Canadian Football Hall of Famers:

• Buddy Tinsley (1982)
• Bill Frank (2001)

Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Famers:

• Buddy Tinsley (1984)
• Cornel Piper (1986)
• Bill Frank (1990)
• Bob Molle (2016)

CFL All-Stars:

• Bill Frank (1967, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)
• Dan Goodspeed (2007, 2008)

Division All-Stars:

• Buddy Tinsley (1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958)
• Cornel Piper (1960, 1961)
• Bill Frank (1970, 1971, 1972, 1973)
• Moe Elewonibi (2000)
• Dan Goodspeed (2007, 2008)

CFL Award Winners:

• Leo Dandurand Trophy (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, East Division) – Dan Goodspeed, 2007

Bomber Team Awards:

• Most Outstanding Player – Bill Frank, 1970
• Most Outstanding Canadian – Moe Elewonibi, 2000
• Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman – Bill Frank, 1975; Moe Elewonibi, 2000; Dan Goodspeed, 2007, 2008
• Most Outstanding Lineman – Bill Frank, 1970, 1971, 1973
• Ed Kotowich Good Guy Award – Moe Elewonibi, 2003; Chris Greaves, 2014
• Cal Murphy Heart of a Legend Award – Moe Elewonibi, 2002, 2004

He Wore It Well:

R.P. (Buddy) Tinsley, T, DT, 1950-60

Robert (Buddy) Tinsley came to Canada after playing his college ball at Baylor in his home state of Texas, after a year with the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American Football Conference and following a contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And despite getting offers to return from the Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and other NFL teams, Tinsley not only opted to stay in Winnipeg, but made it his home until he passed away in 2011.

He was dominant on both sides of the ball, five times an all-star on the offensive line and twice at defensive tackle, and was a team captain in 10 of his 11 years with the Bombers. Many remember him for the story, now folklore, of the 1950 Grey Cup – the ‘Mud Bowl’ – when it was said that an official saved Tinsley from drowning when he was motionless and face down in the mud and water – a tale he insisted was exaggerated.

Tinsley is a member of the Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame, the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

FYI:

Bill Frank began his pro career with the B.C. Lions in 1962 and played there until 1964 when he suited up for four games with the Dallas Cowboys (who had drafted him in 1963). He returned to the CFL in 1965 with Toronto and then spent eight years with the Bombers. He was dominant during his days with the Bombers, including winning the team’s Most Outstanding Player Award in 1970.

Notable:

Bud Grant long raved about the Canadians that were the backbone of the team’s Glory Years in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Cornel Piper was among those homegrowns. He played his junior ball with the Winnipeg Rods and after joining the Bombers in 1957, was a mainstay on the club’s four championships over the next five years.

Read the story of Bob Molle, a 2016 Winnipeg Football Club Hall of Fame inductee in 2016 here.