Every weekday until UBC football's home opener on September 9th, GoThunderbirds.ca will release five former T-Birds on the list of 'The Top 100 UBC Football Players'. Follow along on the UBC football page of GoThunderbirds.ca. Support the 2017 version of the UBC Thunderbirds football program by purchasing your season tickets today at GoThunderbirds.ca/tickets.
Who is the greatest Thunderbird to ever play football for UBC? A lofty question and one that is hard to quantify. Comparing football players through generations is challenging. The game of football has seen countless changes in rules and equipment, since the first team of what were then called Canadian rugby-football players formed at Point Grey in 1923.
These obstacles did not deter UBC defensive coordinator
Pat Tracey, however. Tracey, a self-confessed football stats and history 'geek', wanted to compile an easy to digest ranking list for fans and alumni alike.
He went to work devising a ranking system to create a final compilation:
'The Top 100 UBC Football Players'.
Here are numbers 55-51. Let the debate begin.
55) Andrew English (WR/K):
- Hardy Cup Finalist ('92)
- Led UBC in Scoring and FG's ('93)
- Led Canada West in Receptions ('94)
- Led Canada West in Scoring ('95)
- Led UBC in Receiving Yardage ('94,'95)
- Led UBC in FG's ('95)
- Canada West All-Star ('94,'95)
- All-Canadian ('94,'95)
- 2nd Rd pick, 15th overall CFL ('97-'03 BC, TOR, HAM)
54) Dan Elliott (LB):
- Hardy Cup Finalist ('96)
- Vanier Cup Champion ('97)
- Hardy Cup Finalist ('98)
- Led UBC in Solo and Total Tackles ('96-'97)
- Led Can-West in Totals ('96)
- Led Can-West in Interceptions ('98)
- Canada West All-Star ('96,'97,'98)
- All-Canadian ('98)
53) Vince Danielson (WR/QB):
- Hardy Cup Finalist ('89,'90,'92)
- Led UBC in Passing ('90,'91)
- Led UBC in Rushing Touch Downs ('90)
- Led Can-West in Passing Percentage (50.9) Completions and Yards.
- Led UBC in Receptions (44), Yardage (656) and Average-14.3 ('93)
- Canada West Player of the Week Passing for 362-yards vs. Saskatchewan Sept. 22nd, 1990.
- Led Canada West in Passing Yardage (2,183), Completions Percentage (57.5), Touch Downs (17) including 4-TD Passes vs Alberta, August 31st, 1991
- Canada West All-star ('93)
- All-Canadian ('93)
- CFL 1st Rd. Pick, 3rd overall by Calgary Stampeders ('94)
52) Brandon Deschamps (RB):
- Led Canada West in Rushing ('12)
- Led UBC in All-Purpose Yardage ('12)
- Led UBC in Rushing ('12,'13,'14,'15)
- Canada West Offensive Player of the Week - Sept. 9th, 2013 and CIS Offensive Player of the Week – Nov. 23rd, 2016
- Vanier Cup Champion ('15)
- Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy ('16)
- Uteck Bowl MOP ('15)
51) Bruce Barnett (DB/KR):
- Vanier Cup Champion ('82)
- Hardy Cup Finalist ('83)
- Don Loney Atlantic Bowl Co-Defensive MVP ('82)
- Led UBC in Punt, Kickoff, and Fumble Returns ('84)
- Canada West All-Star ('83,'84)
- 2nd Rd pick, 14th overall CFL ('85-'87 BC)
- Holds School Record for Highest Punt return Average in a Career (13.3)
- Set Record for Most Punt Returns in a game (11)
