During this self-isolation period, we look onto the accomplishments the Ottawa Redblacks have had. In just 6 seasons of existence, the team has made 3 trips to the Grey Cup, winning one in their third season, although these big accomplishments wouldn’t be able to be made without the players that have suited up in red and black.
Through the past 6 CFL seasons, the Ottawa Redblacks have seen hundreds of players come and go, some have been with the team since existence and some have never played a game with the team, but all in all the Ottawa Redblacks have hosted some of the greatest players to ever play in the CFL. Lets look at a list of the best players that have lined up on the offensive side of the ball at TD Place.
Quarterbacks
Starting with quarterbacks, we find ourselves in a no brainer situation at the starting quarterback position although who will be backing up Hank?
Henry Burris
Starting at QB, the Ottawa Redblacks will start hall-of-fame worthy quarterback Henry Burris. Henry, well known as Hank spent a solid three seasons with the team and helped the franchise win their first Grey Cup. The Grey Cup MVP and long-time CFL quarterback finished his CFL career in his family’s new hometown of Ottawa. Also in Ottawa, Hank put up over 11,000 yards as well as 49 touchdowns. These numbers are just a small part of his career as in his career he had in his totals, 57,968 yards, 340 touchdowns and even ran for 5,385 yards and 61 touchdowns.
In all, Henry Burris without a doubt would start at quarterback with the Redblacks all-time team.
Trevor Harris
Yes, Henry Burris may be one of the best to suit up in red and black, and could be one of the best QBs to ever play in the CFL but lets say Hank gets hurt and we need a backup to play for the all-time team. Luckily for Redblacks fans, the Ottawa Redblacks have Trevor Harris on the team.
Harris would be backing up Henry Burris on this team, just like he did in 2016 which was one of 3 seasons he spent in Ottawa. In the three seasons in Ottawa, the Redblacks and the fans got to know Trevor as a great quarterback in the league. Harris was a great piece to the Redblacks, where he was able to throw for over 13,000 yards and 66 touchdowns which added to his great totals of 120 career touchdown passes.
Although Harris may be a part of the Edmonton Eskimos roster now a days, he will always be remembered from what he did in Ottawa and will have a spot on the all-time team!
Dominique Davis
Looking onto the third spot onto the depth chart at quarterback, the Ottawa Redblacks all-time team would have Dominique Davis behind both Hank and Harris.
Davis may only have started 11 games in his CFL career, but as the only other starting quarterback that the Ottawa Redblacks have seen Dom would be up there on the Redblacks depth chart.
Running back
At running back, the Ottawa Redblacks could have a controversy to see who makes number one on the Redblacks all-time team, although there’s only just a few big names to pick from.
William Powell
The Redblacks haven’t seen too many big name running backs come and go, but the Ottawa Redblacks had created the big career of Will Powell. The fan favorite of R-Nation before leaving Ottawa put in 4 seasons in the capital, although he battled injuries in his time in Ottawa Powell put up 1,000 yards back to back seasons (2017-2018) and totaled up 2,835 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
With all said and done, the Ottawa Redblacks all-time team would feature William Powell at running back.
Mossis Madu
The Ottawa Redblacks all-time team would have Will Powell start at running back, but they’d have to put Mossis Madu at the position as well.
The newly retired CFL veteran would be backing up Will Powell like he did in a few seasons in Ottawa. Even-though he was a backup for the Redblacks, there was no stopping Madu to be a great back in the league. Being a part of the Redblacks offense, Mossis Madu was able to put up numbers.
Rushing for over 1,000 yards and 6 touchdowns in Ottawa as well as catching 73 passes for 512 yards and two touchdowns Madu put a great resume in the CFL with the Redblacks and is without a doubt one of the best running backs to suit up in Ottawa.
Brendan Gillanders
After watching Powell go to Saskatchewan and Mossis Madu retiring, the only Redblacks running back from the 2016 Grey Cup season left on the team is Brendan Gillanders. Gillanders, the Ottawa native has played for the Redblacks since the 2016 season and has been able to play a major role on the Redblacks offense as well as the special teams in Ottawa.
Being a big part to the team, Brendan Gillanders has shared multiple great memories with the Redblacks, but he’s also contributed to winning a lot of big games. Helping the team, Gillanders has been able to get a hold of the football 92 times with a Redblacks jersey on which he turned into 475 yards.
The long time Redblack and former Ottawa Gee Gee star is arguably on the list to be one of the best Canadian running backs to suit up at TD Place and thats reasoning on why he’s on the Redblacks all-time team!
Fullback
Leading the way for the running back is the fullback, and considering Ottawa has seen just two true fullbacks in the past 6 seasons that the Redblacks have been in existence, this list should be easy to make.
Pat Lavoie
The list, well its not really a list because its just one player. Patrick Lavoie the all-time Redblacks team fullback is just one of two true fullbacks seen at TD Place and at Fullback, Lavoie has been able to play 4 of is 8 CFL seasons in Ottawa.
