The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta . The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium . The Elks were founded in 1949 as the Edmonton Eskimos and have won the Grey Cup championship fourteen times (including a three-peat between 1954 and 1956 and an unmatched five consecutive wins between 1978 and 1982), most recently in 2015 and the most of any CFL club based in Western Canada. The team has a rivalry with the Calgary Stampeders . The team discontinued using the Eskimos name in 2020, with the new name Elks formally announced on June 1, 2021.
41-468: The Edmonton Elks were a "community owned" team (owned by local shareholders) since their inception in 1949 to midway through the 2024 season . Edmonton Elks Football Team, Inc., was governed by a ten-member board of directors. The board consisted of a chairman, treasurer, secretary, and seven directors. The club's president and CEO was Chris Presson until he was fired on November 22, 2021. As of 2024, Larry Thompson, longtime Elks fan and shareholder, bought
82-792: A game in Punjabi in July 2023, marking the first-ever professional football broadcast in the language in North America. Running backs Fullbacks Receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams 1-game injured list 6-game injured list Suspended Head Coach Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks– Jarious Jackson Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Jason Shivers Special teams coach Strength and Conditioning → Coaching staff → More CFL staffs Mike Reilly (quarterback) Michael Reilly (born January 25, 1985)
123-563: A new logo of a stylized image of an elk and the Elks helmet logo was changed to antlers. After keeping the elk-antler helmet for the 2021 season, the team reintroduced the EE logo to their helmets (albeit with it not being enclosed in an oval) in the 2022 offseason, acknowledging fan favourability towards the logo. In 2021, the Elks worked with artist Izaiah Masuskapoe, an Indigenous student at West Edmonton’s St. Thomas More Catholic Junior High School, to create
164-671: A practice roster agreement with the BC Lions . On August 26, 2010, Reilly was activated by the Lions and spent the remainder of the year as the third-string quarterback. He dressed for all 18 games in 2011 as the third-string quarterback and shared in the Lions' 99th Grey Cup victory. He got his first pro start on October 19, 2012, against the Edmonton Eskimos due to an injury to Travis Lulay . Reilly completed 19 of 28 throwing attempts for 276 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, leading
205-423: A record five straight Grey Cups between 1978 and 1982 stated, "The name Eskimos, to me, just means pride and it means winning with that organization". However, he stated that he was ultimately supportive of the move because some people might be offended by the name. Saying, "If this is something that is insensitive to another group of people, that is something I can understand being a minority myself." This came around
246-775: A special logo to celebrate the Indigenous people in Edmonton, which later spread to all of Canada in 2024 as the CFL commemorated the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation with logos of their own. This followed a similar effort by the BC Lions months before. With 14 Grey Cup wins, the franchise has won the Grey Cup more than any other team except the Toronto Argonauts , who have 18 wins. This includes more championships than any other team since
287-593: A starter for 12,448 yards, 118 touchdowns and only 40 interceptions. After redshirting at Washington State as a 5th-string quarterback, Reilly decided he didn't want to bide his time waiting for playing time. Central Washington offered him a chance to start right away so he transferred. He was the 2008 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year after completing 65.2% of his passes (207 of 414) in 2008 for 3,706 passing with 37 TDs, six INTs and he rushed 103 times for 415 yards (4.0 avg.) with four touchdowns. He
328-694: Is an American former football quarterback player who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for 11 seasons. He was the starting quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos when they won the 103rd Grey Cup and was named the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player . He was originally signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football for
369-470: The 2013 CFL season , Reilly was in open competition with Matt Nichols for the starting quarterback job. Nichols tore his ACL in preseason which made Reilly the starting QB for the season. On August 18, 2013, Reilly threw for over 500 yards in a losing cause, the fourth highest performance for yards passing in a single game in the history of the Eskimos football club. In his first season as a full-time starter in
