CFL greats that won't ever be remembered as Argos

[ArgoGabe22]

"Great" is a loose term, perhaps "good" is more appropriate. I started off with Marc Boerigter and Robert Edwards who were impressive with the Stamps and Als but have certainly been forgotten as Argos.

Some other great names:

Ben Zambiasi
Elfrid Payton
Kent Austin
David Boone
Terry Evanshen
Tommy Joe Coffey
James Quick Parker
Jackie Parker
Ellison Kelly

[Will]

@Panikkar37 said Jermaine Copeland on Twitter. He was not as productive as he was in Calgary and Montreal, but that may have been a consequence of playing with Cleo Lemon.

Gordon Judges played a couple of years in Toronto in the early 1980's, but is associated with the Montreal Alouettes.

How about some players who the Argos let go early in their careers who went on to star in other places. The notorious entrants on this list would be Tom Wilkinson and Danny Bass. You could almost make the argument that Willie Pless isn't remembered as an Argo (although he was very good here).

[ArgoGabe22]

How about some players who the Argos let go early in their careers who went on to star in other places. The notorious entrants on this list would be Tom Wilkinson and Danny Bass. You could almost make the argument that Willie Pless isn't remembered as an Argo (although he was very good here).

Gurley, Hazelton, Elliot, TJ Heath, and Ronnie Pfeffer

In all seriousness, Terrence Edwards should've been an Argo but was a TC cut.

[Shatto]

As a kid I had the privilege of seeing Jackie Parker in his prime. At that time he was better than any player in the CFL and perhaps even better than any player in the NFL. Unfortunately when he became an Argo he was coming to the end of his career and age and injuries had reduced his skills. In my opinion it is a toss-up as to whether Flutie or Parker was the best ever QB to play in the CFL.

[Neely2005]

Keon Raymond comes to mind for a recent one.

[Argo57]

Dale Potter and Vince Goldsmith are a couple of very good players that played in Toronto as well.

[gilthethrill]

Joe Montford was really forgetable as an Argo. Really disagree about Elfrid Payton. He had 16 sacks in his only season as an Argo....man was I pissed when Etchevery cut him in TC the next season. The Argos had a chance to have both Montford and Payton on the ends....

[Jon Gonzo]

Not all greats, but most All Stars;

Patrick Watkins, Brian Ramsay, Nick Bastaja, Neil Lumsden, Steve Morley, Sir Vincent Rogers, Terry Evanshan, ML Harris, Tony Washington, Angus Reid, Dan Federkeil, Otha Foster, Zac Henderson, Lin J Shell, John Chiles, Darvin Adams, Julian Feoli-Gudino, Franklin King, Leroy Blugh, Dwight Anderson, Terrell Sinkfield, Alex Suber, Aston Whiteside, Ken McEachern

[ArgoGabe22]

Disagree with Watkins, Chiles and Shell. I think they were at their best as Argos tbh. Watkins has really struggled this season and it's not like he had a long Eskimos career that everyone forgets he was an Argo.

[Argo57]

Not all greats, but most All Stars;

Patrick Watkins, Brian Ramsay, Nick Bastaja, Neil Lumsden, Steve Morley, Sir Vincent Rogers, Terry Evanshan, ML Harris, Tony Washington, Angus Reid, Dan Federkeil, Otha Foster, Zac Henderson, Lin J Shell, John Chiles, Darvin Adams, Julian Feoli-Gudino, Franklin King, Leroy Blugh, Dwight Anderson, Terrell Sinkfield, Alex Suber, Aston Whiteside, Ken McEachern

Blugh, Bastaja, Evanshan are great examples.
Paul Bennett would be another to add to the list.

[jerrym]

Blugh, Bastaja, Evanshan are great examples.
Paul Bennett would be another to add to the list.

I would remember Paul Bennett first and foremost as an Argo, but then I'm biased.

[Gill The Thrill]

I would remember Paul Bennett first and foremost as an Argo, but then I'm biased.