With the Redblacks, Lavoie is known for his Grey Cup touchdowns in 2015 and 2016, but he also put together a few solid seasons, catching 86 passes and rushing the ball just once he totaled for just under 800 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With the other option at fullback being JC Beaulieu who spent just 2 seasons with Ottawa, Lavoie is definitely the favorite at the all-time team fullback.
Wide Receiver
Through the past few seasons that the Ottawa Redblacks have been in existence, the Ottawa Redblacks have found themselves with some great receivers, and it’s hard to choose who the best are.
Greg Ellingson
Out wide is Greg Ellingson, Ellingson was signed by the Ottawa Redblacks just before the 2015 season after spending his first 2 seasons with Hamilton.
Ellingson made an impact right after he was signed by the Redblacks, putting up his first ever 1,000 yard season of his career and being known for the big 93 yard touchdown, putting the Ottawa Redblacks in their first Grey Cup.
The one-thousand yard season in 2015 was just the start of great things for Ellingson’s football career. Before leaving the team to go to Edmonton with Trevor Harris in the 2019 off-season, Greg Ellingson was a part of a Grey Cup winning Redblacks team in 2016 and stayed with the team through their Grey Cup run in 2018 also.
In all, Ellingson was with the Redblacks for 4 seasons, putting up 1,000 yards each season as well as totaling for 30 touchdowns in his Redblacks career. When its all said and done, Greg Ellingson will always be a big part of the Ottawa Redblacks history and will always have a spot on the team’s all-time team.
Chris Williams
Chris Williams is a name remembered by many Redblacks fans, although not thought of to be in the mix of greats that have played with Ottawa, but why not?
Williams did suffer a hand full of injuries throughout his career, sidelining him for several games over time and with the injury bug constantly hitting him, Williams only got to play one full CFL season, playing 18 games in his second year of his CFL career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats after being brought in from his NFL opportunities with the Bears.
He may not have played a full CFL season with the Redblacks, but when he was in Ottawa for 2015, and 2016 he made a big impact to the team’s offensive system. Putting speed into Ottawa, Williams helped the Ottawa Redblacks get to two Grey Cups, being one of the 4 receivers on the team getting back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons.
Being just one of six individual players to catch for over 1,000 yards in one season wearing red and black, Williams is without consideration on the Ottawa Redblacks all-time offense.
Dominique Rhymes
The big body that Rhymes brings to the Ottawa Redblacks offense is like no other, standing tall at 6 foot 4, Dominique Rhymes gave Redblacks fans something to cheer for when times were tough in the 2019 CFL season.
Having his first 1,000 yard season in red and black, Rhymes, like Chris Williams is one of just 6 players to get to that marker in a season for the Redblacks.
Out wide at receiver, the Redblacks have always enjoyed having a bigger body so they can launch the ball over a defender or two. In the past, the team saw Juron Criner play a big role for the Ottawa Redblacks in their 2016 Grey Cup run as well as the 2017 season, where he was in the mix of grooming a Dominique Rhymes to do similar things.
Once Rhymes got to where he is today, he will always be remembered by Redblacks fans from the tough 2019 season, but also for the numbers he was able to put up in the season. In his 3 year stint with Ottawa, Rhymes was able to catch for over 1,500 yards as well as 6 touchdowns while being tied for most catches in a single game with Ottawa (11).
Slotback
At slotback, the Ottawa Redblacks have seen a number of great players come and go through the past seasons and some may still be with the team.
Brad Sinopoli
Starting at slot for the Ottawa Redblacks all-time team would have to be Brad Sinopoli. The well known Canadian receiver could very well be one of the best the CFL has ever seen.
Whether its breaking records or getting a much needed catch in desperation time, Brad Sinopoli has always been a big piece to the Ottawa Redblacks offense. Sinopoli has been able to put up 4 1,000 yard seasons in Ottawa, which have helped the Ottawa Redblacks get to 3 Grey Cups, and in one of the Grey Cups, he got the Most Valuable Canadian award in the 2016 Grey Cup which the Ottawa Redblacks had won over Calgary.
He’s well known for what he has been able to do in his CFL career so far, but he remains in the Ottawa Redblacks team on an extended 3-year contract. If gone through the 3 years, the now 31 yea old receiver could see himself retiring a Redblack at 35 years old.
Before seeing him retire possibly in that time, Sinopoli has a lot left to do here in Ottawa, and many Redblacks fans should be excited to see how he fits into Paul LaPolice’s offense in 2020.
Ernest Jackson
The beloved Ernest Jackson. Many of you may have thought I forgot about him, but how can you forget about Uncle Ernie???
E-Jack is one of many great receivers that the Ottawa Redblacks have seen since they’ve come into the CFL in 2014, and in my opinion Jackson is the best they’ll ever see. From start to finish of his time in Ottawa, you always knew something special could happen when he was on the field, and something special always did happen.
Jackson was also known for his hands, in the 2016 season, he didn’t drop no more than 5 passes all year. He was the most reliable target for Hank and Trevor Harris that season, and even if he didn’t catch it on the first touch, Redblacks fans believed in the bobble. The bobble is exactly what the Redblacks believed in, and is something that will never be changed about the Ottawa Redblacks.
