John Stroppa (January 2, 1926 – May 7, 2017) was an award-winning halfback who played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1949 to 1951.
| Date of birth | January 2, 1926 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Date of death | May 7, 2017 (aged 91) |
| Place of death | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | DB |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1949–1951 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Awards | 1949 - Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy |
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
- ^ 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
- ^ "John Romeo Stroppa's Obituary". Edmonton Journal. May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017.