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