The 1983 CFL season is considered to be the 30th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 26th Canadian Football League season.

CFL news in 1983 The CFL re-signed with Carling O'Keefe Breweries to another record television contract worth $33 million to cover a three-year period from 1983 to 1986.

The BC Lions opened their new stadium, BC Place this season, and with it, introduced shorter endzones to its stadium (20 yards in length as opposed to the then-standard 25 yards). This was because the floor of the stadium was too short to accommodate the 25 yard endzones; the shorter endzone length would become standard in the CFL three years later, in 1986.

The league's attendance levels reached an all-time high for all football games with 2,856,031. The Grey Cup game between the Toronto Argonauts and the BC Lions was played in front of 59,345 football fans at BC Place Stadium (the first lion gross gate).

In addition, CBC, CTV and Radio-Canada's coverage of the Grey Cup game attracted the largest viewing audience in television history for a Canadian sports program with 8,118,000.

The Toronto Argonauts won their first Grey Cup Championship since 1952. This would be the last season all three of the CFL's Ontario-based teams qualified for the playoffs until 2015.

Terry Greer set a pro football record for most receiving yards with 2,003.

Regular season standings

Final regular season standings

BC and Toronto had first round byes.

Grey Cup playoffs

The Toronto Argonauts are the 1983 Grey Cup champions, defeating the BC Lions, 18–17, in front of their home crowd at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium. This was Toronto's first championship in 31 years, ending the league's longest drought at that time. The Argonauts' Joe Barnes (QB) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Offence and Carl Brazley (DB) was named Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. The Lions' Rick Klassen (DT) was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian.

Playoff bracket

CFL leaders CFL passing leaders CFL rushing leaders CFL receiving leaders

1983 CFL All-Stars

Offence QB – Warren Moon, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Alvin "Skip" Walker, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Johnny Shepherd, Hamilton Tiger-Cats SB – Tom Scott, Edmonton Eskimos SB – Ron Robinson, Montreal Concordes WR – Brian Kelly, Edmonton Eskimos WR – Terry Greer, Toronto Argonauts C – John Bonk, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OG – Leo Blanchard, Edmonton Eskimos OG – Rudy Phillips, Ottawa Rough Riders OT – John Blain, BC Lions OT – Kevin Powell, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence DT – Mack Moore, BC Lions DT – Gary Dulin, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Greg Marshall, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Rick Mohr, Toronto Argonauts MLB – Danny Bass, Calgary Stampeders LB – Delbert Fowler, Montreal Concordes LB – Vince Goldsmith, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Harry Skipper, Montreal Concordes DB – Kerry Parker, BC Lions DB – Larry Crawford, BC Lions DB – Richard Hall, Calgary Stampeders DB – Carl Brazley, Toronto Argonauts DB – Paul Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Special teams P/K – Lui Passaglia, BC Lions

1983 Eastern All-Stars

Offence QB – Condredge Holloway, Toronto Argonauts RB – Alvin "Skip" Walker, Ottawa Rough Riders RB – Johnny Shepherd, Hamilton Tiger-Cats SB – Emanuel Tolbert, Toronto Argonauts SB – Ron Robinson, Montreal Concordes WR – Keith Baker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats WR – Terry Greer, Toronto Argonauts C – Larry Tittley, Ottawa Rough Riders OG – Dan Ferrone, Toronto Argonauts OG – Rudy Phillips, Ottawa Rough Riders OT – Miles Gorrell, Montreal Concordes OT – Kevin Powell, Ottawa Rough Riders

Defence DT – Franklin King, Toronto Argonauts DT – Gary Dulin, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Greg Marshall, Ottawa Rough Riders DE – Rick Mohr, Toronto Argonauts MLB – Darrell Nicholson, Toronto Argonauts LB – Delbert Fowler, Montreal Concordes LB – Rick Sowieta, Ottawa Rough Riders LB – William Mitchell, Toronto Argonauts DB – Harry Skipper, Montreal Concordes DB – Leroy Paul, Toronto Argonauts DB – Howard Fields, Hamilton Tiger-Cats DB – Darrell Wilson, Toronto Argonauts DB – Carl Brazley, Toronto Argonauts DB – Ken McEachern, Toronto Argonauts

Special teams P/K – Bernie Ruoff, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1983 Western All-Stars

Offence QB – Warren Moon, Edmonton Eskimos RB – Willard Reaves, Winnipeg Blue Bombers RB – Ray Crouse, Calgary Stampeders SB – Tom Scott, Edmonton Eskimos SB – Chris DeFrance, Saskatchewan Roughriders WR – Brian Kelly, Edmonton Eskimos WR – Mervyn Fernandez, BC Lions C – John Bonk, Winnipeg Blue Bombers OG – Leo Blanchard, Edmonton Eskimos OG – Roger Aldag, Saskatchewan Roughriders OT – John Blain, BC Lions OT – Dave Kirzinger, Calgary Stampeders

Defence DT – Mack Moore, BC Lions DT – Randy Trautman, Calgary Stampeders DE – James Parker, Edmonton Eskimos DE – Tony Norman, Winnipeg Blue Bombers MLB – Danny Bass, Calgary Stampeders LB – James West, Calgary Stampeders LB – Vince Goldsmith, Saskatchewan Roughriders DB – Dave Shaw, Winnipeg Blue Bombers DB – Kerry Parker, BC Lions DB – Larry Crawford, BC Lions DB – Richard Hall, Calgary Stampeders DB – Paul Bennett, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Special teams P/K – Lui Passaglia, BC Lions P/K – Trevor Kennerd, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

1983 CFL awards CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Warren Moon (QB), Edmonton Eskimos CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Paul Bennett (DB), Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Greg Marshall (DE), Ottawa Rough Riders CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award – Rudy Phillips (OG), Ottawa Rough Riders CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award – Johnny Shepherd (RB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFLPA's Outstanding Community Service Award – Henry Waszczuk (C), Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL's Coach of the Year – Cal Murphy, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

References