410-863: The Central Washington Wildcats . He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player in 2017. Reilly has also been a member of the BC Lions of the CFL and the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers , Green Bay Packers , St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks . Reilly played three seasons for Kamiakin High School in Kennewick, Washington , before relocating to Kalispell, Montana . As a senior, he set a Flathead High School record with 2,280 yards. He originally signed with NAIA Montana Tech, but chose to walk on at Washington State University before transferring to Central Washington. Reilly
451-623: The Edmonton Eskimos and was briefly called the Edmonton Elks during 1922 . (The city was represented by the Edmonton Civics in 1914 and the Edmonton Canucks in 1919 .) After appearing in and losing the 9th Grey Cup and 10th Grey Cup games (being the first western teams to play for the Cup) the team folded in 1925 , but returned for two seasons beginning 1928 , and then folded again. It
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#1732852233386492-645: The 2009 preseason, but was waived on September 5, 2009. On November 19, 2009, Reilly was signed to the Green Bay Packers practice squad. On December 9, 2009, he was signed off the Packers' practice squad by the St. Louis Rams . He was waived on May 4, 2010. Reilly was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Seahawks on May 4, 2010. He was waived on May 18, 2010. On July 26, 2010, it was announced that Reilly had signed
533-407: The CFL was formed in the 1950s. Edmonton holds the record for most consecutive Grey Cup appearances (6 from 1977–1982), and consecutive wins (5 from 1978–1982). The team is the only one to have won three or more consecutive Grey Cups twice (1954–1956 and 1978–1982). The team has the distinction of setting two opposite North American professional sports records: from a success standpoint, Edmonton made
574-483: The CFL, Reilly threw for 4,207 yards, with 24 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He also finished 5th in the league in rushing yards with 709. Despite his efforts, the Eskimos struggled all season finishing with a record of 4–14 and missing the playoffs. In the 2014 season, Reilly played in 15 regular season games, leading the Eskimos to the number two seed in the Western Division with a record of 12–6. After defeating
615-496: The Elks include professional wrestler and WWE champion Roman Reigns , who played under his birthname Joe Anoa'i in 2008. The Edmonton Elks have a policy of honouring the players who have best represented the team on the field. The player's name, number and seasons played with the Edmonton Elks are displayed on the edge of the concrete separating the field level from the lower bowl of Commonwealth Stadium . The Elks keep most of
656-481: The Grey Cup Most Valuable Player award after completing 21-of-35 pass attempts for 269 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. On April 14, 2016, the Eskimos announced they had signed Reilly to a contract extension through the 2018 CFL season. The three-year deal is reportedly worth over $ 400,000 in 2016 and then bumps up to over $ 500,000 in following seasons. Reilly continued his stellar play in
697-469: The Lions to a victory over the Edmonton Eskimos 39–19. The win clinched a first round bye for the BC Lions in the 100th Grey Cup Playoffs. On January 31, 2013, Reilly was traded to the Edmonton Eskimos by the BC Lions ; the trade included the exchange of the clubs' second round picks in the 2013 CFL Draft and the Lions receiving the Eskimos' second round pick in the 2014 CFL Draft . Entering
738-606: The Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Western semi-finals, Reilly and the Eskimos were defeated by the Stampeders 43–18, ending their season. It was revealed after the game that Reilly had been playing with a broken bone in his foot and had been in great pain. The injury had been caused in a previous game during the regular season. Reilly's third season with Eskimos was once again hampered by injuries, missing 8 games. He played in
779-498: The dominance of the city's NHL team the Edmonton Oilers , led the city to be nicknamed the "City of Champions" in the 1980s. Edmonton made it to nine Grey Cups in a ten-year span from 1973 to 1982. In the 1980s and 90s the team's marquee player was Gizmo Williams who still holds many CFL records in punt and kickoff returns and was a key part in Grey Cup victories in 1987 and 1993 under head coach Ron Lancaster . During this period
820-501: The eight-round draft. Not including traded picks, the team selected first in each round of the draft, including the first overall selection , after finishing last in the 2023 league standings . In April 2024, CHAH announced that it would broadcast a regular schedule of Elks games with commentary in Punjabi beginning in the 2024 season, under a multi-year agreement with the team. The team had previously collaborated with CHAH to broadcast
