TORONTO — Five Canadian football icons and a pair of distinguished builders will join the hallowed halls of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) and Museum in 2024.
Three of the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) all-time receivers in Weston Dressler, S.J. Green and Chad Owens, will be joined by cornerback Marvin Coleman and defensive end Vince Goldsmith in the Player Category. To be added in the Builder Category are coaching legend Ray Jauch and one of Canada’s greatest proponents of touch football, Ed Laverty, who will be inducted posthumously.
“The Class of 2024 has shaped our game beyond record books and accolades,” said CFHOF Executive Director Eric Noivo. “They are heroes to young football players and athletes; they are tremendous leaders who have shared their invaluable time and vast knowledge; they are steadfast champions who helped expand our game to reach more people and more communities.
“On behalf of every Canadian football fan and the Hall of Fame selection committee, it is my incredible honour to congratulate and celebrate the Class of 2024!”
The Class of 2024 will be officially inducted in an evening ceremony on Friday, September 13. Ticketing information will be announced soon. The Hall of Fame Game will be played on Saturday, September 14 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
The media wing of the CFHOF will welcome two new members this year: the CFL League Office’s Associate Vice-President of Football Analytics, Steve Daniel, whose extensive knowledge and historical data serve as the backbone of media members’ coverage of the league since 2005, and one of the country’s most prominent sports reporters and a fan-favourite fixture from the CFL ON TSN, Farhan Lalji.
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum, located on the fourth floor of Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, operates as a non-profit registered charity. Since 1963, it has been home to more than 80,000 Canadian football artifacts, ranging from equipment and trophies to photos and videos, spanning the rich history of the game.
CANADIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME – CLASS OF 2024
Coleman’s career spanned ten season (1994-2003) and 166 games with Calgary and Winnipeg, earning nine Divisional All-Star nods and three CFL All-Star selections. As a defensive back, he tallied 28 interceptions – six of which resulted in touchdowns – and 538 tackles. As a dynamic returner, he still sits fourth all-time with 5,211 punt return yards, in addition to his 11,545 kick return yards and 13 touchdowns (six defensive returns and seven kick returns).
The product of Central State University made four Grey Cup appearances, capturing the iconic trophy in 1998 with the Stampeders.
Dressler made an immediate impact in the CFL, taking home Most Outstanding Rookie honours with 56 receptions for 1,128 yards, and 1,014 punt return yards. His career 715 catches are good for 13th all-time and his 10,026 yards rank 17thin league history. The former North Dakota Fighting Hawk tallied 65 touchdowns, including five via kick returns.
Over 11 seasons (2008-2018), Dressler played in 161 games for Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. The four-time West Division All-Star and two-time CFL All-Star appeared in two Grey Cup championships, capturing Canadian football’s ultimate prize in 2013 in front of his Roughriders’ home crowd.
Goldsmith entered the CFL in 1981 and notched 17 sacks to earn Most Outstanding Rookie and a nod as a CFL All-Star. Over a 10-season career (1981-1990), he played in 163 contests to total 130.5 sacks, ranking eighth all-time; in 1983, the former Oregon Duck collected a career-high 20. Across a consistent career, he went on to register 10-or-more sacks on eight occasions.
Goldsmith played for Saskatchewan, Toronto and Calgary, earning a trio of Divisional All-Star selections. He emerged victorious in his lone Grey Cup appearance in 1989 as his Roughriders defeated Hamilton.
Green pulled down highlight reel catches for 13 seasons (2007-2019) and 170 games with Montreal and Toronto. At 10,222 receiving yards, he is one of 18 players to surpass 10,000, and his 716 receptions are 12th all-time. He notched 30 career 100-yard games and collected 60 touchdowns.
The native of Fort Worth, Texas, is an eight-time Divisional All-Star and a two-time CFL All-Star. He is a perfect three-for-three in Grey Cup championships – winning twice with Montreal (2009 and 2010) and once with Toronto (2017).
After two seasons as a running back with Winnipeg, Jauch suffered an injury that cut short his promising playing days. He transitioned to coaching in the college ranks before returning to the CFL with Edmonton; after four years as an assistant, he was promoted to head coach in 1970. He went on to assistant and head coaching roles with Saskatchewan from 1991-1995, before becoming an offensive consultant with Toronto in 1999.
Over 14 seasons at the helm, he amassed 127 regular season victories – ranking sixth all-time – while guiding his teams to 11 playoff appearances. He captured his lone Grey Cup in 1975 with Edmonton and was named Coach of the Year in 1980.
The amateur football landscape in Ottawa would not be what it is today without the leadership and dedication of Laverty. As President of the Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League, he was instrumental in shaping the foundations of the game across the region. Under his guidance, the league became a trailblazer for diversity in football, offering divisions for men, women and co-ed teams. The organization grew exponentially through his tenure, growing from six teams to hundreds of clubs.
Laverty served as President of the Ontario Touch Football League for over a decade and he was crucial in establishing Touch Football Canada. Beyond his work in the game, his lasting legacy as a prominent community builder earned him induction into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Laverty is being inducted posthumously after passing away in 2017.
Owens holds the distinction of being the third player in CFL history to lead the league in receiving yards and combined yards. That historic 2012 campaign saw the University of Hawaii alum set the professional football record for combined yards in a single season and earn the Most Outstanding Player award, before capturing the 100th Grey Cup in Toronto as a member of the Argonauts. Owens went on to become the first professional football player to tally at least 3,000 combined yards in three consecutive seasons.
Over a 105-game career spanning nine years (2009-2017) with Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton and Saskatchewan, The Flyin’ Hawaiian was named a Divisional All-Star five times, a CFL All-Star on four occasions, and the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2010 and 2011. He sits No. 8 in league history in kick return yards (10,309) and No. 10 in combined yards (16,698).
