TORONTO — The Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) and Museum's stellar Class of 2019 features one of the Canadian Football League's (CFL) top Canadian running backs, three receivers who were dominant in relatively short CFL careers, a player who excelled at two positions, a transformative figure in Saskatchewan football and a legendary university coach from British Columbia.
"Every class is special and this one is no different," said Mark DeNobile, Executive Director of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum, as he officially announced the names of this year's inductees at an event in Toronto.
"The Inductees are Jon Cornish, Mervyn Fernandez, Terry Greer, Ernie Pitts and David Williams in the Player category. In the Builder category, former Saskatchewan club president Jim Hopson and legendary University of British Columbia coach Frank Smith have been selected."
Fernandez was a member of the Silver and Black for six years, amassing 3,764, 19 touchdowns, and 209 receptions. Prior to his time with the Raiders, the San Jose native spent five seasons in the CFL on the BC Lions. Between 1982 and 1985, Fernandez had four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and was a fixture of the offense. Had it not been for his departure to the Raiders, Fernandez would've most likely been inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame much sooner; however, he's finally getting his time to shine.
In addition to Fernandez, wide receiver David Williams served a brief stint with the Silver and Black, seeing action in 1987.
Formal induction ceremonies for this year's CFHOF class will be held later this year at the Hall of Fame in Hamilton on Friday, August 9.
The Oakland Raiders will travel to Canada later this summer to play host to the Green Bay Packers for the team's third preseason matchup at IG Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The game will mark the Raiders' first excursion north of the border, and will become the first NFL team to play in three countries in one season.
To learn more about the Raiders preseason matchup, visit raiders.com/canada.
