The youngest player ever to
win the Grey Cup was Calgary Stampeder Normie Kwong, an 18-year-old fullback
whose parents had immigrated from Canton, China, in the early 1900s. Born
in Calgary, 1929, Normie was the first Chinese Canadian to play in the
Canadian Football League. By the time he retired, 1960, Normie held over
30 CFL records, had won the Schenley Award, 1955 and 1956, as the CFL’s
most outstanding Canadian player, and was voted Canada’s Athlete of the
Year, 1955, beating out luminary runners-up such as Cliff Lumsden, Jackie
Parker, Rocket Richard, and Stan Leonard. In 13 seasons, the 5'10", 170-pound
fullback played in seven Grey Cup Finals, winning four. Nicknamed the “China
Clipper,” both on and off the playing field, at the age of 69 years, Norman
Kwong was awarded the Order of Canada, 1998. When he joined the CFL, 1948,
it was one year after Chinese Canadians finally won the right to vote and
one year after Ottawa had lifted a 24-year effective ban on Chinese immigration
to Canada. A tangible symbol of hope and dreams for the Chinese Canadian
youth of his day, Normie has been an important role model throughout his
life for immigrants of all walks and ways. From 1988-91, Normie was President
and General Manager of his old team, the Calgary Stampeders. He was also
co-owner of the National Hockey League’s Calgary Flames, 1989-94, during
which time the Flames won the Stanley Cup, making Norman Kwong, C.M., the
only Canadian to win both the Grey and Stanley Cups. In this view, Normie
Kwong lunges forward for the Edmonton Eskimos, early 1950s. In his 13-year
career as a fullback, Normie Kwong, inset, plunged and ran for 9,022 yards.
[Photo, courtesy Normie Kwong]
