THE TEAM

Since the Second World War, the 1948 Calgary Stampeders are Canadian football’s only undefeated champion. In the era of 12 or more games a season, the dominance of these Stampeders on both sides of the ball is unmatched. Calgary’s +157 point differential translates into an average winning margin of 13.1 points per game. The Stampeders defence held opponents to just over 5.1 points per game – no team’s defence has been so overwhelming since Canadian football expanded its season to 12 or more games. These Stampeders also enjoyed a bit of drama. Quarterback Keith Spaith engineered five game-winning drives in 1948 – a mark that still stands as a franchise record. Spaith’s last comeback drive of the season led Calgary to victory in the 36th Grey Cup over the Ottawa Rough Riders.

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THE PLAYER: NORMIE KWONG

Normie Kwong spent 10 years in Edmonton, and his hard, never-give-in, power running style helped Edmonton win three Grey Cups. But Kwong’s football career actually began with the rival Stampeders. At 19, Kwong learned what it took to be a Grey Cup champion as a member of the undefeated 1948 Stampeders.

THE STAT: 22, straight regular season wins

This Calgary team’s supremacy wasn’t a one-season wonder. Under head coach Les Lear, the Stampeders won 22 straight regular-season games from August 1948 to October 1949. The Stampeders finished 13-1 in 1949 before losing to Montreal in the 37th Grey Cup.