John Stroppa
Born:(1926-01-02)January 2, 1926
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died:May 7, 2017(2017-05-07) (aged 91)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Career information
CFL statusNational
Position(s)DB
Career history
As player
1949–1951Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Career highlights and awards
Awards1949 - Dr. Beattie Martin Trophy

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.

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

  1. ↑ John Stroppa gets "Rookie of Year" in Western League Montreal Gazette, November 16, 1949.
  2. ↑ Pay was bad, but he loved the game, Edmonton Journal, November 28, 2010
  3. ↑ "John Romeo Stroppa's Obituary". Edmonton Journal. May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
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