It’s NCAA Bowl Season.
It kicked off on December 13th with the Celebration Bowl and L.A. Bowl, and will wind up with four games on January 2nd. There are 40 Bowl games in total, and that is not including the four College Football Playoff first round games held on December 20th and 21st, or the Semi Finals and National Championship Games on January 8th, 9th and 19th.
There are three players on the Edmonton Elks’ negotiation list who are playing in Bowl games or playoff games this year, and all of them are QBs. The three are Devon Dampier (New Mexico), Jaylen Raynor (Arkansas State) and Jacob Zeno (Texas A&M).
Devon Dampier – Utah – Dec 31 – SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl vs Nebraska
| CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | |
| Career Passing | 459 | 757 | 60.6 | 5473 | 7.2 | 40 | 17 | 60 |
| CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | |
| Career Rushing | 341 | 2181 | 6.4 | 30 | 85 |
Jaylen Raynor – Arkansas State – Dec 18 – Xbox Bowl vs Missouri State (W 34-28)
Career NCAA Stats
| CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | |
| Career Passing | 758 | 1206 | 62.9 | 8694 | 7.2 | 52 | 28 | 79 |
| CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | |
| Career Rushing | 414 | 1183 | 2.9 | 15 | 62 |
Jacob Zeno – Texas A&M – Dec 20 – College Playoff Game vs Miami (L 10-3)
Career NCAA Stats
| CMP | ATT | CMP% | YDS | AVG | TD | INT | LNG | |
| Career Passing | 436 | 633 | 68.9 | 4975 | 7.9 | 32 | 18 | 81 |
| CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG | |
| Career Rushing | 175 | 360 | 2.1 | 6 | 44 |
As a Canadian kid growing up with three channels on TV, New Year’s Day was the only time I had the chance to watch NCAA football and the pageantry associated with it. New Year’s Day started with the Rose Bowl Parade, followed by the Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl or the Peach Bowl. You then watched the Rose Bowl and the evening nightcap, the Orange Bowl. It was a treat to watch these games and the future stars of the CFL and NFL.
The Edmonton Elks have won the New Year’s Day lotto twice in their history.
In 1977 a young kid named Harold from Los Angeles was named the PAC-8 Co-Player of the Year along with QB, Guy Benjamin of Stanford. He led his 7-4 squad into the 1978 Rose Bowl.
They were a 14 point underdog against the mighty No. 4 ranked Michigan Wolverines. Michigan needed a dominant win to have a chance being voted National Champions. Harold and his Washington Huskies had other plans. Harold started the scoring with a 2 yd TD run in the 1st quarter, a 1 yd TD run in the second quarter and throwing a passing TD in the 3rd quarter for a 24-0 lead. The Huskies won the Rose Bowl 27-20 and Harold was named the Rose Bowl MVP.
Harold went on to prepare for the 1978 NFL draft by working out for 6 teams but wasn’t looked highly upon as a QB prospect. Harold decided to gamble on himself and on April 12, 1978, the Edmonton Eskimos announced the signing of Harold Warren Moon.
The second lotto win was John Flanagan. Born on January 1st, this kid was amazing in college. He was a QB, punted, kicked converts, played defence and returned punts and kickoffs. He led the NCAA in scoring with 120 points. He was a 2-time SEC Player of the Year, He was drafted 325th by the NY Giants in the NFL but on Saturday, May 15, 1954, the Edmonton Journal announced that John Dickerson “Jackie” Parker signed a $15,000 contract to play football for the Edmonton Eskimos, a figure then president Ken Montgomery called “ridiculous.”
These two players have many things in common:
– They were part of Eskimo dynasties starting their first season. Parker in 1954, 1955 and 1956, while Moon was part of the 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982 Grey Cup teams.
– Both were CFL Most Outstanding Player Award Winners: Parker in1957, 1958 & 1960 and Moon in 1983.
– Both in multiple Hall of Fames: Parker is in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and more. Moon in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame and more.
– Both were on the TSN Top 50 CFL Players list in 2006. Parker was #3 while Moon was #5
– Both ran businesses in Edmonton: Tully & Parker’s Esso Service Station on 103 Ave & 104 St, W. Moon’s Chocolate Chippery in West Edmonton Mall
Let’s hope for a 3rd New Year’s lotto win.
Happy New Year ElksNation!