861-576: The first game of the season, and the last 9; winning 8 in a row to finish the season as the first seed in the West Division. Reilly completed 214 of 329 pass attempts for 2,449 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions (passer rating of 89.8). On November 29, 2015, the Eskimos won the 103rd Grey Cup with a score of 26–20 over the Ottawa RedBlacks in Winnipeg, Manitoba . After the game, he received
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#1732852233386902-525: The following three seasons, throwing for over 5,500 yards each season while tossing 88 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. Set to become a free agent in February 2019, Reilly had a workout with the Jacksonville Jaguars in mid-December 2018. On February 12, 2019, Reilly became a free agent and subsequently signed a four-year contract with the BC Lions later that day. Despite lofty expectations to start
943-440: The following year, for the first time in 34 years, a North American professional sport record. This led to a ten-year Grey Cup drought. After a gap of ten years, Edmonton won the Grey Cup again in 2015, under the leadership of quarterback Mike Reilly , their most recent championship. In 2020 pressure mounted from team sponsors such as Belairdirect , Boston Pizza , and Sports Interaction, a First Nations–owned betting company, for
984-465: The highest average attendance in the league 27 times since moving to Commonwealth Stadium in 1978. Team alumni have figured prominently in Alberta political life: past players include two former provincial premiers ( Peter Lougheed and Donald Getty ), a former mayor of Edmonton ( Bill Smith ), and a lieutenant-governor ( Norman Kwong ). Athletes of significance in other professional sports that played for
1025-414: The longest drought in team history. The team moved to Commonwealth Stadium in 1978. The team won five consecutive Grey Cups (1978–82), led by superstar quarterbacks Warren Moon and Tom Wilkinson and head coach Hugh Campbell . After a brief absence, Campbell returned to the team in 1986 and worked for Edmonton in an administrative capacity until his retirement in 2006. This five-year dynasty, followed by
1066-1134: The numbers in circulation rather than retire them from use. However, the team has had the numbers of Warren Moon (1), Don Warrington (21), and Rollie Miles (98) removed from circulation and are no longer issued. Numbers so honoured as of 2023: Running backs Fullbacks Receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams Pending Free Agents 1-game injured list 6-game injured list Practice roster Suspended Head Coach Offensive coaches Defensive coaches Special teams coach Strength and Conditioning → Coaching staff → More CFL staffs Grey Cup N. J. Taylor Trophy Grey Cup MVP Dick Suderman Trophy Most Outstanding Player Award Most Outstanding Canadian Award Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award Most Outstanding Lineman Award Most Outstanding Rookie Award Annis Stukus Trophy Tom Pate Memorial Award Rogers Fans' Choice Award Defunct 2024 Edmonton Elks season The 2024 Edmonton Elks season
1107-437: The playoffs for 34 consecutive years from 1972 to 2005. At the other end, the Elks hold the dubious record of most consecutive home losses, set when they passed 21 on July 29, 2023. This streak ended at 22, with the first home win under the Elks name coming August 27, 2023. This record was previously held by the 1953 St. Louis Browns . The Elks have also led the CFL in yearly attendance many times. As of August 2016, Edmonton had
1148-530: The remainder of the season. In November 2020, Reilly filed a grievance against the BC Lions claiming a portion of his salary was guaranteed, even though the 2020 season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . He reached a settlement with the team and subsequently re-signed to a new contract through the 2022 season on December 17, 2020. After beginning the 2021 season with lingering injury issues, Reilly finished
1189-674: The same time as the Washington Redskins of the National Football League rebranded as the Washington Commanders, and the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball rebranded as the Cleveland Guardians. The team colours, green and gold, have remained essentially the same over the years with only minor modifications to the uniform or logo until 2021, when the EE logo was designated as a secondary logo, and introduced
1230-452: The season the Lions only won one of their first 11 games. Reilly was able to lead the Lions to four consecutive victories pulling the Lions into a playoff race with his former team. However, Reilly suffered a wrist injury early in Week 18 against the Eskimos who would win the match and eliminate the Lions from playoff contention. Reilly underwent surgery in the days following and was declared out for
