CFL Hall of Fame Class of 2018

CFL Hall of Fame Class of 2018

Published: Wednesday, Mar 21st 2018, 11:03pm

By: Piffles Staff (@PifflesPod)

Tonight, the CFL announced the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Class of 2018. Announced today were Defensive End Brent Johnson, Punter Hank Ilesic, Regina born Offensive Lineman Scott Flory, and former Riders DB coach Barron Miles. Also inducted in 2018 will be Paul Brule, Frank Cosentino, and the late Tom Hugo.

Barron Miles

Barron Miles started his stellar CFL career in Montreal where he was a 3-time CFL all star (1999, 2000, 2002) before moving to BC in 2005 (CFL all-star in 2006, 2008, 2009). In 1999, he was the Eastern Division nominee for most outstanding rookie and the 2002 Eastern Division nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive player. He retired in 2010 as the CFL record holder with 13 blocked kicks, and 2^nd overall with 66 interceptions in 189.

When asked what he attributed his success to, he said that he could catch. “Most Defensive Backs can’t catch. I can catch.” In regards to his secret on blocking all those kicks, all he tried to do was hide and make sure that the kicking team didn’t count him on the field.

Hank Ilesic

Hank Ilesic’s career spanned across 4 decades and crossed the border into the NFL. The Edmonton native began his career in his hometown with the Eskimos in 1977 and ended in 2001 with the same Eskimos. He also spent time in Toronto (83-89 and 90-93)) San Diego (89), Los Angeles (90), Hamilton (94-95), and BC in 1998. He was also on the practice squad for the Ottawa Renegades in 2005, meaning his career spanned 28 years. Ilesic ended his career as a CFL record 7-time Grey Cup champion and 2-time CFL all star (91 and 92). He sits 3^rd all time in total punting yards (91,753).

Brent Johnson

Brent Johnson began his career with the BC Lions in 2001, quickly establishing himself as one of the best defensive ends in the CFL. By the time his career ended in 2011, he had accumulated 5 Western All-Star nominations, 3 CFL All-Star nominations, 2 Most Outstanding Canadian trophies, and a Most Outstanding defensive player trophy in 2006. Over the course if his 12 year career with the BC Lions, he had 89 career sacks, most of which seemed to come against the Saskatchewan Roughriders if you ask fans during that time.

He gave credit to fellow 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Barron Miles for making his job easier. “When you have a Safety like that, it makes our job on the D-Line easy.”

Scott Flory

Scott Flory dominated the offensive line with the Saskatchewan Huskies before spending 15 years with the Montreal Alouettes from 1998 to 2012, racking up 11 Eastern All-Star nominations (all in consecutive seasons from 2002 to 2012) and 9 CFL All-Star nominations during that time.

His career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, whom it was rumoured he would sign with his home town time in 2004 before ultimately balking and returning to the Alouettes, can be summed up in GIF form:

After retiring from the CFL in 2014, Flory took up the mantel as President of the CFL Players Association, before heading back to his alma mater and eventually being named Head Coach of the Saskatchewan Huskies in 2017.

Getting the phone call that said he would be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame came as a shock to Flory. He said that he never thought he would get the call to the Hall.

Paul Brule

Paul Brule is being inducted for his stellar career in CIS/USports football with St Francis Xavier in Nova Scotia. From 1964 to 1767, Paul Brule wrote the college rushing records repeatedly, being the first player in Canadian University history to rush for over 1000 yards in a single season. He managed to do so in 6 games, finishing with 1103 yards and 20 touchdowns in 1966. In 1967 he broke his own touchdown record, with 25 total touchdowns including a college record 8 in a single game. Brule went on to spend 5 seasons in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes.

Frank Cosentino

Frank Cosentino was a staple of Hamilton football growing up in the steel town and playing his formative ball there. After a successful collegiate career at the University of Western Ontario, Cosentino was drafted in the first round of his home town team, the Tiger-cats.  In his decade long career, Cosentino played in 5 Grey Cups and won 2. He the returned to his alma matter, UWO, as Head Coach and took the Mustangs to Vanier Cup victories in 4 years. After Wester, Consentino inherited a losing program at York where he led them to consecutive winning seasons and won the first ever OUAA Coach of the Year Award in 1978.

Cosentino has also authored 17 books on football and has already been enshrined in the York University Sports Hall of Fame, the Western University Sports Hall of Fame, and the OAU Hall of Fame.

Tom Hugo

Tom Hugo played 7 seasons in the CFL, all with the Montreal Alouettes, but did something rather incredible during those 7 years. He managed to rack up 12 total All-Star nominations during that time. He was an Eastern Division all-star for 7 consecutive seasons on the offensive side of the ball as a center, while grabbing 5 nominations as a linebacker on defense. To add to his impressive list of playing time, he also returned 7 kicks during his career for 116 yards (avg 16.6 yards/return). Tom Hugo was truly a jack of all trades in the CFL.