Two NFL Quarterbacks Who Also Did Incredibly Well In The CFL

The NFL is the most well-known league in the world. It has a large following and it is greatly rich. However, the CFL is also quite popular in Canada, the American neighbor to the north. Not only is it widely followed in the country, but a lot of sports interaction bonus availing punters also actively bet on its games.

1- Doug Flutie

Doug Flutie played for several teams in the NFL but he made his career in the Canadian Football League. During his college years, he garnered many successes at Boston College, winning the Maxwell Award, Heisman Trophy and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award. But he was deemed too small to play for the NFL and so he joined USFL as a player of New Jersey Generals.

After a year in the USFL, he made it to the NFL and played a few games for the Chicago Bears. A few more seasons with the New England Patriots and he left for the CFL to make a big name for himself in football.

He didn’t make an instant impact for the BC Lions, rather he initially struggled to adjust to the new conditions. By the second season, he found a way to unlock his energy and threw for a record-setting 6,619 yards. Such an amazing performance landed him a big move to the Calgary Stampeders where he won his first Grey Cup and also the Grey Cup MVP. The phenomenal quarter-back picked up two more Grey Cups with the Toronto Argonauts before his return to the NFL.

Flutie’s figures in the CFL were awe-inspiring and he deservedly won the league’s Most Outstanding Player six times. He was also voted the best Canadian Football League player ever in a 2006 poll.

2- Joe Theismann

Unlike Doug Flutie, Joe Theismann was drafted by both the Miami Dolphins and the Minnesota Twins after his impressive performances for Notre Dame. However, he started his professional career in the Canadian Football League because his negotiations with the Dolphins failed.

The talented quarterback signed a contract with the Toronto Argonauts for $50,000 per season. His first season in Canada was very successful. He led his team to a 10-4 record and later won a place in the Grey Cup championship game. If Leon McQuay hadn’t fumbled late in the game, then Toronto Argonauts might have won their first Grey Cup since the year 1952.

Theismann’s second season was cut short by injuries, though his figures were still elite at that time. In 1974, the Washington Redskins acquired him and he moved back to America. He spent twelve seasons with the Redskins and helped them to two Super Bowl appearances.