Towers of power on the D-line

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This article was published 27/10/2014 (4054 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

STOPPING the run is grunt work, while quarterback sacks grab the headlines. Either way, you need a combination of both from your defensive line to win games.

Doug Brown, Herb Gray, Michael Gray, Tony Norman and Stan Mikawos are your five finalists for the defensive lineman position on our All-Time Blue Bombers Team.

Voters have selected Ken Ploen as the quarterback, Chris Walby as the offensive lineman, Greg Battle as the linebacker, Bob Cameron as the kicker and Leo Lewis as both the kick returner and the running back of the Free Press/TSN 1290 All-Time Bombers Team. This week it’s your turn to select a defensive lineman for the team.

Our panel has had its say. Now you get to weigh in.

We’re presenting a position each week over a nine-week period with our panel’s choices of the top-five Winnipeg Blue Bombers to ever play for the club at that spot.

Cast your vote at alltimebombers.winnipegfreepress.com or see the ballot on page C7 of the paper edition.

On Friday afternoons at 4 p.m., live on TSN 1290’s Hustler and Lawless program, the Free Press and TSN 1290 websites, as well as the Saturday edition of the Free Press, we’ll announce the winner and member of the All-Time Bombers Team.

The Free Press print and digital editions and tsn1290.ca will run stories every Monday putting forth the position of the week and finalists selected by our panel. Voting will take place on both websites.

Legendary Blue Bombers player and coach Bud Grant headlines our panel. Grant was joined by former Bombers player and GM Paul Robson, Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee and Free Press sports reporter Ed Tait, Free Press columnist and TSN 1290 host Gary Lawless and TSN 1290’s Andrew (Hustler) Paterson.

Panellists were provided a statistical breakdown of the Bombers dating back to the 1950s, as well as an anecdotal package of the early Bombers teams, when statistics were not recorded.

Each panellist brought a unique perspective and personal set of criteria. Grant joined the group via conference call from a cabin in the Wisconsin woods while the rest huddled around a boardroom table at the Free Press offices.

From Grant’s gravelly voice emanating out of the telephone speaker, to Tait’s vivid recollections of games and players, to Robson’s cold analysis of a player’s strengths and weaknesses, to Paterson’s views from the upper decks of our stadiums, there were strong opinions all around.

Some players were quickly selected. Others were hotly debated. Sometimes it came down to a clash of eras. Others made it on the merit of championship wins while those without rings on their fingers were often set aside.

Vote a maximum of once per day and help choose the Blue Bombers player you consider the best at the following positions to be presented in this order: quarterback, offensive lineman, linebacker, kicker, kick returner, running back, defensive lineman, defensive back and receiver.

We’ve done our part. The final decisions are up to you. So vote and vote often. You’re the GM of this team. Make your choices.

gary.lawless@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @garylawless

DOUG BROWN, 2001-2011

It often required two players to keep Doug Brown from getting to the opposition quarterback. Brown ranks first among Winnipeg defensive linemen with 426 tackles and second with 52 sacks. He was also named to the CFL all-star team seven times in his career.

HERB GRAY, 1956-1965

Herb Gray excelled as a defensive end during the glory years of the Bud Grant era. He was a western all-star for six consecutive seasons (1957-1962). In his final season, Gray switched to the offensive side of the ball where he earned a western all-star selection at guard. A four-time Grey Cup champion.

MICHAEL GRAY, 1987-1993

Michael Gray played seven seasons for the Blue & Gold. He was credited with 223 tackles, including 43 sacks. Gray is probably best remembered for the “immaculate interception” he made to preserve the win in the 1988 Grey Cup.

TONY NORMAN, 1980-1986

Tony Norman was a menace to opposing quarterbacks for seven seasons. He remains the Blue Bombers’ leader among defensive linemen with 59 sacks; sacks were introduced as a stat in 1981.

STAN MIKAWOS, 1982-1996

Stan Mikawos spent much of his career engaging offensive linemen while the linebackers accumulated the glamour stats. Despite his unsung role, Mikawos ranks second in tackles by a defensive lineman with 226; he also recorded 32.5 sacks. A three-time Grey Cup champ.