1983 CFL season

The 1983 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 30th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 26th Canadian Football League season.

CFL News in 1983

The CFL re-signed with Carling O'Keefe Breweries to another record television contract worth $33 million to cover a three-year period from 1983 to 1986.

The league's attendance levels reached an all-time high for all football games with 2,856,031. The Grey Cup game between the Toronto Argonauts and the B.C. Lions was played in front of 59,345 football fans at BC Place Stadium (the first lion gross gate).

In addition, CBC, CTV and Radio-Canada's coverage of the Grey Cup game attracted the largest viewing audience in television history for a Canadian sports program with 8,118,000.

The Toronto Argonauts won their first Grey Cup Championship since 1952.

Regular Season Standings

Final regular season standings

"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.
*"British Columbia and Toronto have first round byes."

Grey Cup playoffs

The Toronto Argonauts are the 1983 Grey Cup champions, defeating the British Columbia Lions, 18-17, in front of their home crowd at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. This was Toronto's first championship in 31 years, ending one of the league's longest droughts. The Argonauts' Joe Barnes (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Carl Brazley (DB) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. The Lions' Rick Klassen (DT) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

Playoff bracket

6TeamBracket
RD1=November 13: Division Semifinals
RD2=November 20: Division Finals
RD3=November 27: 71st Grey Cup @ BC Place Stadium - Vancouver, BC
group1=East
group2=West
RD1-seed1=E3
RD1-team1=Hamilton Tiger-Cats
RD1-score1=33
RD1-seed2=E2
RD1-team2=Ottawa Rough Riders
RD1-score2=31
RD1-seed3=W3
RD1-team3=Edmonton Eskimos
RD1-score3=22
RD1-seed4=W2
RD1-team4=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
RD1-score4=49
RD2-seed1=E2
RD2-team1=Hamilton Tiger-Cats
RD2-score1=36
RD2-seed2=E1
RD2-team2=Toronto Argonauts
RD2-score2=41
RD2-seed3=W2
RD2-team3=Winnipeg Blue Bombers
RD2-score3=21
RD2-seed4=W1
RD2-team4=British Columbia Lions
RD2-score4=39
RD3-seed1=E1
RD3-team1=Toronto Argonauts
RD3-score1=18
RD3-seed2=W1
RD3-team2=British Columbia Lions
RD3-score2=17

1983 CFL All-Stars

OFFENCE

*QB - Warren Moon, Edmonton Eskimos
*RB - Alvin "Skip" Walker, Ottawa Rough Riders
*RB - Johnny Shepherd, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
*SB - Tom Scott, Edmonton Eskimos
*SB - Ron Robinson, Montreal Concordes
*WR - Brian Kelly, Edmonton Eskimos
*WR - Terry Greer, Toronto Argonauts
*C - John Bonk, Winnipeg Blue Bombers
*OG - Leo Blanchard, Edmonton Eskimos
*OG - Rudy Phillips, Ottawa Rough Riders
*OT - John Blain, British Columbia Lions
*OT - Kevin Powell, Ottawa Rough Riders

DEFENCE

*DT - Mack Moore, British Columbia Lions
*DT - Garry Dulin, Ottawa Rough Riders
*DE - Greg Marshall, Ottawa Rough Riders
*DE - Rick Mohr, Toronto Argonauts
*LB - Danny Bass, Calgary Stampeders
*LB - Delbert Fowler, Montreal Concordes
*LB - Vince Goldsmith, Saskatchewan Roughriders
*DB - Harry Skipper, Montreal Concordes
*DB - Kerry Parker, British Columbia Lions
*DB - Larry Crawford, British Columbia Lions
*DB - Richard Hall, Calgary Stampeders
*DB - Carl Brazley, Toronto Argonauts
*DB - Paul Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

PECIAL TEAMS

*P/K - Lui Passaglia, British Columbia Lions
*ST - John Edwards , Toranto Argonauts

1983 CFL Awards

*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award - Warren Moon (QB), Edmonton Eskimos
*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award - Paul Bennett (DB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers
*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award - Greg Marshall (DE), Ottawa Rough Riders
*CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award - Rudy Phillips (OG), Ottawa Rough Riders
*CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award - Johnny Shepherd (RB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
*CFLPA's Most Outstanding Community Service Award - Henry Waszczuk (C), Hamilton Tiger-Cats
*CFL's Coach of the Year - Cal Murphy, Winnipeg Blue Bombers