The

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

upset the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

to send the

Grey Cup The Grey Cup () is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested between the winners ...

trophy back west for the first time since 1948.

Canadian Football News in 1954

1954 is generally recognized as the start of the modern era of Canadian football. The

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

joined the WIFU and adopted the colours of burnt orange and brown. The

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

national network were televising

IRFU IRFU or Irfu may refer to: * Irish Rugby Football Union, The Irish rugby football union (IRFU), is the national rugby association of Ireland *Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, a four-team league that merged with the Westerm Interprovincial Rugb ...

games. Winnipeg's

Gerry James Edwin Fitzgerald James (October 22, 1934 – February 13, 2024) was a Canadian professional football and ice hockey player. He played as a running back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) between 1952 and 1964 a ...

(RB), became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award. This was the last season that the

Ontario Rugby Football Union The Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) was an early amateur Canadian football league comprising teams in the Canadian province of Ontario. The ORFU was founded on Saturday, January 6, 1883, and in 1903 it became the first major competition to ado ...

would be allowed to challenge for the

Regular season

Final regular season standings

Source: ''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. *''Edmonton has a bye and will play in the WIFU Finals.''

Grey Cup playoffs

Source: ''Note: All dates in 1954''

Semifinals

*''Winnipeg won the total-point series by 27–25. The Blue Bombers will play the Edmonton Eskimos in the WIFU Finals.''

Finals

* ''Kitchener-Waterloo wins the best of three series 2–0. The Dutchmen will advance to the Grey Cup semifinal. '' *''Edmonton wins the best of three series 2–1. The Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup semifinal.'' * ''Montreal wins the best of three series 2–0. The Alouettes will advance to the Grey Cup game. ''

Grey Cup semifinal

*''The Edmonton Eskimos will advance to the Grey Cup game.''

Playoff bracket

*Final appearance in the Grey Cup playoffs by the ORFU

Grey Cup Championship

Canadian Football Leaders

CFL Passing Leaders The CFL was officially formed in 1958. Statistics for the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, IRFU/Eastern Division date back to 1954 whereas Western Interprovincial Football Union, WIFU/Western Division statistics date back to 1950. Passing ya ...

CFL Rushing Leaders The CFL was officially formed in 1958. Statistics for the IRFU/Eastern Division date back to 1954 whereas WIFU/Western Division statistics date back to 1950. See also *List of Canadian Football League annual passing leaders The CFL was offic ...

CFL Receiving Leaders The CFL was officially formed in 1958. Statistics for the IRFU/Eastern Division date back to 1954 whereas WIFU/Western Division statistics date back to 1950. See also * List of Canadian Football League annual passing leaders * List of Canadia ...

1954 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

*QB –

Sam Etcheverry Samuel Etcheverry (May 20, 1930 – August 29, 2009), nicknamed "the Rifle", was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the C ...

, Montreal Alouettes *RB –

Alex Webster Alex Webster (born October 25, 1969) is an American musician who is the bassist and a co-founder of the death metal band Cannibal Corpse. He is one of two original remaining members, alongside drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz. He is also the bassist ...

, Montreal Alouettes *RB – Gene Wilson, Toronto Argonauts *RB –

Bernie Custis Bernard Eugene Custis (September 23, 1928 – February 23, 2017) was an American and Canadian football player who went on to a distinguished coaching career. He is known for having been the first black professional quarterback in the modern era ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *E –

Red O'Quinn John William "Red" O'Quinn (September 7, 1925 – April 21, 2002) was a gridiron football end. Early life John William "Red" O'Quinn, Jr. was born in Bluett Falls, North Carolina. He graduated from Asheboro High School in Asheboro, North ...

, Montreal Alouettes *E – Ray Ramsey, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *FW – Joey Pal, Montreal Alouettes *C –

Tommy Hugo Tom Hugo (August 25, 1930 – November 15, 2004) was a Canadian Football League (CFL) offensive lineman and linebacker who played seven seasons for the Montreal Alouettes from 1953 to 1959. He was a Montreal All-Star 12 times (1953 offence, 1954� ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OG –

Ray Cicia Ray or RAY may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), the bony or horny spine on ray-finned fish Science and mathematics * Half-line (geometry) or ray, half of a line split at an ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OG –

Herb Trawick Herb Trawick (February 22, 1921 – September 16, 1985) was a professional Canadian football player and was the first African American to play professional Canadian football. Trawick spent his entire 12-year career as an offensive lineman and de ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OT –

Tex Coulter DeWitt Echoles "Tex" Coulter (October 26, 1924 – October 2, 2007) was an American professional gridiron football, football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union f ...

, Montreal Alouettes *OT –

Vince Mazza Vincent L. Mazza (March 25, 1925 – December 5, 1993) was an all-star Canadian football player. He was a two-way player, playing offensive and defensive line, and sometimes tight end. Mazza did not attend college, but went directly to the pro ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Defence

*DT –

, Montreal Alouettes *DT – Jim Staton, Montreal Alouettes *DE –

Pete Neumann Peter Michael Neumann (December 31, 1931 – January 1, 2020) was a Canadian Football League (CFL) player for 14 seasons the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was a 9-time CFL's Eastern All-Star and a part of three Grey Cup championship teams. Neumann was ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DE – Doug McNichol, Montreal Alouettes *DG –

Vince Scott Vincent Joseph "Boomer" Scott (July 10, 1925 – July 13, 1992) was a Canadian football player. He played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and was later a Hamilton city councillor. He became a Canadian citizen in the mid-1950s Scott was born in ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DG – Eddie Bevan, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *LB – Red Ettinger, Toronto Argonauts *LB –

, Montreal Alouettes *DB –

Lou Kusserow Louis Joseph Kusserow (September 6, 1927 – June 30, 2001) was an American and Canadian football player who played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He won the Grey Cup with them in 1953. Kusserow attended and played football at Columbia University ...

