At the 103rd annual Grey Cup between the CFL's East representative Ottawa REDBLACKS against the West representative Edmonton Eskimos on Sunday, November 29 in Winnipeg at Investors Group Field, Bison history was made.
With Edmonton winning 26-20 over Ottawa, former Bisons Don Oramasionwu and Eddie Steele are 2015 Grey Cup Champions with the Eskimos and first Bisons to win a Vanier Cup at Manitoba (both were part of 2007 Vanier Cup Championship team when Manitoba won 28-14 over St. Mary's) and win a Grey Cup in their career.
Both Oramasionwu and Steele played at the defensive lineman position during the CFL championship win. Steele registered two tackles while Oramasionwu added one tackle in the first Grey Cup victory by Edmonton since 2005. Both are from Winnipeg who played high school football at Kelvin in Winnipeg prior to their Manitoba Bisons football careers.
Oramasionwu, 29, finished his seventh CFL season and in the 2015 regular season, the Winnipeg native played in 12 of 18 regular season games and registered 18 tackles with one sack and one fumble recovery. Prior to his CFL career, he had a four year Bison playing career and was part of the 2007 Vanier Cup champion team at Manitoba while earning 2008 CIS Second Team All-Canadian and 2008 Canada West All-Star in his best statistical season as Oramasionwu was third on the team and 23rd in the conference with 36 total tackles (28 were solo). The Winnipeg Blue Bombers selected Oramasionwu in the 5th round (39th overall) in the 2008 CFL Draft.
Steele, 27, completed his fifth CFL season and in the 2015 regular season, the Winnipeg native played in ten of 18 regular season games and posted 16 tackles with three sacks while having one tackle in the 2015 Western Final. Prior to his CFL career, he had a three year Bison playing career and was part of the 2007 Vanier Cup champion team at Manitoba while earning 2009 CIS Second Team All-Canadian and 2009 Canada West All-Star in his best statistical season as Steele notched 27 total tackles (22 were solo) with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats selected Eddie Steele in the 3rd round (22nd overall) in the 2010 CFL Draft.
Former Bison Kienan LaFrance also played in the 2015 Grey Cup with Ottawa.
Bison Notes: There were two other former Manitoba Bisons who came close to the double feat of winning a Vanier Cup at Manitoba and a Grey Cup in their career. Kicker Walt McKee was place kicker and punter for the 1969, 1970 Vanier Cup championship teams won by the Bisons and was also part of the 1975 Edmonton Eskimos team during the CFL regular season as punter before being released prior to the playoffs when Edmonton went on to win the Grey Cup against Montreal Alouettes by a 9-8 score. In that same 1975 Grey Cup, offensive lineman Bart Evans played for Montreal that season and was also a Vanier Cup champion with Manitoba in 1970.
