1971 CFL season

The 1971 CFL season is considered to be the 18th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it was officially the 14th Canadian Football League season.

CFL News for 1971
The Grey Cup Championship was played on artificial turf for the first time in Vancouver. The BC Lions also wore special "CCC"-logo helmets to commemorate the Canadian Confederation Centennial of British Columbia, the province having entered into Canadian Confederation a hundred years earlier, in 1871. The flower in the centre of the "CCC" logo is the pacific dogwood, the official provincial flower of British Columbia.

All CFL teams had their player's last names appearing on the jersey backs (at shoulder height, above the back number) beginning this season.

This would be the last year until 2006 that the Edmonton Eskimos would miss the playoffs; in the intervening years, they would reach the playoffs for 33 straight years.

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


 * Bold text indicates that the team clinched a playoff berth.
 * Calgary and Toronto had first round byes.

Offence

 * QB – Don Jonas, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * RB – Jim Evenson, BC Lions
 * RB – Leon McQuay, Toronto Argonauts
 * TE – Mel Profit, Toronto Argonauts
 * SE – Jim Thorpe, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * WR – Bob LaRose, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * C – Bob Swift, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * OG – Granville Liggins, Calgary Stampeders
 * OT – Bill Frank, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * OT – Ed George, Montreal Alouettes

Defence

 * DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders
 * DT – Jim Stillwagon, Toronto Argonauts
 * DE – Jim Corrigall, Toronto Argonauts
 * DE – Craig Koinzan, Calgary Stampeders
 * LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
 * LB – Mark Kosmos, Montreal Alouettes
 * LB – Jerry Campbell, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * DB – Dick Dupuis, Edmonton Eskimos
 * DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders
 * DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts
 * DB – Dick Thornton, Toronto Argonauts

Offence

 * QB – Joe Theismann, Toronto Argonauts
 * RB – Dennis Duncan, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * RB – Bruce Van Ness, Montreal Alouettes
 * RB – Leon McQuay, Toronto Argonauts
 * TE – Mel Profit, Toronto Argonauts
 * SE – Terry Evanshen, Montreal Alouettes
 * WR – Mike Eben, Toronto Argonauts
 * C – Paul Desjardins, Toronto Argonauts
 * OG – Charlie Bray, Toronto Argonauts
 * OG – Justin Canale, Montreal Alouettes
 * OT – Ellison Kelly, Toronto Argonauts
 * OT – Ed George, Montreal Alouettes

Defence

 * DT – Rudy Sims, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * DT – Jim Stillwagon, Toronto Argonauts
 * DE – Jim Corrigall, Toronto Argonauts
 * DE – Tom Laputka, Ottawa Rough Riders
 * LB – Mike Blum, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * LB – Mark Kosmos, Montreal Alouettes
 * LB – Steve Smear, Montreal Alouettes
 * DB – Johnny Williams, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DB – Gene Gaines, Montreal Alouettes
 * DB – Garney Henley, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
 * DB – Marv Luster, Toronto Argonauts
 * DB – Dick Thornton, Toronto Argonauts

Offence

 * QB – Don Jonas, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * RB – George Reed, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * RB – Jim Evenson, BC Lions
 * RB – Mack Herron, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * TE – Herm Harrison, Calgary Stampeders
 * SE – Jim Thorpe, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * WR – Bob LaRose, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * C – Bob Swift, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * C – Basil Bark, Calgary Stampeders
 * OG – Jack Abendschan, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * OG – Granville Liggins, Calgary Stampeders
 * OT – Bill Frank, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * OT – Ken Sugarman, BC Lions

Defence

 * DT – John Helton, Calgary Stampeders
 * DT – John LaGrone, Edmonton Eskimos
 * DE – Bill Baker, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * DE – Dick Suderman, Calgary Stampeders
 * DE – Craig Koinzan, Calgary Stampeders
 * LB – Wayne Harris, Calgary Stampeders
 * LB – Dave Gasser, Edmonton Eskimos
 * LB – Rob McLaren, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * LB – Wayne Shaw, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * DB – Dick Dupuis, Edmonton Eskimos
 * DB – Frank Andruski, Calgary Stampeders
 * DB – Bruce Bennett, Saskatchewan Roughriders
 * DB – Larry Robinson, Calgary Stampeders
 * DB – Howard Starks, Calgary Stampeders

1971 CFL Awards

 * CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Don Jonas (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Terry Evanshen (WR), Montreal Alouettes
 * CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award – Wayne Harris (LB), Calgary Stampeders
 * CFL's Coach of the Year – Leo Cahill, Toronto Argonauts
 * Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy (Eastern MVP) – Mel Profit (TE), Toronto Argonauts
 * Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy (Western MVP) - Don Jonas (QB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * Gruen Trophy (Eastern Rookie of the Year) - Jim Foley (SB), Montreal Alouettes
 * Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (Western Rookie of the Year) - Bob Kraemer (DB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
 * DeMarco–Becket Memorial Trophy (Western Outstanding Lineman) - Wayne Harris (LB), Calgary Stampeders