, Hamilton Tiger-Cats *DB –

Hal Patterson Harold Edward Patterson (October 4, 1932November 21, 2011), nicknamed "Prince" Hal, was an American star college basketball player at the University of Kansas, and a professional Canadian football player with the Canadian Football League Montrea ...

, Montreal Alouettes *S – Bill MacFarlane, Toronto Argonauts *S -

Billy Cross Billy Cross (born July 15, 1946) is an American guitarist, singer and producer from Manhattan, New York who has lived in Denmark since 1980. He has been part of the Danish bands: Delta Cross Band, Cross-Schack-Ostermann, and Everybody's Talking ...

, Toronto Argonauts

1954 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars

Offence

*QB –

Frank Tripucka Francis Joseph TripuckaProfile
, polishsportshof.com; accessed December 28, 2015.

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *RB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos *RB –

Jackie Parker John Dickerson "Jackie" Parker (January 1, 1932 – November 7, 2006) was an American gridiron football player and coach. He was an All-American in college football and professional football player in the Canadian Football League (CFL), playing ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *RB – Howard Waugh, Calgary Stampeders *RB – Ed Macon, Calgary Stampeders *E –

Mac Speedie Mac Curtis Speedie (January 12, 1920 – March 5, 1993) was an American professional football end who played for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and the National Football League (NFL) for seven years before ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *E –

Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. (May 20, 1927 – March 11, 2023) was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). Grant was head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Viki ...

, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *C –

Eagle Keys Eagle Keys (December 4, 1923 – December 20, 2012) was an American born professional Canadian football player who played and coached in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is currently List of Canadian Football League head coaches by wins, ...

, Edmonton Eskimos *OG –

Mario DeMarco Mario Joseph DeMarco, (July 24, 1924 – December 9, 1956) was an American college football, National Football League (NFL), and professional Canadian football player, and was one of 62 people who died on Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810, on Dec ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *OG –

Roy Jenson Roy Cameron Jenson, also known and credited as Roy Jensen (February 9, 1927 – April 24, 2007), was a Canadian American football player, stuntman, and actor. Early years Jenson was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to Los Angeles with his ...

, Calgary Stampeders *OT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *OT –

Martin Ruby Martin Owen Ruby (June 9, 1922 – January 3, 2002) was an offensive tackle and defensive tackle for the New York Yankees (AAFC), New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC), Brooklyn Dodgers in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), N ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Defence

*DT – Dick Huffman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers *DT –

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DE – Frank Anderson, Edmonton Eskimos *DE –

Gene Brito Gene Herman Brito (November 23, 1925 – June 8, 1965) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Rams from 1951 t ...

, Calgary Stampeders *DG – Mike Cassidy, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DG – Bob Levenhagen, BC Lions *LB –

John Wozniak John Keith Wozniak (born January 19, 1971) is an American musician best known as the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of the band Marcy Playground. Early life Wozniak was born and raised in Minneapolis. He learned how to play the guita ...

, Saskatchewan Roughriders *LB – Ed Henke, Calgary Stampeders *DB – Stan Williams, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB – Bobby Marlow, Saskatchewan Roughriders *DB – Rollie Miles, Edmonton Eskimos *S – Tom Casey, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

1954 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars

''NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.''

*QB – Bob Celeri, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *RB –

Cookie Gilchrist Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist (May 25, 1935 – January 10, 2011) was an American football fullback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was named the AFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) ...

, Sarnia Imperials *RB – Paul Amodio, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *RB – Nayland Moll, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers *RB – Blake Taylor, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *E – Harvey Singleton, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers *E – Gerry McTaggart, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *FW – Carl Totzke, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *C – Bruce Mattingly, Sarnia Imperials *G – Jay Fry, Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen *G – Lloyd "Dutch" Davey, Sarnia Imperials *T –

Keith Carpenter Keith A. Carpenter (born August 3, 1941) was one of Canada's top men's tennis players during the 1960s. Tennis career Overview Carpenter's best result was winning the Canadian Open Men's Doubles Championship in 1966 alongside his older brother, ...

, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers *T – Danny Nykoluk, Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers

1954 Canadian Football Awards

* Most Outstanding Player Award –

(QB), Montreal Alouettes * Most Outstanding Canadian Award –

(RB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers *

Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy The Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy is a Canadian football award recognizing the most outstanding football player of the Quebec Student Sport Federation (RESQ) The trophy was originally donated to the Canadian Rugby Union in 1928 to honour former Mon ...

(IRFU MVP) –

(QB), Montreal Alouettes *

Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy The Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's most outstanding player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division. Either this trophy winner or the winner of the Terry Evanshen Tr ...

(WIFU MVP) -

(RB), Edmonton Eskimos * Gruen Trophy (IRFU Rookie of the Year) - Ron Howell (WR), Hamilton Tiger-Cats * Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy (WIFU Rookie of the Year) - Lynn Bottoms (HB), Calgary Stampeders * Imperial Oil Trophy (ORFU MVP) - Bob Celeri - Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1954 In Canadian Football Canadian Football League seasons