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Henry Burris inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Four years after leading the Ottawa REDBLACKS to the city’s first Grey Cup Championship in four decades, Henry Burris has reached the pinnacle of CFL recognition.

On Thursday, Burris was inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, an expected and deserved honour for the quarterback known as Smilin’ Hank – he who helped Ottawa reach the Grey Cup final in two of his three years here.

Including his three seasons in Ottawa – starting in 2014 as the quarterback of the upstart REDBLACKS – Burris played 18 CFL seasons, which included stops in Calgary, Saskatchewan and Hamilton. In all, Burris suited up for 277 regular season games and 17playoff contests. He is a two-time CFL All-Star and was named a Division All-Star on four occasions. In 2015, he was honoured with the Tom Pate Memorial Award for outstanding sportsmanship and dedication to the league and the community.

He played in five Grey Cups and emerged victorious on three occasions (1998 and 2008 with Calgary and 2016 with Ottawa), earning Grey Cup Most Valuable Player twice (2008 and 2016). He was recognized as the league’s Most Outstanding Player in 2010 and 2015. Burris retired with 63,639 passing yards to rank third in CFL history, as well as, 373 touchdown passes and a passer efficiency rating of 93.6.

Henry Burris inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame

Ottawa REDBLACKS Henry Burris #ThanksHank