Jackson built a legacy in Ottawa on November 27th 2016, when the Ottawa Redblacks won their first Grey Cup in franchise history. The win wouldn’t have happened without E-Jack’s game winning overtime touchdown catch. With the big Grey Cup catch, Ernest Jackson totaled for 2 one-thousand yard seasons, racking up 2,261 yards and 15 touchdowns with the Redblacks.
Diontae Spencer
Diontae Spencer only spent 2 seasons wearing red and black, but he will forever be loved by Redblacks fans. Whether he was back returning a kick or catching passes at receiver, Spencer always knew how to make Redblacks fans jump out of their seats.
Jumping out of their seats was one thing Redblacks fans did a lot of on October 27th 2017, and is a reason why Spencer is on the list of all-time players in Ottawa. Playing against Hamilton in the Redblacks last game of the season, Diontae Spencer did it all. He caught the ball, he ran the ball and he returned the ball for a grand total of 496 yards. He not only broke the CFL’s record for most all-purpose yards in a single game, but he beat the NFL’s and NCAA’s. With that being said, he broke the all-time record for it all.
The big game in 2017 was just a glimpse of what was to come in the 2018 season, which he helped bring the Redblacks to the Grey Cup in. Going to his first ever Grey Cup, and the team’s third, Spencer tallied for 1,007 receiving yards and 7 touchdown catches in 2018 which was just a small piece of his total 2,714 all-purpose yards and 8 total touchdowns.
Since the 2018 season, Diontae Spencer has had the chance to explore NFL opportunities with the Denver Broncos who he spent the 2019-2020 NFL season with. With the Broncos, Diontae suited up for all 16 games of the NFL season, catching his first 6 career catches for 31 receiving yards, running the ball 3 times for 6 yards as well as putting in the work in the return game, returning 26 punts for 208 yards (42 yard long) and 15 kick returns for 436 yards with a 60 yard long against the Packers.
Going through his numbers with Ottawa and the future he has in the NFL, Spencer is looked on to be one of the best returners and receivers Ottawa has seen.
Offensive line
The Ottawa Redblacks have seen a number of great offensive linemen come and go through the city, and some have made a big impact on the run and pass game. Lets all look in on the top 5 offensive lineman the Redblacks have had a part of the team.
Jon Gott
Getting Jon Gott in a trade with Calgary before the 2014 CFL season could very well be one of the best decisions made by the Ottawa Redblacks front office.
Gott was loved by the fans since day one, bringing the beard in the game was a special part of Ottawa Redblacks football and playing 5 years for the Ottawa Redblacks, he played 83 of his 145 career games in a Redblacks jersey, but all in all the last regular season game had to of been the most memorable for him and the city of Ottawa.
On November 1st 2018, the Ottawa Redblacks faced off against the Toronto Argonauts for the last game of the regular season. The game didn’t mean anything to either team, with the Redblacks clinched to first place in the East and Toronto fallen out of playoff hopes, so the Redblacks had their backups in, not risking any injuries.
Although the game didn’t mean much, and there wasn’t much to cheer for, Jon Gott brought in the best reason to cheer. Following a Mossis Madu touchdown, Madu and company celebrates, while Gott comes running from his center position to the back of the endzone to get a beer from his girlfriend who at the time was sitting in the Ottawa Redblacks log cabin. Gott chugs the beer, and the crowd absolutely loves it.
One of many reasons why Jon Gott will forever be remembered in Ottawa.
Alex Mateas
Mateas has found himself wearing a Redblacks jersey since 2015 when he was selected first overall in the CFL draft. After spending his college career down south with Connecticut, the Ottawa native was brought in by his hometown team.
Since then, he’s built a great career. Going to 3 Grey Cups in 5 seasons, and only missing 2 games in his 5 year career. Suiting up for 88 games in a Redblacks jersey, Alex Mateas is loved by R-Nation and is without a debate on the Redblacks all-time team.
Sir Vincent Rogers
Although you can find Sir V wearing different colors out in Edmonton, Rogers brought in a lot of hope to the Ottawa Redblacks run game. He may not have a beer chug under his name like Jon Gott, but Sir V played 61 games with Ottawa and went to all 3 of the franchises Grey Cups.
Nolan MacMillan
With 77 games in Ottawa, Nolan MacMillan has been a well-known offensive lineman in the CFL.
He’s gotten to 3 Grey Cups including the win in 2016 with Ottawa, and through his career, he’s been able to keep up a starting role on the Redblacks offensive line.
J’Michael Deane
Deane spent the first three seasons of the Ottawa Redblacks franchise on the team’s offensive line. He bounced back and forth from guard and tackle and going through his time in Ottawa, he played in 51 games, and won the 104th Grey Cup with the Redblacks in 2016.
Going through this article, Id like to than you for reaching the end! Stay tuned to see the Ottawa Redblacks all-time team defensive list of players as well as special teams!
JZ MEDIA 