A native of Hamilton, Phil Adrian was the dominant high school player in Montreal in 1950. A halfback and punter he succeeded the heralded George Economides as the star of the powerhouse West Hill High School team. Adrian was described as running like a “light footed dear.”.  Adrian led the league scoring race by a wide margin and in his final year scored 16 of his teams 17 points in a league game before counting 11 of 17 points in winning the 1950 city championship and was the league MVP.  In addition to his football exploits Phil was a star track performer with the Olympic Track and Field Club and a standout in hockey.

Adrian purned college football offers to sign with the Alouettes and joined them in 1951, playing sporadically  as a punt returner. In 1952 he was hampered by a torn leg muscle in training camp and then a shoulder injury. However, at the end of October he was given his first big opportunity when he replaced the injured  Dawson Tilley at fullback. Coach Peahead Walker, famous for under-utilizing Canadian players,  kept him on the bench despite being desperate for a breakaway back (at one point in 1951-52 the team had lost 12 straight games). The following season was marked by further injuries and limited playing time, especially with arrival of Alex Webster. By 1954 the Alouettes were developing into a powerhouse team under San Etcheverry and the arrival of more import running backs seemed to spell the end of opportunities for Adrian and he retired before the start of the 1955 season.

Adrian's older brother Doug Adrian played with the Eskimos in 1953 and younger brother Ricky was a standout with the McGill Redmen.

[Bio by Wes Cross]

Phil Adrian Signs Wih Als - July 8, 1951

Official games played stats were not kept in the East until 1960. The above numbers come from the 2006 Montreal Media Guide and are unofficial. Individual stats, other than points scored were not kept in the East until 1954.