Ottawa native Geoff Crain was an early fifties Canadian collegiate star who briefly had a chance to become that most rare of football specimens – a starting Canadian quarterback. A multi-sport star at McGill University, Crain graduated with a degree in engineering in 1952, but postponed that career when drafted by both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts in 1953. In that pre-merged CFL era the WIFU and IRFU held separate drafts which would lead to complications –particularly in this case. Crain selected the Blue Bombers over the Double Blue and became a back-up to Indian Jack Jacobs and / or Joe Zaleski while also starting in the defensive backfield. Coach George Trafton saw enough skill in the rookie signal caller to start him on September 28 1953 against the Roughriders, winning the game 19-2.  Crain also got a second start on October 10 of that season, the last start by a Canadian at quarterback for the Bombers. In the In the West plaoffs, Crain threw a 47 yard touchdown pass to Ernie Becker.  Crain also played in the Grey Cup in 1953, a losing struggle against Hamilton, but Crain did record an interception in the game.

In 1954 he began his engineering career in Ottawa, working for his family’s firm in the off season with the understanding that he would return to Ottawa in 1955 to work full time.  Crain had hopes to play for the Rough Riders in his home town in 1954, bu witgh Toronto owning his rights in the IRfU, that fell through and Crain returned to Winnipeg for a second season. 

Crain  did get a waive rfrom Winnipeg , but the waiver applied only to the WIFU and Toronto insisted that they still held his eastern rights. The matter was referred to the CRU, but in the end the IRFU was required to solve the problem. In the end the Rough Riders traded the rights to Alex Ponton (stuck in Toronto due to his job, but the property of the Rough Riders in Ottawa) in August 1954 for Crain and made them eligible to join their new clubs in – Ponton in 1954 and Crain in 1955.

With the Riders Crain served almost exclusively as a backup quarterback behind first Don Bailey and then Jack Scarbuth. The team was racked by dissention that year and the whole coaching staff and scouts, with one exception, were released halfway through the campaign. Crain dressed for all 12 games that year – one of the few to do so due to the turmoil, but an off-season diagnosis of diabetes cut short his promising career after only three seasons.

One of Crain’s unique accomplishments was quarterbacking a completely Canadian lineup in a WIFU/IRFU exhibition game on August 17 1953 during a 24-0 shutout of the Argonauts. He completed a scoring drive with the TD pass to fellow Ottawa native Bill Rochelle to cap off the opportunity. Renowned as a team prankster, perhaps his best moment in that regard was the heaving of a “dead duck” off the roof of the stadium when the timer fired his pistol during a game.

[Bio by Wes Cross with some additions from Chris Sinclair]

The following two clippings contains some more details on Crain's return to Winnipeg in 1954 and the move to Ottawa for 1955.

August 19, 1954

August 5, 1954

Geoff Crain on fanbase.com

Geoff Crain Would Take Football Case to Court - June 21, 1954

Happy in Their Home Town - September 2, 1955