Defensive End Candidates for the All-Time Team

For some reason this slipped my mind, but the Ti-Cats have unveiled the second position group for fans to vote on for the all-time team. The quarterbacks were revealed last week; this week, it is the defensive ends.

Seven players are up for two spots on the team, and while all seven are great players, the two that will make it are likely to be no-brainers. All due respect to Tim Cofield, Billy Ray Locklin, Vince Mazza, Tim Cheatwood and Pete Neumann, but the two that will be named to the team are Joe Montford and Grover Covington.

Simply put, they are two of the greatest pass rushers in CFL, not just Tiger-Cat, history. Covington still holds the league record for sacks in a career, while Montford was a three-time winner of the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award and holds the team records for sacks in a season with 26.

When I think of defensive ends for the Ti-Cats, the first two names that come to mind are Covington and Montford. They are the two most identifiable pass rushers in Tiger-Cat history and they are the two players who will receive my votes for the all-time team.

Hall of Fame Adds Seven

The CFL announced the 2011 Canadian Football Hall of Fame class, which will include Danny McManus, Joe Montford, Terry Vaughn, Chris Flynn and Ken Lehmann in the player category, and Gino Fracas and Don Matthews in the builder category.

When I read on Wednesday that the Hall of Fame announcement would be made this week, my first thought was, "Is this the year Danny Mac gets the call? What about Joe Montford?"

I'm not entirely sure what the process is for inductees into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (such as length of time, post-retirement, before someone is eligible), but I figured that McManus and Montford were due to be inducted soon.

Danny Mac is probably my favourite Ti-Cat of all time. In fact, I named him as the greatest Tiger-Cat of my lifetime (roughly 30 years) about a year ago. I stand by that opinion. I gave the #3 spot to Joe Montford, so to say that I hold both of these gentlemen in high regard would be an understatement.

Congratulations to all seven men, but especially to two of the greatest living Tiger-Cats I ever had the privilege of watching play.

The Greatest Tiger-Cats of My Lifetime: #3

#3: Joe Montford
What can a guy say about Joe Montford that hasn't already been said? Without a doubt the greatest defensive player in the history of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and quite possibly the most intimidating player in the history of the CFL.

Montford was one of the best pass rushers, and he took what Grover Covington did, and revolutionized it. Montford recorded 26 sacks in 1999, which was the second most in a single season by a player. He was a 5-time CFL All Star, 3-time Defensive Player of the Year (1998, 2000, 2001) – only Calvin Tiggle's win in 1999 stopped Montford from winning four consecutive awards – and a member of the 1999 Grey Cup Championship team. Montford was also voted one of the 50 Greatest Players (#40) in 2006. Montford is a shoe-in for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Montford was one of the most feared pass rushers during his tenure with the Ti-Cats. He was the catalyst for the championship-caliber defenses the Cats produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Montford was the leader on defense, and without his play, the Cats might never have ascended to the heights they did during his run of excellence. All of that, combined with his veracity and ferociousness, made him one of the best players to ever play in Hamilton; because of that, and all his accomplishments, he garners the #3 spot on my list.

PREVIOUS: Darren Flutie (#4)