CFL fans could be over the Moon with first tandem
Published on June 22, 2006 under Canadian Football League (CFL) News Release
June 22, 2006 (Toronto, Ontario) - The Canadian Football League is pleased to announce the first tandem as a part of The Greatest Quarterback/Receiver Connections in CFL History Presented by Making the Connection. Representing the Edmonton Eskimos, Warren Moon and Brian Kelly will be revealed during tomorrow night's CFL broadcast on TSN as the first nominated duo.
The Greatest Quarterback/Receiver Connections in CFL History program allows fans from across Canada to debate and vote online with other armchair coaches at www.cfl.ca/makingtheconnection as to who will reign as the CFL's greatest duo, while learning more about the health risks associated with high cholesterol, and the importance of taking action to manage it.
From June 23rd until August 18th, nine nominated tandems will be revealed by vignettes aired during CFL on TSN's Friday Night Football. Once all nine tandems are unveiled, fans can vote or debate with other armchair coaches as to who is the greatest duo. The winning tandem will be announced during halftime at the 94th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 19, 2006.
"It's an honour to be a member of the first connection nominated, as well as help raise awareness of high cholesterol," said Warren Moon, 2006 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Canadian Football Hall of Fame member since 2001. "The CFL gave me my start in professional football and I'm happy to have the opportunity to stay involved with the League and Canadian fans."
Warren Moon
A graduate of the University of Washington, Moon began his professional football career with the Edmonton Eskimos, after going unselected in the NFL entry draft. In his six years with the CFL, Moon won the coveted Grey Cup five times, and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 1983. His individual accomplishments paralleled the success of the Eskimos during that era as Moon added his name to the records book while raising the bar for CFL pivots. In 1982, Moon became the first quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards in League history, a feat he repeated the following season. Moon went on to become one of the most prolific passers in the history of the NFL, compiling 70,533 career yards in the two leagues, a pro football record.
Brian Kelly
Brian Kelly, a Washington State University alumnus, spent nine seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos. Kelly was named as both the Western Conference and overall CFL Rookie of the Year in 1979 and won six Grey Cups during his tenure with the Green & Gold, starting and finishing his career with a Grey Cup victory. The four-time CFL All-Star tallied 41 100+ yard receiving games during his illustrious career.
"Warren and I made many important connections on the football field, said Kelly. "More importantly, we clicked off the field too. We trained together and understood the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I'm so pleased to be part of a program that allows CFL fans to interact with the League, while learning about managing their cholesterol."
Moon and Kelly: A dynamic duo (statistics included below)
Moon and Kelly teamed-up in Edmonton for five seasons, from 1979 to 1983, proving to be a deadly-duo for the dominant Eskimos teams of that era. During those years, they shared four consecutive Grey Cup victories and connected on 266 passes for 5,046 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Overall, during their individual Eskimos careers Moon amassed 20,116 passing yards and 139 touchdowns, often connecting with Kelly who corralled 333 receptions, for 6,298 yards and 50 touchdowns. In their four Grey Cup games, Moon and Kelly connected for a total of 13 passes for 256 yards and 3 TDs. No quarterback-receiver combination has more Grey Cup TDs together.
Canadian Football League Stories from June 22, 2006
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- CFL fans could be over the Moon with first tandem - CFL
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