Every year the Canadian Football League Players’ Association presents the Tom Pate Award; an award we hold in high regard. It is not a “Jock Award” but rather an award given to players who display qualities that distinguish them from their peers. It is this rare quality that the players who have won maintained and made them recipients of the award. Tom Pate had a unique combination of outstanding sportsmanship and dedication to the league and the community.

He was educated at the University of Nebraska where he majored in business administration, and played first-stringer with the Cornhuskers. After shuffling through various teams, he became a star with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In October 1975, however, his stardom as well as his life, was abruptly ended, when in his fourteenth game, against the Stampeders in Calgary, he suffered an aneurysm in the fourth quarter. Pate, only 23 at the time, never regained consciousness and died just two days later.

Each year we invite each team to nominate a team member for this award. The recipient should embody the qualities that distinguished Tom Pate; qualities that recognize a player with outstanding sportsmanship, a player who has made a contribution to his team as well as to his community and to his Association.

Current and Past Winners

	2018	Ryan King	Edmonton Eskimos
	2017	Adarius Bowman	Edmonton Eskimos
	2016	Marco Iannuzzi	BC Lions
	2015	Henry Burris	Ottawa RedBlacks
	2014	Randy Chevrier	Calgary Stampeders
	2013	Kyries Hebert	Montreal Alouettes
	2012	Brian Bratton	Montreal Alouettes
	2011	Kevin Glenn	Hamilton Tiger Cats
	2010	Wes Lysack	Calgary Stampeders
	2009	Marwan Hage	Hamilton Tiger Cats
	2008	Jeremy O’Day	Saskatchewan Roughriders
	2007	Milt Stegall	Winnipeg Blue Bombers
	2006	Mark Washington	BC Lions
	2005	Danny McManus	Hamilton Tiger Cats
	2004	Barron Miles	Montreal Alouettes
	2003	Steve Hardin	BC Lions
	2002	Greg Frers	Calgary Stampeders
	2001	Rick Walters	Edmonton Eskimos
	2000	Mike Morreale	Hamilton Tiger Cats
	1999	Jamie Taras	B.C. Lions
	1998	Glen Scrivener	Winnipeg Blue Bombers
	1997	Mark McLoughlin	Calgary Stampeders
	1996	Michael “Pinball” Clemons	Toronto Argonauts
	1995	Mark McLoughlin	Calgary Stampeders
	1994	O.J. Brigance	Baltimore Stallions
	1993	Michael “Pinball” Clemons	Toronto Argonauts
	1992	Danny Barrett	B.C. Lions
	1991	Stu Laird	Calgary Stampeders
	1990	Ritchie Hall	Saskatchewan Roughriders
	1989	Matt Dunigan	B.C. Lions
	1988	Hector Pothier	Edmonton Eskimos
	1987	Nick Arakgi	Montreal Alouettes
	1986	Tyrone Crews	B.C. Lions
	1985	Jerry Friesen	Saskatchewan Roughriders
	1984	Bruce Walker	Ottawa Rough Riders
	1983	Henry Waszczuk	Hamilton Tiger-Cats
	1982	David Boone	Edmonton Eskimos
	1981	Ken McEachern	Saskatchewan Roughriders
	1980	Jim Coode	Ottawa Rough Riders
	1979	Peter Muller	Toronto Argonauts
	1978	John Helton	Calgary Stampeders
	1977	Ron Lancaster	Saskatchewan Roughriders
	1976	George Reed	Saskatchewan Roughriders