John Stroppa
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 2, 1926 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | May 7, 2017 (aged 91) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Career history | |
| 1949–1951 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Coaching profile at Pro Football ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
| Stats at Pro Football ReferenceLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 29: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
John Stroppa (January 2, 1926 – May 7, 2017) was a halfback who played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1949 to 1951.
A native of Winnipeg, Stroppa took the league by storm in 1949, being the surprise winner of the Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy for Canadian rookie of the year in the west.[1] He also played in the famed Mud Bowl, the 1950 Grey Cup but retired after a serious mid-season kidney injury in 1951.[2]
After his playing days Stroppa moved to Edmonton because of his job, and took up amateur officiating. He then became one of the few professional players to become a CFL referee, working 250 games in 15 years, after which he became the CFL's supervisor of officials for another 11 years. He died in Edmonton on May 7, 2017.[3]
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ John Stroppa gets "Rookie of Year" in Western League Montreal Gazette, November 16, 1949.
- ^ Pay was bad, but he loved the game, Edmonton Journal, November 28, 2010
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).