- Willie Pless
Infobox CFL player
Name=Willie Pless
ImageWidth=
Caption=
DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1964|02|21
Birthplace=Anniston, Alabama
position1=Linebacker
College=University of Kansas
career_highlights=
CFLAllStar=1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Awards=
*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
*Norm Fieldgate Trophy 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
*Frank M. Gibson Trophy 1986
Honors=Edmonton Eskimos Wall of Honour
Records=
Retired #s=
playing_years=1986-1989
1990
1991-1998
1999
playing_teams=Toronto Argonauts British Columbia Lions Edmonton Eskimos Saskatchewan Roughriders
CFHOF=24&player=Pless,%20WillieWillie Pless (born
February 21 ,1964 ) was a star football linebacker in theCanadian Football League .Pless played his college football at the
University of Kansas . As a Jayhawk starter for only three years (1983 to 1985) he amassed an amazing 633 tackles. This is not recognized as a record, as theNCAA officially counted tackles starting in 2000, but the present leader (Rod Davis ) has only 360. Being 5 feet 10 inches tall, 210 pounds, Pless was not drafted by theNFL . He would later (in 1990) try out for theNew Orleans Saints andKansas City Chiefs , but otherwise, his entire 14 year, 250 game, career was played inCanada .Willie Pless may be the best defensive player ever to play in the CFL. He played for 4 teams:
Toronto Argonauts for 4 years (1986 to 1989),B.C. Lions for 1990,Edmonton Eskimos for (1991 to 1998) and finally theSaskatchewan Roughriders (1999). He holds the league record for most tackles (1,241). He also had 84 quarterback sacks, 39 interceptions, 39 fumble recoveries, played in 18 playoff games and three Grey Cups, winning one championship (the81st Grey Cup game). He won theCFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award five times and was an all star 11 times.HONOURS AND AWARDS:
* CFL outstanding defensive player: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
* West Division outstanding defensive player: 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
* East Division outstanding rookie: 1986
* CFL All-Star: 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998.
* East Division All-Star: 1986, 1988
* West Division All-Star: 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
* North Division All-Star: 1995
* B.C. Lions outstanding player: 1990
* Edmonton Eskimos outstanding player: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
* Toronto Argonauts outstanding defensive player: 1986, 1988
* B.C. Lions outstanding defensive player: 1990
* Edmonton Eskimos outstanding defensive player: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
* Saskatchewan Roughriders outstanding defensive player: 1999
* Toronto Argonauts outstanding rookie: 1986
* Grey Cup participation: 1987, 1993, 1996
* Grey Cup victories: 1993He is a member of the
University of Kansas Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 2005. In November, 2006, Willie Pless was voted one of the CFL's Top 50 players (#16) of the league's modern era by Canadian sports networkThe Sports Network /TSN.Pless has settled in
Edmonton and runs a personal trainer business. He is a well respected businessman, fine gentleman and a scholar. Pless is still 5'10", 210lbs with a totally shiny bald melon.
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