Solly to retire from CFL - will continue to reside in Vancouver

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David
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Sad to see a legend hang them up but we can say that we witnessed one of the greatest ever linebackers to play in the league, right here in B.C.

https://www.tsn.ca/solomon-elimimian-i- ... -1.1590496

Interesting comment here:
I’ll be honest, when it comes to Wally Buono: for the first five years I couldn’t stand the guy. But he knew how to push me. He’s one of the greatest people I’ve had in my life. I have a lot of respect for the stability and the culture he built that allowed players like me to thrive.

DH :cool:
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B.C.FAN
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Solly gave everything he had to the league, on and off the field. That was a Hall of Fame career.
TheLionKing
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One of the greatest linebacker to don the black and orange.
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DanoT
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TheLionKing wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 3:46 pm
One of the greatest linebacker to don the black and orange.
Arguably the best MLB to ever play in the CFL.

When Sol first came to the CFL he really made a name for himself as a big hitter. Sometimes the deliverer of the big hit can get injured so a few years into his CFL career he switched to a Pete Carroll rugby tackling style as well as becoming a very cerebral player, very adept at anticipating where a play was headed.
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Gridiron Ernie
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Here's a sweet little nod from JC Abbott, remembering his first meeting/interviewing Sol E. https://3downnation.com/2021/02/13/unti ... elimimian/
Murdoch
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DanoT wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:42 pm
Arguably the best MLB to ever play in the CFL.
How about "in elite company" Elimimian missing from this list with 833 career tackles.

[Defensive Tackle stats were first kept in 1987 and special teams tackles in 1991]
Most Defensive Tackles Career: Willie Pless 1241, Mike O'Shea 1151, Alondro Johnson 1095, Greg Battle 766, Eddie Davis 745 (including 2008)
Most Defensive Tackles Season: Calvin Tiggle Tor 129 (1994), Bruce Holmes Ott 127 (1990), Doug Landry Cal 122 (1989)
Most Defensive Tackles Game: Reggie Hunt Sask 16 (July 10, 2003 Sask at Wpg), Calving Tiggle Ham 15 (Aug. 19, 1999 BC at Ham)

Tackles for Losses Game: K.D. Williams Wpg 6 (Oct. 9, 1995 Wpg at Tor)

Special Teams Tackles Game: Paul Clatney, Terry Wright, Brendan Rodgers, Norman Bradford, Donovan Gans, Darren Joseph 7

KD Williams 6 tackles for loss in one game is almost funny.
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DanoT
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Murdoch wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:54 am
DanoT wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:42 pm
Arguably the best MLB to ever play in the CFL.
How about "in elite company" Elimimian missing from this list with 833 career tackles.

[Defensive Tackle stats were first kept in 1987 and special teams tackles in 1991]
Most Defensive Tackles Career: Willie Pless 1241, Mike O'Shea 1151, Alondro Johnson 1095, Greg Battle 766, Eddie Davis 745 (including 2008)
Most Defensive Tackles Season: Calvin Tiggle Tor 129 (1994), Bruce Holmes Ott 127 (1990), Doug Landry Cal 122 (1989)
Most Defensive Tackles Game: Reggie Hunt Sask 16 (July 10, 2003 Sask at Wpg), Calving Tiggle Ham 15 (Aug. 19, 1999 BC at Ham)

Tackles for Losses Game: K.D. Williams Wpg 6 (Oct. 9, 1995 Wpg at Tor)

Special Teams Tackles Game: Paul Clatney, Terry Wright, Brendan Rodgers, Norman Bradford, Donovan Gans, Darren Joseph 7

KD Williams 6 tackles for loss in one game is almost funny.
I have three problems with "Total career tackles". Length of career can skew the numbers as can tackles from the chase position, especially from the MLB position. And if your offense is poor or does a lot of 2 and out, then your D gets on the field more, helping a LB build tackle stats.

Winning MOP and MODP carries more weight with me.
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Hambone
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Murdoch wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 6:54 am
DanoT wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 4:42 pm
Arguably the best MLB to ever play in the CFL.
How about "in elite company" Elimimian missing from this list with 833 career tackles.

[Defensive Tackle stats were first kept in 1987 and special teams tackles in 1991]
Most Defensive Tackles Career: Willie Pless 1241, Mike O'Shea 1151, Alondro Johnson 1095, Greg Battle 766, Eddie Davis 745 (including 2008)
Most Defensive Tackles Season: Calvin Tiggle Tor 129 (1994), Bruce Holmes Ott 127 (1990), Doug Landry Cal 122 (1989)
Most Defensive Tackles Game: Reggie Hunt Sask 16 (July 10, 2003 Sask at Wpg), Calving Tiggle Ham 15 (Aug. 19, 1999 BC at Ham)

Tackles for Losses Game: K.D. Williams Wpg 6 (Oct. 9, 1995 Wpg at Tor)

Special Teams Tackles Game: Paul Clatney, Terry Wright, Brendan Rodgers, Norman Bradford, Donovan Gans, Darren Joseph 7

KD Williams 6 tackles for loss in one game is almost funny.
I think your source of info is badly out of date. I'm thinking they may be only as of 2008, while Elimimian was still in college, based on that "including 2008" caveat for Eddie Davis' career numbers. Davis played one more year, 2009, adding 57 more.

