In the Year of the 100th Grey Cup, CFL Honours Players Past and Present

November 22, 2012 - Canadian Football League (CFL) News Release

TORONTO - Canadian Football League Commissioner Mark Cohon tonight paid special tribute to the thousands of players and their families who have built the Grey Cup into a national icon.

"In this year of the 100th Grey Cup, the Commissioner's Award goes to every player who has ever donned a CFL uniform, and every family member who has ever supported a CFL player as he chased his dream, and a Grey Cup championship," Cohon told the Gibson's Finest CFL Player Awards ceremony at Koerner Hall.

"This goes not only to the superstars - the Fluties and Moons and Jacksons and Calvillos - but to every guy who came to camp, waited anxiously on a practice roster, played one year, or one game, or on one play, because every player in our history has made us what we are today," he said.

"And this award belongs, just as much, to their Moms and Dads, wives and girlfriends, sons and daughters - the loved ones who often endure months apart, sudden trades, the disappointment that comes with a loss, as well as the joy that comes with victory - and eventually, the reality that affects the entire family, when it's not just the season that's over, but the career, too," Cohon said.

"Thank you all, for making our game great, our league strong, and our Grey Cup a national treasure."

The Commissioner's Award is presented each year to an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the development of football in Canada.

Cohon said that, in this special year for the CFL and Canadian football, it was virtually impossible to single out one person or one organization.

"Canadian football is the ultimate team sport, and the legacy of 100 Grey Cups, and we are sure 100 more to come, belongs to so many people, but particularly our players and their families," he said.

The award was accepted by Mike Morreale, a former CFL player and the current president of the Canadian Football League Players Association.

The 100th Grey Cup game, the championship of Canadian professional football, will be played Sunday November 25th at Rogers Centre in Toronto at 6 p.m. The game between the East Division Champion Toronto Argonauts and the West Division Champion Calgary Stampeders will be broadcast live in Canada on TSN and RDS, and in the United States on the NBC Sports Network.

Canadian Football League Stories from November 22, 2012

• Argonauts Chad Owens Named 2012 CFL's Most Outstanding Player - CFL
• Brian Bratton's dedication earns him Tom Pate Award - Montreal Alouettes
• In the Year of the 100th Grey Cup, CFL Honours Players Past and Present - CFL
• Sherritt Brings Home the Hardware - Edmonton Elks
• Chris Williams Is CFL's Most Outstanding Special Teams Player - Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• Olafioye Takes Home Outstanding Lineman Award - B.C. Lions
• Cornish Wins Most Outstanding Canadian Award - Calgary Stampeders
• Chris Matthews Named CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
• Quick Six Will be at the Grey Cup - Calgary Stampeders
• Stampeders' Horse to Attend Grey Cup - CFL
• Blue Bombers Represent at 100th Grey Cup - Winnipeg Blue Bombers

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