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Hamilton, Ontario - February 19, 2007 - Former B.C. Lions receiver Darren Flutie headlines the CFL's 2007 Canadian Football Hall of Fame Inductees announced on February 19, 2007.
Flutie joined the B.C. Lions midway through the 1991 season making an instant impression in his first eight CFL games by catching 52 passes for 860 yards and six touchdowns. In four additional seasons with B.C., Flutie exceeded 1,000 receiving yards three times, a landmark he surpassed nine times in his 12-year CFL career. Flutie signed a free-agent pact with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1995, where he spent two seasons and gained more than 1,300 yards per season. He then spent five seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before retiring after the 2002 season. Flutie played 193 regular-season games, catching 972 passes for 14,359 yards and 66 touchdowns. He won Grey Cups with B.C. in 1994 and Hamilton in 1999. Flutie was chosen Western All-Star in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 1997, Eastern All-Star in 1998 and 1999, CFL All-Star in 1996, 1997 and 1999. Others joining the Hall of Fame: Greg Battle played for five CFL teams, but is best-known as a linebacker with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, where he was famous for his pass-coverage skills and an amazing ability to react to the football. An Arizona State product, he began and ended his 12-year career with Winnipeg, spending 1987-1993 with the Blue Bombers and returning again from 1997-1998. Battle played 179 regular-season games, 10 playoff games and three Grey Cups. Regular-season statistics include 766 defensive tackles, 31 interceptions, 26 sacks and 26 fumble recoveries. Battle was chosen Western All-Star in 1989, 1990 and 1991, earning CFL All-Star honours in 1990 and 1991. He was named Winnipeg's outstanding defensive player in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 and was chosen the Western Division outstanding defensive player three times (1989, 1990 and 1991) and the CFL's top defensive player in 1990 and 1991. Builder Dave Knight amassed an all-time record of 163-79-4 while serving as head coach at Wilfrid Laurier University from 1966-1983 and the University of Waterloo from 1988-1997. Knight's 153 regular-season victories were the most in Canadian university history until 2003. Knight was chosen as Coach-Of-The-Year in Canadian College Football (CIAU and later, CIS) an unprecedented three times: in 1972, 1979 and 1989. Rocco Romano spent 10 of his 14 seasons and 175 of his 232 regular-season games with the Calgary Stampeders. Romano was chosen as Calgary's outstanding offensive lineman in 1994, 1996 and 1999, earning laurels as West nominee in 1994 and 1996. Romano was a CFL All-Star guard in 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996. He switched to tackle at the end of his career and was named to West and CFL All-Star teams in 1999. Pierre Vercheval won back-to-back Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts in 1996 and 1997. During a 14-year CFL career between 1988-2001, he was a seven-time divisional All-Star, always as a guard. He was also Western All-Star in 1992, Eastern All-Star in 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and Northern All-Star in 1995. He won CFL All-Star honours in 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and was nominated as the team's Outstanding Offensive Lineman with Edmonton in 1992 and Montreal in 2000. He was also named Montreal 's Outstanding Canadian Player in 1999 and the CFL's Outstanding Offensive Lineman in 2000. The five honorees be officially inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame during Induction Weekend 2007 in Hamilton from Sept 12-15. |
Newswire 
