Year – Jim Trimble, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Bobby Jack Oliver (DT), Montreal Alouettes
 * Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) – Jackie Parker (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
 * Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) – Gino Berretta (OE/P), Montreal Alouettes
 * Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) – Larry Robinson (DB), Calgary Stampeders
 * DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) – Frank Rigney (OT), Winnipeg Blue Bombers