Joe Poplawski

{{Infobox gridiron football person

|full_name=

|image=

|ImageWidth=

|caption=

|status=Retired

|import=no

|position1=Slotback

|position2=Wide receiver

|birth_date={{birth date and age|mf=yes|1957|8|2}}

|birth_place=Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

|number=

|CIS=Alberta

|team=

|high_school=

|Height_ft=6

|Height_in=1

|Weight_lb=180

|playing_years1={{CFL Year|1978}}

|playing_team1=Edmonton Eskimos*

|playing_years2={{CFL Year|1978}}–{{CFL Year|1986}}

|playing_team2=Winnipeg Blue Bombers

|CFLDraftedYear=1978

|CFLDraftedRound=Terr. Exemption

|CFLDraftedPick=

|CFLDraftedTeam=Edmonton Eskimos

|career_highlights=

Grey Cup champion (1984)
2× CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award (1981, 1986)
5× Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy ({{CFL Year|1978}}, {{CFL Year|1981}}, {{CFL Year|1984}}-{{CFL Year|1986}})
CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award ({{CFL Year|1978}})
Jackie Parker Trophy ({{CFL Year|1978}})

|CFLAllStar={{CFL Year|1978}}, {{CFL Year|1981}}, {{CFL Year|1984}}, {{CFL Year|1985}}, {{CFL Year|1986}}

|CFLWestAllStar={{CFL Year|1978}}, {{CFL Year|1981}}, {{CFL Year|1984}}, {{CFL Year|1985}}, {{CFL Year|1986}}

|Awards=

|Honours=

| CFHOF = joe-poplawski

|CFHOFYear=1998

}}

Joe Poplawski (born August 2, 1957) is a former professional Canadian football receiver who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) from 1978 to 1986.

Professional career

Poplawski was originally a territorial exemption his hometown team the Edmonton Eskimos and prior to the beginning of the 1978 season he was traded to the Bombers in exchange for their star receiver Tom Scott. With 75 receptions for 998 yards and 8 touchdowns, Poplawski won the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in 1978.{{cite news|title=Unlikely legend, Joe Pop became Mr. Popular to Bombers fans |author=Taylor Allen |url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/hallcall/unlikely-legend-joe-pop-became-mr-popular-to-bombers-fans-468065153.html |website=Winnipeg Free Press |date=1 May 2018 |access-date=2019-07-18}} That season he was also selected to the Western Conference and CFL all-star team as a wide receiver. Despite a short career Poplawski achieved many more accolades including twice winning the Most Outstanding Canadian awards in 1981 and 1986. He was also the runner-up for this award in 1980, 1984 and 1985. He was selected to the All-Star team five times, first as mentioned above and four more times as a slotback in 1981, 1984, 1985, and 1986. Poplawski helped the Bombers win the 72nd Grey Cup in 1984 with five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown. At the age of 29, he ended career with 8,341 receiving yards on 549 receptions and with 48 touchdowns. In his final season, he temporarily filled in as the team's kicker, following an injury to Trevor Kennerd. Poplawski made 8 out of 10 field goals, totalling 233 yards, with his longest coming from 45 yards out.{{cite web|title=The 1970's - Receiver Joe Poplawski |author=Brian Snelgrove |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2010/08/12/the-1970-s-receiver-joe-poplawski/ |website=Winnipeg Blue Bombers |date= August 12, 2010 |access-date=2019-07-18}}

Statistics

BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="0" width="65%" style="text-align:center"

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="2" | Receiving

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! colspan="6" | Regular season

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Games

! Rec

! Yards

! Avg

! Long

! TD

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1978

| WPG

| 16

| 75

| 998

| 13.3

| 44

| 8

ALIGN="center"

| 1979

| WPG

| 2

| 3

| 35

| 11.7

| 17

| 0

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1980

| WPG

| 14

| 56

| 897

| 16.0

| 68

| 5

1981

| WPG

| 16

| 84

| 1,271

| 15.1

| 55

| 8

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1982

| WPG

| 16

| 57

| 825

| 14.5

| 47

| 2

1983

| WPG

| 15

| 58

| 971

| 15.7

| 41

| 8

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1984

| WPG

| 16

| 67

| 998

| 14.9

| 62

| 3

1985

| WPG

| 16

| 75

| 1,271

| 16.9

| 47

| 6

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"

| 1986

| WPG

| 18

| 74

| 1,075

| 14.5

| 65

| 8

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="3" | CFL totals

! 129

! 549

! 8,341

! 15.2

! 68

! 48

Post-playing career

After leaving football Poplawski pursued a career as a professional soccer player. Currently he heads up the Cavalier Drive branch of Ranger Insurance in Winnipeg, acquired in July 2014 by Arthur J. Gallagher Canada Limited.{{cite web|title=Business Insurance - MaxWealth |url=http://www.maxwealth.ca/business-insurance/ |website=Maximum Wealth Strategies |access-date=2019-07-18}} Poplawski also worked as an analyst for CJOB radio alongside play by play man Bob Irving.

In 2005, Poplawski was named one of the Blue Bombers 20 All-Time Greats and was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1998. Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2004.{{cite web|title=Joe Poplawski (August 2, 1957 - ) |url=http://honouredmembers.sportmanitoba.ca/inductee.php?id=288 |website=Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum |access-date=2019-07-18}}

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927031410/http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/honoured/2004/jPoplawski.htm Joe Poplawski biography] at [https://web.archive.org/web/20080324233514/http://www.halloffame.mb.ca/ Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum]

References

Category:1957 births

Category:Living people

Category:Canadian people of Polish descent

Category:Alberta Golden Bears football players

Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees

Category:Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Canadian Award winners

Category:Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners

Category:Canadian football wide receivers

Category:Edmonton Elks players

Category:Players of Canadian football from Alberta

Category:Canadian football people from Edmonton

Category:University of Alberta alumni

Category:Winnipeg Blue Bombers players