Ranking and analyzing the ten Grey Cup return touchdowns, part I: numbers ten through six
The return game is getting a lot of attention ahead of this week's 102nd Grey Cup thanks to Hamilton returner Brandon Banks notching two spectacular punt return touchdowns (on returns of 93 and 88 yards) in the Tiger-Cats' East Final win over Montreal Sunday. However, it's notable that in over a century of Grey Cup games, there have been very few return touchdowns: the official CFL Grey Cup record book from 2011 lists just 10 (five kickoff return touchdowns, four punt return touchdowns, and one missed field goal return touchdown), and the 2011, 2012 and 2013 games haven't added to that total. Banks, who was named our First Star of the week, certainly has the talent to potentially add to that list (and we may be due; 10 touchdowns in 101 Grey Cups is about one every 10, and we haven't had one since 2005), but it's not easy to do; a lot of the big-game returns have been pretty special. Here are descriptions and analysis of five of the 10 returns listed in the record book, with video of everything but the 1935 and 2002 ones. Also see our breakdowns and videos of the top five.
10. Jeremaine Copeland, 2002, Montreal Alouettes versus Edmonton Eskimos: This is the shortest return on the list (47 yards), and the most unusual. It came in the final moments of the Alouettes' famous 2002 win, which may be more well-known for Pat Woodcock's record-setting 99-yard touchdown catch (#10 on TSN's 2010 list of the Top 10 Grey Cup plays), and it came not on a conventional kickoff, but on a failed Edmonton onside kick with less than 20 seconds left. Copeland really could have just caught the ball and taken a knee, letting the Alouettes run out the clock, but hey, his decision to go the distance put him on this exclusive list. Sadly, video of this one doesn't seem easy to find.
9. Fritz "The Phantom Flash" Hanson, 1935, Winnipeg 'Pegs versus Hamilton Tigers:
This is the earliest entry on the list, predating even the official formation of the CFL in 1958 (or its unofficial formation when the ORFU withdrew from Grey Cup competition after the 1954 season), and it came in a highly-significant game. Western teams had been competing for the Grey Cup since 1921, but the 23rd Grey Cup in 1935 marked the first victory ever for a Western team. It also was the first Grey Cup broadcast nationally on radio, and it marked some of the first actual professionals in the game (although they were technically amateurs, Winnipeg businessmen raised $7,500 before the season to bring in top football talent discreetly) and came from a team that used seven imports, which led the Canadian Rugby Union to pass the very first iteration of an import rule the next season and started a wave of debates about Canadian content that continuesto this day. Hanson, as one of the biggest stars on the team and one of the most prominent figures in that Grey Cup, was central to that debate. Unfortunately, video of Hanson's return doesn't seem available online, but we have a description from the CFL's Grey Cup Central site:
Standing deep in his zone, he caught the ball, sprinted to his left, wheeled and turned the other direction than ran straight down the field. He avoided one would be tackler en route to a touchdown.
This return of Hanson's was reported to be around 78 yards, and he's reported to have returned punts for over 300 yards on the day, but official stats weren't kept, so we don't know exactly how true that is. We do know he dazzled, though; as Stephen Brunt relates in his fantastic piece on the 1935 game in the highly-recommended 100 Grey Cups, Toronto Star's Lou Marsh described Hanson as "the fastest thing I ever saw on a Canadian football field." If there was video of what he did, Hanson's return would probably be higher on this list.
8. Chris Wright, 1995, Baltimore Stallions versus Calgary Stampeders:
This 82-yard punt return from Wright also came in a highly-significant game, as the 1995 Grey Cup marked the second (and final so far) time an American team would play for the Grey Cup and the only time they'd prove victorious. This was a highly-anticipated clash of 15-3 teams, Doug Flutie's Stampeders and Tracy Ham's Stallions, and Wright's 82-yard punt return (which came just 2:12 into the game) helped set the stage for Baltimore's eventual 37-20 win. However, the return itself is more about good blocking by his teammates and poor coverage by Calgary. Wright makes a nice move at the start to make one defender miss, but thanks to good downfield blocking, no one else even has a shot at him.
7. Tony Tompkins, 2005, Edmonton Eskimos versus Montreal Alouettes:
This is another one from a highly-memorable game, as Edmonton's 38-35 victory marked the first time in 44 years (and only the second time in history) that the Grey Cup went to overtime. Tompkins' 96-yard kickoff return near the end of the third quarter gave the Eskimos a 20-18 lead right after it seemed Montreal was starting to pull away. This is an impressive run by Tompkins, but it's more pure speed than stunning moves, and it also comes with some poor coverage from the Alouettes.
6. Adrion "Pee Wee" Smith, 1997, Toronto Argonauts versus Saskatchewan Roughriders:
This 95-yard kickoff return, on the opening play of the 85th Grey Cup's second half, helped Toronto really pull away, extending their lead to 27-9. They'd never look back en route to a 47-23 win, which wasn't all that unexpected; this was a terrific Argonauts team that went 15-3 in the regular season, and they were facing a 8-10 Roughriders side. Discussion of those great Argos' teams often revolves around Flutie, Pinball Clemons (who was an incredible returner, but oddly enough, never had a return for a touchdown in a Grey Cup), Mookie Mitchell and the like, but "Pee Wee" (he was 5'10'' and 180 pounds) Smith was an excellent piece for them as well. He spent 12 years in the CFL with the Ticats, the Memphis Mad Dogs and the Argos, playing mostly as a cornerback (and earning three league all-star nods) but also demonstrating great ability on punt returns and even occasionally filling in at quarterback. This return is interesting for the deception Smith shows, first faking a pitch to Clemons (and drawing the cover team the wrong way), and then for his speed to get to the outside and beat Toronto's tacklers down the sideline. It's a remarkable return.
See plays five through one here.