Elimimian holds the record for DTs in a season with 144. (2017). He also holds #2 spot with 143 (2014). JC Sherritt is #3 with 130 (2012). SolE checks in again with 129 in (2016).

Chip Cox (979) and Barrin Simpson (955) slot in behind Alondra Johnson for career tackles.
Last edited by Hambone on Sun Feb 14, 2021 1:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Hambone
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DanoT wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 11:04 am

I have three problems with "Total career tackles". Length of career can skew the numbers as can tackles from the chase position, especially from the MLB position. And if your offense is poor or does a lot of 2 and out, then your D gets on the field more, helping a LB build tackle stats.
I think over the years they have changed the way they record tackle stats too so there may not be an apples to apples comparison.

At SFU Herdman's tackle numbers reflected the scenario in your last sentence. In his senior season the Clansmen were awful offensively losing all 10 games by at least 27 points on up to around 50+. With big leads opponents continued to pound the ball on the ground averaging 35 carries per game. Poor guy, and the rest of the front 7, must've been exhausted after games where the opposition ran the ball over 40 times. 45 was the high for opposition rushes that year.
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Hambone wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:37 pm
DanoT wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 11:04 am

I have three problems with "Total career tackles". Length of career can skew the numbers as can tackles from the chase position, especially from the MLB position. And if your offense is poor or does a lot of 2 and out, then your D gets on the field more, helping a LB build tackle stats.
I think over the years they have changed the way they record tackle stats too so there may not be an apples to apples comparison.

At SFU Herdman's tackle numbers reflected the scenario in your last sentence. In his senior season the Clansmen were awful offensively losing all 10 games by at least 27 points on up to around 50+. With big leads opponents continued to pound the ball on the ground averaging 35 carries per game. Poor guy, and the rest of the front 7, must've been exhausted after games where the opposition ran the ball over 40 times. 45 was the high for opposition rushes that year.

I guess Herdman was voted 2 time Conference D player of the year for being out there and trying hard? Not many players get to win their college ball Conference D player of the year; to do it twice in your career is rare air.

Back to Sol-E - one of the greatest CFL MLBs of all-time, IMO; up there with Dan Kepley and Wayne Harris (probably would be scary to see Harris' tackle totals from back in the day when they did not record that stat) ; and tackle totals for a season should be looked at in terms of games played in a season - older guys did not get an 18 game CFL sched. to pad stats.


Congrats to Sol-E on your career ! Good luck if you choose to stay involved with the CFLPA - tough sledding there.
Murdoch
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Hambone wrote:
Sun Feb 14, 2021 12:26 pm
I think your source of info is badly out of date. I'm thinking they may be only as of 2008, while Elimimian was still in college, based on that "including 2008" caveat for Eddie Davis' career numbers. Davis played one more year, 2009, adding 57 more.

Elimimian holds the record for DTs in a season with 144. (2017). He also holds #2 spot with 143 (2014). JC Sherritt is #3 with 130 (2012). SolE checks in again with 129 in (2016).

Chip Cox (979) and Barrin Simpson (955) slot in behind Alondra Johnson for career tackles.
Wasn't trying to prove a point and no disrespect intended toward Sol as one of the very best. No doubt they were old numbers.

Looking back if Sol hadn't missed so much of 2018 with an odd injury there wouldn't have been the same question mark about his health for 2019 and Lions likely sign him.

Also agree with DanoT that tackle count doesn't tell the whole story. Six more years of Alex Singleton might put him in the same conversation. Throw in Kepley and others who had long careers before tackle stats were kept makes comparison even more difficult. Sol Elimimian was as good as any of them imo.
Blitz
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Who was the greatest CFL middle linebacker?

There is a good case to be made for Sol E. as the greatest ever. Compelling arguments could also be made for Willie Pless, Wayne Harris, or Dan Kepley. All of them dominated in different eras. They were all a treat to watch play the game.

Tom Brown of our Leos was an exceptional linebacker. I could argue that Ray Nettles was the most talented even though I would consider the above named others as more proficient at the position.

Sol E. played the game when defenses often went with only two linebackers split, rather than a traditional middle lienbacker and two outside linebackers on passing downs along with a nickel back whereas Pless, Kepley, and Harris played the traditional middle linebacker role on almost every down.
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B.C.FAN
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Not to take anything away from Solly but his stats exploded in 2014 when Mark Washington took over as B.C. defensive coordinator and ran a scheme that left the middle linebacker free to flow to the ball and rack up a huge number of tackles. In five of the past six seasons in B.C. and Hamilton, the middle linebacker in a Washington defence has led the league in tackles. That includes Elimimian three times (2014, 2016 and 2017) and once each for Adam Bighill (2015 when Solly missed 11 games due to injury) and Simoni Lawrence (2019 with Washington as DC in Hamilton). The only exception was in 2018 when Alex Singleton in Calgary led the league. Elimimian missed 14 games due to injury that year.
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