Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

The CFL has become a de facto developmental league for the NFL, but that hasn't always been the case. Does anyone know if there is a list of players who first played for the NFL and then later played for the CFL?

I believe Pro Football Reference only includes NFL info. Meanwhile Stats Crew does include information about both leagues (I'm not sure about the credibility /reliability of this site, though), but you need to know beforehand that a player played in both leagues. For example, I happen to know Bud Grant played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Stats Crew shows his information for both teams.

https://www.statscrew.com/football/stats/p-grantbud001

Are there better resources for knowing which players played in both leagues?

You had the 50's wave that included guys like Mac Speedie, whose move was yet another perceived slight that Paul Brown never forgot.

Is there a specific scenario you're looking for? Or just players who played in the NFL first then played in the CFL? Because that list includes players like Ricky Williams, Johnny Manziel, David Archer, Andre Ware, Paul Skansi, Fred Biletnikoff, Mark Gastineau and Andre Rison. Technically the criteria includes Doug Flutie, also. Mike Pringle and Pinball Clemons played in the NFL before becoming two of the all-time great CFL players.

And some of the top players every year in the modern CFL are guys who played in the NFL first, like Brandon Banks, DeVier Posey and Justin Medlock. Really, a lot of the top CFL players were on NFL practice squads for one or more seasons before going to the CFL, someone like Travis Lulay who retired before this season was with the Seahawks (practice squad) for a while before becoming one of the better CFL QB's of the past decade.

Reaser wrote:Is there a specific scenario you're looking for?

Yes, the "50s wave" referred to earlier in the thread is exactly what I am looking at. My idea started with knowing that Bud Grant chose to leave the NFL to play in the CFL for better pay, and I believe others (Mac Speedie was mentioned) also made that same choice. I wish to write something about those players who did well in the NFL and then left for the CFL for better pay. I think the early 1950s may be the only time in the history of the two leagues when players left the NFL for the CFL for pay rather than because they lost their NFL jobs. I don't want to reinvent the wheel if this has already been written about, so if anyone knows if this has been addressed in the past, I'd love to hear what you know.

RyanChristiansen wrote:Yes, the "50s wave" referred to earlier in the thread is exactly what I am looking at. My idea started with knowing that Bud Grant chose to leave the NFL to play in the CFL for better pay, and I believe others (Mac Speedie was mentioned) also made that same choice. I wish to write something about those players who did well in the NFL and then left for the CFL for better pay. I think the early 1950s may be the only time in the history of the two leagues when players left the NFL for the CFL for pay rather than because they lost their NFL jobs. I don't want to reinvent the wheel if this has already been written about, so if anyone knows if this has been addressed in the past, I'd love to hear what you know.

Oh, okay. Well you have Terry Metcalf in the 70's for a player outside of the 50's. That fits that criteria. As an aside, he was also my cousin-in-law's High School football coach in the early 2000's.

RyanChristiansen wrote:

Reaser wrote:Is there a specific scenario you're looking for?

Yes, the "50s wave" referred to earlier in the thread is exactly what I am looking at. My idea started with knowing that Bud Grant chose to leave the NFL to play in the CFL for better pay, and I believe others (Mac Speedie was mentioned) also made that same choice. I wish to write something about those players who did well in the NFL and then left for the CFL for better pay. I think the early 1950s may be the only time in the history of the two leagues when players left the NFL for the CFL for pay rather than because they lost their NFL jobs. I don't want to reinvent the wheel if this has already been written about, so if anyone knows if this has been addressed in the past, I'd love to hear what you know.

Dick Huffman, an All-Pro tackle with the Rams from 1947-1950, went to the CFL in 1951 and played 7 seasons with Winnipeg and Calgary, and was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Some Canadian Football Hall of Famers who first played in NFL or AAFC:

OT/DT Dick Huffman (played with Rams 1947-50; L.A. Times NFL Player of the Year in 1949)
QB Jack Jacobs (played 1942-49 with Rams, Redskins & Packers)
E Red O'Quinn (played 1950 & 1951 with Bears & Eagles)
RB/DB Dave Raimey (played in 5 games for the 1964 Cleveland Browns)
RB/WR Jim Young (saw limited action with the Minnesota Vikings in 1965 & 1966)
DT Ed McQuarters (played briefly with St. Louis in 1965 before being cut in 1966 training camp)
RB Mike Pringle (The CFL's all-time leading rusher spent 1990 & 1991 with the Atlanta Falcons)
DB/K Don Sutherin (1959-60 N.Y. Giants & Piitsburgh Steelers)
OT/DT Martin Ruby (AAFC 1946-49 New York Yanks 1950 NFL)
RB/DB Tom Casey (1948 N.Y. Yankees AAFC)
DT Vince Scott (1947 & 1948 Buffalo Bills AAFC)
OT/DT Buddy Tinsley (1949 L.A. Dons AAFC)

A few other notables:

QB Tobin Rote (played with Packers & Lions 1950-59; spent 1960-62 with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts before joining the San Diego Chargers in 1963)

QB Frank Tripucka (played 1949-52 with Lions, Cardinals & Texans; Saskatchewan WIFU 1953-59, 63; Denver Broncos 1960-63)

HB/E Ken Carpenter (played 1950-53 with Cleveland Browns before signing with Saskatchewan in 1954; WIFU leading scorer & MVP in 1955)

QB/P Glenn Dobbs (Played 1946-49 in the AAFC; After sitting out the 1950 season Dobbs signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1951 for a whopping $25,000 per year - far above what NFL clubs were offering him; Led Saskatchewan to the 1951 Grey Cup and was named WIFU MVP; Named to the Roughriders 75th Anniversary Team in 1985 as Punter)

Frank Filchock played in the CFL after being banned in the NFL. Frankie Albert of the 49ers played the 1953 season for Calgary. Eddie LeBaron did a season with Calgary as well. In later years Joe Theismann (before he played in the NFL), Vince Ferragamo & Rocket Ismail (again before he played in the NFL) all played in the CFL too. Alex Webster was another one that played in the CFL. I think before his run in the NFL.

2,220 players have played in both leagues. Just going through the letter A 17 of 86 went from the CFL to the NFL/AFL. That's about 20% - so 440+ based on that percentage.

TodMaher wrote:2,220 players have played in both leagues. Just going through the letter A 17 of 86 went from the CFL to the NFL/AFL. That's about 20% - so 440+ based on that percentage.

Oh wait, you are asking from the NFL to the CFL - so in the 1700-1800 range.