Bennett even had 2 spells here. He started his pro career in Toronto in 1977 under then Head Coach Leo Cahill, (who was on his 2nd go around with the Double Blue) and then was brought back by O'Billovich in 1984 to replace Ken MacEachern (another guy mentioned) at Safety. Obie and Bennett never seemed to get along although I thought he played well in that '84 season, he was cut in the 2nd half of that season, which was quite the stupid move...I thought it was then, and I still do now. Obie would put one of his best Canadian offensive players in Jan Carinci to play Safety for the rest of that season...it's not as if Carinci wasn't being used, he was playing slot, and running back at times while also returning punts and kickoffs, as well as being the backup punter. I've been able to re-live his vain attempt to run a Ticat punt out of bounds in OT before the clock got to :00 in that '84 East Final. He looked totally burnt out, as watching that game on youtube made me remember how often he was on the field in that 80 minute game.

Carinci also performed well in BC, but is more remembered as an Argo. Another Canadian that has not been mentioned but got to Toronto on the back side of his career was Jeff Fairholm. He was a great receiver who should be more fondly remembered as a Saskatchewan Roughrider, playing an integral on their Grey Cup 1989 Championship team playing slotback along with Ray Elgaard. That duo at the slotback positions could be regarded as not just the best Canadian duo in those positions, but even the best duo period. By the time he got to the Argos in 1993, he appeared to have lost a step off that lightning speed which he possessed in his first 4 seasons with the Roughriders.

That 93 Argo team which was pretty bad also picked up another speedy Canadian in Wally Zatalyny, a guy who definitely is more remembered as a Hamilton Ticat, than an Argo.

[ArgoGabe22]

Mookie only played 3 seasons with Edmonton but for whatever reason I tend to notice a lot of pictures with him an Eskimo used rather than as an Argo and it bugs me.

[ArgoRavi]

Mookie only played 3 seasons with Edmonton but for whatever reason I tend to notice a lot of pictures with him an Eskimo used rather than as an Argo and it bugs me.

It might be a bit of that "once an Eskimo, always an Eskimo" thing and also because Mookie settled down in Edmonton IIRC after his career ended in 2007 (following one final season with Toronto).

[Will]

Joe Montford was really forgetable as an Argo. Really disagree about Elfrid Payton. He had 16 sacks in his only season as an Argo....man was I pissed when Etchevery cut him in TC the next season. The Argos had a chance to have both Montford and Payton on the ends....

It has nothing to do with whether or not they had good years in Toronto, but rather players who in spite of this will still be most remembered as a player on another team.

To Gill (with spaces) point, the Argos picked up several former Ticats in those bad years (1993-1995) including Mike Kerrigan, Tony Champion and I believe Derek McAdoo. They also picked up Larry Willis for that fateful 1993 season.

[Bleeds Double Blue]

Danny Barrett developed into a pretty decent quarterback and a helluva coach but was used as primarily a receiver for the Argos.

[Will]

Josh Bourke

[stuntdog]

JC Watts, Jock Climie, Terry Baker & of course Wayne Lammle

[Will]

Danny Barrett developed into a pretty decent quarterback and a helluva coach but was used as primarily a receiver for the Argos.

Barrett started at receiver in the infamous 1988 Eastern Final loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I think that John Congemi was Gilbert Renfroe's primary backup that season, but I believe Barrett did have to start quite a bit in the 1987 season when Renfroe got injured. This was in the late summer into the fall. I don't think he tore the league apart with his play, but was solid (but not spectacular) just like most of the Argo QB play that season. Of course, Barrett will probably be remembered as a Stampeder I guess for the Grey Cup berth in 1991. Remember that he threw for nearly 400 yards in that game against the Argos, but his undoing was 3 interceptions.

Craig Ellis had a cup of coffee with the Argos in 1986 and 1993. He became a fine receiver with Edmonton in the early 1990's, but didn't stick around long after being involved in the Tracy Ham deal.

[Will]

Glenn Harper punted in the CFL for quite awhile and punted for the Argos when Hank Ilesic was in the NFL. I don't know if he's an all-time great punter in the CFL but he'll likely be remembered as an Eskimo and not an Argo.