Willie Pless

Willie Pless brought his talents to the Toronto Argonauts in 1986. During his 14-year career he played 250 regular season games with four different teams and made 11 CFL All-Star teams. Pless became the league’s All-Time leading tackler before retiring following the 1999 season.

During his four years in Toronto, he was named an All-Eastern twice, All-Canadian twice, and the Most Outstanding rookie in the Eastern Division. In 1990, he was traded to the BC Lions and although he spent only one season on the west coast, he was named All-Western as well as All-Canadian.

In 1991, he signed with the Edmonton Eskimos as a free agent. During his eight years with the Eskimos, he set club records for most all-time defensive tackles with 813, tackles in one season with 177 and, on four occasions, tied the club record for defensive tackles in one game with 12.

In 1999, he made his last stop in the CFL, joining the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent. In Saskatchewan, he recorded 102 tackles, was named the teams most Outstanding Defensive Player, and named All-Western in the final season of his stellar fourteen-year career.

Playing Career

	Toronto Argonauts 1986 - 1989
	BC Lions 1990
	Edmonton Eskimos 1991 - 1998
	Saskatchewan Roughriders 1999

Awards/Honours

• All-Eastern Linebacker
  1986, 1988
• Eastern Division Most Outstanding Rookie
  1986
• All-Canadian Linebacker
  1986, 1988, 1990 - 1998
• All-Western Linebacker
  1990, 1992 - 1994, 1996 - 1998
• Western Division Most Outstanding Defensive Player
  1992, 1994 - 1997
• CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player
  1992, 1994 - 1997
• North Division All-Star
  1995
• Grey Cup Participation
  1987, 1993, 1996
• Grey Cup Winning Teams
  1993