CANADIAN FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME MEDIA WING – 2024 INDUCTEES
STEVE DANIEL
Daniel has been a mainstay of the CFL since 2005, when he joined the BC Lions after 11 years in the NBA with Portland and the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies. He has established a new direction for the CFL’s team and player statistics, both current and historical, creating the league’s first comprehensive database to provide media members and the CFL with real-time, in-game access to all new analytics. This depth of information has helped re-define reporting and broadcasting of Canadian football. As part of the CFL’s Football Operations Team, Daniel leads the development of systems that report on the quality of Canadian Football in support of the Rules Committee, of which he is a contributor and member. Daniel joins Greg Fulton as the only CFL staff members to be inducted into the Hall.
FARHAN LALJI
Farhan Lalji has covered an array of sports since joining TSN in 1997, but his passion has always been football, from the grassroots level to the CFL and the BC Lions. The Simon Fraser University alumnus has won multiple awards for his reporting, and for his leadership in the community and as head of the BC Secondary Schools Football Association. As a high school football coach for over 30 years, Lalji has launched programs at New Westminster Secondary School and the Royal City youth program. He has coached more than 100 players who have advanced to the collegiate ranks. At the time of his induction, he had covered 21 Grey Cups, 15 Super Bowls and 11 College football championships. As the Vancouver Bureau Reporter for TSN, Lalji continues to provide game night and weekly reports on the CFL with his unique insight and keen understanding of the game.
NAPA, Calif. (AP) — David Lipsky shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Silverado Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Procore Championship.
Winless in 104 events since joining the PGA Tour in 2022, Lipsky went out with the early groups and had eight birdies with one bogey to kick off the FedEx Cup Fall series at the picturesque course in the heart of Napa Valley wine country.
After missing the cut in his three previous tournaments, Lipsky flew from Las Vegas to Arizona to reunite with his college coach at Northwestern to get his focus back. He also spent time playing with some of the Northwestern players, which helped him relax.
“Just being around those guys and seeing how carefree they are, not knowing what’s coming for them yet, it’s sort of nice to see that,” Lipsky said. “I was almost energized by their youthfulness.”
Patton Kizzire and Mark Hubbard were a stroke back. Kizzire started on the back nine and made a late run with three consecutive birdies to move into a tie for first. A bogey on No. 8 dropped him back.
“There was a lot of good stuff out there today,” Kizzire said. “I stayed patient and just went through my routines and played well, one shot at a time. I’ve really bee working hard on my mental game and I think that allowed me to rinse and repeat and reset and keep playing.”
Mark Hubbard was at 67. He had nine birdies but fell off the pace with a bogey and triple bogey on back-to-back holes.
Kevin Dougherty also was in the group at 67. He had two eagles and ended his afternoon by holing out from 41 yards on the 383-yard, par-4 18th.
Defending champion Sahith Theegala had to scramble for much of his round of 69.
Wyndham Clark, who won the U.S. Open in 2023 and the AT&T at Pebble Beach in February, had a 70.
Max Homa shot 71. The two-time tournament champion and a captain’s pick for the President’s Cup in two weeks had two birdies and overcame a bogey on the par-4 first.
Stewart Cink, the 2020 winner, also opened with a 71. He won The Ally Challenge last month for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Three players from the Presidents Cup International team had mix results. Min Woo Lee shot 68, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., 69 and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., 73. International team captain Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., also had a 69.
Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., had a 68, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., shot 70 and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., had a 71.
Lipsky was a little shaky off the tee for much of the afternoon but made up for it with steady iron play that left him in great shape on the greens. He had one-putts on 11 holes and was in position for a bigger day but left five putts short.
Lipsky’s only real problem came on the par-4 ninth when his approach sailed into a bunker just shy of the green. He bounced back nicely with five birdies on his back nine. After missing a 19-foot putt for birdie on No. 17, Lipsky ended his day with a 12-foot par putt.
That was a big change from last year when Lipsky tied for 30th at Silverado when he drove the ball well but had uneven success on the greens.
“Sometimes you have to realize golf can be fun, and I think I sort of forgot that along the way as I’m grinding it out,” Lipsky said. “You’ve got to put things in perspective, take a step back. Sort of did that and it seems like it’s working out.”
Laird stayed close after beginning his day with a bogey on the par-4 10th. The Scot got out of the sand nicely but pushed his par putt past the hole.
Homa continued to have issues off the tee and missed birdie putts on his final four holes.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic is moving on to the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open.
The Mississauga, Ont., native defeated the tournament top seed, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Stakusic faced a 0-4 deficit in the third and final set before marching back into the match.
The 19-year-old won five of the next six games to even it up before exchanging games to force a tiebreaker, where Stakusic took complete control to win the match.
Stakusic had five aces with 17 double faults in the three-hour, four-minute match.
However, she converted eight of her 18 break-point opportunities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
PARIS (AP) — French judicial authorities are investigating the disappearance of two Paralympic athletes from Congo who recently competed in the Paris Games, the prosecutor’s office in the Paris suburb of Bobigny confirmed on Thursday.
Prosecutors opened the investigation on Sept. 7, after members of the athletes’ delegation warned authorities of their disappearance two days before.
Le Parisien newspaper reported that shot putter Mireille Nganga and Emmanuel Grace Mouambako, a visually impaired sprinter who was accompanied by a guide, went missing on Sept. 5, along with a third person.
The athletes’ suitcases were also gone but their passports remained with the Congolese delegation, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation, who asked to remain anonymous as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the case.
The Paralympic Committee of the Democratic Republic of Congo did not respond to requests for information from The Associated Press.
Nganga — who recorded no mark in the seated javelin and shot put competitions — and Mouambako were Congo’s flag bearers at the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games, organizers said.