1271-407: The team began in the 1949 WIFU season as the Edmonton Eskimos under head coach Annis Stukus , for whom the CFL's annual coach of the year award is named. The team played home games at Clarke Stadium and quickly saw success under quarterback Jackie Parker and running back Johnny Bright , winning the Grey Cup three years in a row from 1954 to 1956. The team did not win the Grey Cup again until 1975,
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1312-530: The team outright, becoming the first private owner in club history. The Edmonton Rugby Foot-ball Club , unaffiliated with the current team, was an early Canadian football - rugby union team based in Edmonton . The team played its first organized games with the formation of the Alberta Rugby Football League in 1895. In 1908 the name Esquimaux was adopted. In 1910 the club was officially named
1353-399: The team to change their name. The term Eskimo is an offensive term historically placed on Inuit people. The team officially dropped all use of the word "Eskimo" from the team on July 21, 2020. In response, the team temporarily rebranded as the "Edmonton Football Team" or, secondarily, the "EE Football Team", confirming their plan was to rebrand with a nickname starting with "E" to continue
1394-460: The team was also known for its stellar defensive line, with future Canadian Football Hall of Famers like Danny Kepley and Danny Bass winning Defensive Player of the Year Awards and Willie Pless winning the trophy a record five times. After winning the Grey Cup in both 2003 and 2005, under quarterback Ricky Ray , who is Edmonton's all-time leader in passing yards, the team missed the playoffs
1435-508: The use of at least some of their branding, most notably the interlocked double-E logo. This move was supported by multiple Indigenous groups, including the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami , a group representing over 60,000 Inuit across Canada. On June 1, 2021, the team formally announced that the new Edmonton team name would be the Edmonton Elks, a name used by the Edmonton football club of 1922. Franchise great Warren Moon, who led Edmonton to
1476-520: Was a co-runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy , which is presented to the nation's top Division II football player, as a senior. He threw a touchdown pass in all 46 games of his college career, giving him the NCAA all-divisions record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. This record would be tied in 2014 by Marshall's Rakeem Cato . Reilly completed 64 percent of his passes over his four years as
1517-507: Was also named First-team All Great NW for his efforts. He was also Third-team Little All-America. In 2007, he started all 13 games and completed 271 of 435 passes (62.3%) for 3,386 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while be named Second-team All-North Central. He also rushed 129 times for 266 yards (2.1 avg.) with three touchdowns. In 2006, he started all 11 games and was 231/351 (65.8%) for 2,660 yards 21 TDs and 12 Ints., rushed 137 times for 272 yards (2.0 avg.) with four touchdowns and
1558-495: Was fired and Jarious Jackson was named interim head coach while Geroy Simon was named interim general manager. The franchise came under private ownership in August when longtime season ticket holder Larry Thompson purchased the team. The 2024 CFL Global Draft took place on April 30. The Elks had two picks in the draft, selecting first in each round. The 2024 CFL Draft took place on April 30. The Elks had nine selections in
1599-459: Was named Second-team All-North Central. The year prior, 2005, he started all 10 games and was 223/353 (63.2%) for 2,686 yards 30 TDs and 11 interceptions and rushed 86 times for 310 yards (3.6 avg.) with three touchdowns, while being named First-team All-Great NW. Reilly was eligible to be selected in the 2009 NFL draft , but went undrafted. He signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers . Reilly completed 10-of-15 for 117 yards during
1640-743: Was succeeded by the Edmonton Boosters , who played for three more seasons, and the Edmonton Hi-Grads in 1936 (a team of high school graduate all stars.) Elite-level football returned to Edmonton in 1938 with a team once again called the Eskimos , this time in the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU). This team ceased operating after only two seasons because of the Second World War . The current incarnation of
1681-400: Was the 66th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 75th overall. The Elks improved upon their 4–14 record from 2023 , but were eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive season. The team's 2024 season was scheduled to be the third consecutive under head coach and general manager , Chris Jones . However, after beginning the season 0–5, Jones