Dieter Brock
Encyclopedia
Ralph "Dieter" Brock is a former Canadian Football League
and National Football League
player and now works as a coach. He is best remembered as the quarterback for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers
where he led the league in passing for four years.
Nicknamed "The Birmingham Rifle", Brock is the only Blue Bombers player to win back-to-back CFL Most Outstanding Player awards in the 1980
and 1981 CFL season
s. In 1981 Brock broke Sam Etcheverry
's 1956 record of 4,723 passing yards with 4,796 yards. Brock started his illustrious pro football career as a little used back-up quarterback for the Bombers in 1974. That season the team traded away their aging star passer Don Jonas
to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the much younger Chuck Ealey
. About midway through the 1975 season Brock became the starter and that resulted in Ealey being sent to the Toronto Argonauts
.
In 1983, Brock was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
for quarterback Tom Clements. This trade led to an exciting Grey Cup
in 1984, as the Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers faced each other in the championship game. Brock's Tiger-Cat team lost the game to Clements's Blue Bombers and Brock ended his career with many accomplishments, but without a Grey Cup victory. In 1985 Brock played for the Los Angeles Rams before retiring from football. Technically a rookie during his one season with the Rams, Brock led the team to an NFC Championship Game matchup with the Chicago Bears
, and set team rookie records for passing yards (2,658), touchdown passes (16), and passer rating (81.8). All these records were still on the books at the end of 2006.
Brock still holds the Blue Bombers record for career passing yards with 29,623. In 2005, for the commemoration of the Blue Bombers 75th anniversary, Brock was named one of the 20 All-Time Blue Bomber Greats. He was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 1995.
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player and now works as a coach. He is best remembered as the quarterback for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
where he led the league in passing for four years.
Nicknamed "The Birmingham Rifle", Brock is the only Blue Bombers player to win back-to-back CFL Most Outstanding Player awards in the 1980
1980 CFL season
The 1980 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 27th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 23rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1980:...
and 1981 CFL season
1981 CFL season
The 1981 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 28th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 24th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1981:...
s. In 1981 Brock broke Sam Etcheverry
Sam Etcheverry
Sam "The Rifle" Etcheverry was a professional American and Canadian football player and head coach. Etcheverry played the quarterback position, most famously with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, and was named Canadian football's Most Outstanding Player in 1954...
's 1956 record of 4,723 passing yards with 4,796 yards. Brock started his illustrious pro football career as a little used back-up quarterback for the Bombers in 1974. That season the team traded away their aging star passer Don Jonas
Don Jonas
-Sources:* Bob Gill, “The Best Little Quarterback You Never Heard Of” on the Professional Football Researchers Association website.-References:...
to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the much younger Chuck Ealey
Chuck Ealey
Charles "Chuck" Ealey is a former football player for Notre Dame High School, University of Toledo, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.-High school and college years:...
. About midway through the 1975 season Brock became the starter and that resulted in Ealey being sent to the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
.
In 1983, Brock was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
for quarterback Tom Clements. This trade led to an exciting Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
in 1984, as the Tiger-Cats and Blue Bombers faced each other in the championship game. Brock's Tiger-Cat team lost the game to Clements's Blue Bombers and Brock ended his career with many accomplishments, but without a Grey Cup victory. In 1985 Brock played for the Los Angeles Rams before retiring from football. Technically a rookie during his one season with the Rams, Brock led the team to an NFC Championship Game matchup with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and set team rookie records for passing yards (2,658), touchdown passes (16), and passer rating (81.8). All these records were still on the books at the end of 2006.
Brock still holds the Blue Bombers record for career passing yards with 29,623. In 2005, for the commemoration of the Blue Bombers 75th anniversary, Brock was named one of the 20 All-Time Blue Bomber Greats. He was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 1995.