The 2012 Toronto Argonauts secured their place in Canadian Football League history on Sunday, winning the CFL’s 100th Grey Cup championship.
Quarterback Ricky Ray got off to a rough start but finished with 231 yards passing with three touchdown passes as the Argonauts topped the Calgary Stampeders 35-22 in Toronto. ESPN reports that this is Toronto’s 16th Grey Cup, and their first since 2004. The Argonauts led by as much as 24-6, and never trailed as more than 53,000 fans cheered them on.
Reuters reported that Chad Kackert, who rushed for 133 yards and had 195 yards of total offense, was named Most Outstanding Player in the contest. The Argonaut defense limited the Stampeders’ scoring to four field goals and a safety, until a garbage time touchdown in the final seconds.
Former All-Big Ten offensive lineman Gerald Cadogan (pictured below), who signed with the Argonauts on Oct. 30, reflected on the historic significance of being part of the 100th Grey Cup championship game. Cadogan had played on four NFL practice squads, and briefly was a member of the Calgary franchise before nearly retiring from professional football.
“Just very humbled and blessed to be a part of such a big event the 100th Grey Cup,” Cadogan told The Inquisitr . “I was the last person to be signed on the team this season and to be on this championship team is truly a blessing. I’m just thankful to God for this opportunity and also a thank you to my parents Maureen and Anthony Cadogan for that push to not retire from football just yet. A special thank you to Amy Hughes, and Scott Duty as well as Scott Gampp for their words of encouragement. You never know what God has in store for you. Trust God!”
The CFL’s website reports that the first ever Grey Cup was won by Toronto as well, but not by the Argonauts. The first Grey Cup game was a 26-6 victory by the University of Toronto over Toronto Parkdale. The University of Toronto went on to hold the title for several years, even defeating the Argonauts in the Grey Cup championship game in 1911.
The Argonauts won their first Grey Cup title in the game’s sixth installment, taking revenge on the University of Toronto. The Grey Cup is named for Albert Grey. There was no Grey Cup contested for two years as a result of World War I and another year was missed in 1919.
Most American’s know of their neighbors to the north’s football league from the early to mid-1990s expansion of Canadian Football League teams to the US. The Sacramento Gold Miners and others were a short-lived experiment but the 110-yard long, 65-yard wide field still found its way to American interest from time to time. Doug Flutie is perhaps the most famous CFL player of all time, and was also a successful NFL quarterback.
