Former linebacker Chip Cox is one of five players and three builders in the 2022 cohort to be inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Cox, who played his 13 seasons in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes, and quarterback Ricky Ray, who won four Gray Cups, are eligible in their first year of eligibility.
They will be accompanied by kicker Paul McCallum, fullback Tim Tindale and Dick Thornton, a player who has evolved in attack and defense.
Among the builders, the choice fell on former head coach Dave Ritchie, who was at the helm of the Alouettes in 1997 and 1998, the founder and former GM of the Calgary Colts Keith Evans and the leader of long date Roy Shivers.
In 228 games, Cox amassed an impressive 979 defensive tackles, good for 4th in CFL history. He holds the Canadian Tour record with 392 return yards on fumbles. He also had 23 interceptions and 8 defensive touchdowns throughout his career.
He was awarded the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award in 2013, after a season of 115 defensive tackles (a team record at the time), 12 sacks and 4 interceptions. Cox also appeared in four Gray Cup games, winning it twice (2009 and 2010).
For his part, Ray played 16 seasons, totaling 235 games, including 219 starts. He ranks 2nd in the history of the circuit for the percentage of successful passes (68.2%, minimum of 1000 attempts).
He appeared in five Gray Cup games, winning it twice in Edmonton (2003 and 2005) and twice more in Toronto (2012 and 2017). His four championships as a starter still stand today as a CFL record.
The new members will be officially inducted on September 16 at Tim Hortons Stadium in Hamilton. They will also be honored the following day during halftime of the game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Tiger-Cats.
The Canadian Press
Source: Radio-Canada
