The All-Time 5 best NFL quarterbacks to come out of the CFL

Apart from creating home-grown stars, the CFL has also proved to be a launching pad for many players who have gone on to stellar careers in the National Football League. We are going to look at the five best quarterbacks to have made their name in Canada before living the American dream in the NFL.

We hope you agree with our choices, but if not, you need to tell us who we’ve missed out on in the Comments section below:

Warren Moon

Warren Moon enjoyed success as a collegiate athlete but despite leading the Washington Huskies to an upset Rose Bowl win he was not drafted by any NFL teams. This oversight on the part of NFL scouts led to Moon seeking his fortune up North, where he signed for the Edmonton Eskimos. He was to lead the Eskimos to an incredible five consecutive Grey Cup triumphs in the five-year period from 1978 to 1982 – a record unmatched before or since. When Moon decided to enter the NFL, it sparked off a bidding war between teams which was won by the (now-defunct) Houston Oilers, making him the highest paid player in the league. While he was not able to win the Superbowl during his 10-year stint with the Oilers, he did cement his reputation as one of the great quarterbacks in NFL history, making no fewer than nine Pro-Bowl appearances in total.

Joe Kapp

Only one player in history has been behind centre for each of the Superbowl, Grey Cup and Rose Bowl – and that man is Joe Kapp. Kapp was drafted in the 18th round of the NFL draft by Washington, but they did not take up the option to sign him for the team. With no alternative options to play in the NFL he joined the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL. Kapp was traded to the BC Lions the following year and would go on to have great success with the new franchise, making the Grey Cup final in 1963 and winning the final the following year. He moved to the Minnesota Vikings in ’67 and led them to a (losing) Superbowl appearance in 1969. Kapp would go on to have a sporadically successful coaching career in both Canada and the States. As GM of the BC Lions he was responsible for the signing of another man on this list: Doug Flutie.

Joe Theismann

After a much-garlanded college career, Theismann headed North of the border to the Toronto Argonauts when contract negotiations with the Miami Dolphins could not be concluded. The Argonauts went to the Grey Cup in that first season in 1971, narrowly losing to the Calgary Stampeders. During his three-year stint in Canada Theismann was twice named as an all-star. He moved to the Washington Redskins in ’74 and would go on to have

a stellar twelve-year career with that organisation. This period included two Superbowl appearances, with the Redskins winning the title in 1982 for their first championship in more than 40 years.

Jeff Garcia

Jeff Garcia’s football career would result in him netting 4 CFL All-Star awards as well as 4 NFL Pro-Bowl appearances. Undrafted by NFL teams, Garcia signed with the Calgary Stampeders, taking over as starting QB after Doug Flutie transferred to the Argonauts. Garcia would lead the team to Grey Cup triumph in 1998, taking home the game MVP award too. He would move back south of the border in 1999, joining the San Francisco 49ers. While there he threw for 30+ touchdowns in two consecutive seasons and made the Pro Bowl three times. After four years with the 49ers Garcia bounced around the league, playing for six different NFL teams before taking up a coaching role back in Canada.

Doug Flutie

At just 5 foot 9 inches, it was by no means a sure thing that Doug Flutie would make it as a pro footballer, and indeed he was no instant success story. Out of college, Flutie signed for the New Jersey Generals of the short-lived USFL, a team owned by Donald Trump. A brief and unsatisfactory stint with the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots followed, after which he decided to continue his career in the CFL. Flutie would go on to play for 8 memorable years in Canada, and to this day he is widely regarded as being the greatest CFL quarterback of all time. He won a Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders and two more with the Toronto Argonauts and was named MVP for all three games. In 1998 Flutie signed with the Buffalo Bills and was selected for the Pro Bowl at the end of his debut year. He went on to play with the San Diego Chargers and as a back-up to Tom Brady at the Patriots before finally hanging up his cleats at the age of 43. In 2007 he became the first ever non-Canadian to be elected to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.