Football Hall of Fame Profile: 1970 and the national stage
The largest class of inductees in Gee-Gees Football Hall of Fame history will be enshrined this year; three teams and two individuals have been selected for the honour. There are five decades of Gee-Gees history being celebrated; the 1960, 1970, and 1980 championship-winning teams will all go in to the Hall of Fame this year along with defensive standouts Steve Glenn and Sébastien Tétreault.
Head coach Bob O'Billovich called his 1970 Gee-Gees team "short in depth but long in talent," while Dale Potter notes that, "talent wins games but teamwork, good coaches, intelligence and grit wins championships." Clearly the 1970 Gee-Gees had the right combination.
The 1970 team gave Ottawa its first appearance in the senior national championship game since 1902.
Quarterback Paul Paddon was honoured with the Hec Crighton trophy as the Canadian University football MVP. In his acceptance speech, Paddon noted: "My only regret is that there isn't room for 31 names on this trophy because without all of them I wouldn't be accepting this award now."
In regular season play the team was 5-0-1 under O'Billovich, the Canadian Football Hall of Famer's only year as Gee-Gees head coach. The tie is one of five in Gee-Gees history between 1954 and 1992. The Gee-Gees had several big come-from-behind wins, including overcoming a 17-0 deficit against Guelph to win the division title.
Then came a 32-15 victory over Bishop's to claim the Central Canada Intercollegiate Football Conference title, and a 24-11 win over UNB for the Atlantic Bowl. The Atlantic Bowl victory came after the team's flight into Halifax the day before the game was forced to circle around the airport three times and land elsewhere to refuel. Ottawa were considered underdogs in the game, even without plane difficulties.
Claudio Vallee was the team's kicker, providing key field goals in many of the team's close games. Peter Ribbins, Michel Leveille, Dan Slee, Jim Tanguay were all conference All-Stars, in addition to Paddon.
In the College Bowl game Slee, Ribbins, Leveille, and Dale Potter all saw action on offence and defence as the team battled injuries.
Read the CCIFC Championship Game Recap
Read the Atlantic Bowl Recap
1970 Game Results:
W 24-16 at Laurentian, Sept. 19 - TDs by Ted Evanetz (2), Barry St. George (INT return)
T 28-28 vs Waterloo Lutheran at Lansdowne, Sept. 26 - TDs by Peter Ribbins (2 passes from Paddon), Michel Leveille (2 passes from Paddon)
W 25-7 at York, Oct. 3 - TDs by Jacques Burelle (pass), Leveille (pass), Ed Cain (pass)
W 29-20 vs Carleton at Lansdowne (Panda), Oct. 10 - TDs by Evanetz, Leveille (pass), Eli Monsour
W 35-7 vs Windsor at Carleton Stadium, Oct. 17 - TDs by Evanetz (2), Leveille (pass), Jacques Burelle
Oct. 24 - bye week
W 29-24 vs Guelph at Lansdowne, Oct. 31 - TDs by Monsour, Leveille, Ribbins (2 passes)
W 32-15 vs Bishop's at Lansdowne, Nov. 7 - TDs by Ribbins (pass), Greg Moses (2 passes), Dan Slee
W 24-11 vs UNB at St. Mary's, Nov. 14 (Halifax, Atlantic Bowl) - TDs by Leveille, Ribbins, Burelle
L 11-38 vs Manitoba at Varsity Stadium (Toronto, National Championship), Nov. 21 - TD by Leveille (85-yard pass)
Team Roster:
Ron Armstrong, Eli Monsour, Ed Cain, Jaques Burelle, Ted Evanetz, Roy Moore, Michel Leveille, Gilles Sabourin, Martin Sevigny, Don Manders, Jean Gauthier, Guy Boivin, Guy Fortier, John Silverman, Claudio Vallee, Vince Brooks, Dan Slee, Barry St. George, Wayne Terry, Rod Bujold, Denis Benoit, Dale Potter, Neil Wyatt (co-captain), Bill Bunting, Peter Ribbins, Bruce Wright, Peter De Montigny, Mike Copeland, Brian Carpenter, Jean Gouin, Greg Moses, Paul Paddon (co-captain).
Coaches and staff:
Bob O'Billovich (head coach), Jim Cain (line coach), Jim Conroy (defensive coach), Paul Calve (manager), Gerry Bourgon (trainer), Jacques Pallascio (publicity), Don Manders (publicity)