6 Best Toronto Argonauts Players of All Time, Ranked

The Toronto Argonauts chances of winning it all are generally near the top of the league, as showcased by their 18 Grey Cups.

With more than 15 decades of players coming through the ranks, picking a top five was a tall task, but nonetheless, you’ll find my list of the top five Argonauts of all time below.

Who Are the Best Toronto Argonauts Ever?

1. Doug Flutie

Although Flutie only played two seasons for the Argonauts, in 1996 and 1997, he had a massive impact on the organization. 

In those two seasons, he completed 864 passes for 11,225 yards and 76 passing touchdowns. These are all inside the top five in franchise history. 

In addition to these numbers, Flutie and the Argonauts won the Grey Cup during his starting seasons. He was the MVP in both wins. The Argonauts scored 43 points or more in each of their wins. 

Flutie was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2008 and became the first non-Canadian to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2007. 

2. Michael “Pinball” Clemons

Besides playing briefly for the Kansas City Chiefs in 1997 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1988, Clemons has been with the Argonauts as a player, head coach, and executive since 1989. 

He played for the team from 1989 to 2000 and holds various records. He’s second in total touchdowns (85), fourth in rushing touchdowns (31), fifth in receiving touchdowns (46), tied for first for punt return touchdowns (eight), yards from scrimmage  (12,356), and receptions (682). 

3. Joe Krol

Krol played for the Argonauts from 1945 to 1952 and again in 1955. He was a quarterback, running back, defensive back, and a placekicker/punter. 

While with the Argos, he won five Grey Cups, the Lou Marsh Trophy (Canada’s top athlete), the Jeff Russell Trophy (most outstanding football player of the Quebec Student Sport Federation), the Lionel Conacher Award (Canada’s male athlete of the year) twice, and was a four-time All-Eastern running back. 

Today, he’s enshrined in the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and the Argonauts retired his No. 55. 

4. Dick Shatto

Shatto played from 1954 to 1965 and holds the franchise record for career touchdowns (91), the most rushing touchdowns in Argonauts history (38), and is tied for second in receiving touchdowns (52). 

He finished his time with the Argonauts with 7,007 rushing yards (first in franchise history), 1,322 rushing attempts (most), and 466 receptions (fourth).

5. Derrell Mitchell 

Mitchell, a wide receiver for the team from 1997 to 2003 and for one additional season in 2007, holds the record for the most receiving touchdowns all time in Argonauts history with 74. Additionally,  he ranks third in franchise history in total touchdowns with 77. 

In addition to his franchise-leading 74 receiving touchdowns, he has the most receiving yards the Argos have seen with 9,047. He is second in career receptions with 609, trailing only Clemons. 

6. Mike O’Shea

Playing for the Argonauts from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2008, O’Shea won three Grey Cups as a player with the team in 1996, 1997, and 2004. 

He then won one as a special teams coach in 2012. As an Argonaut, he was the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian in 1999. He was named to the All-Time Argos Team as a middle linebacker. 

During his time with the Argonauts, he had 15 interceptions, 25 sacks, and over 820 defensive tackles. He also played 205 games for the team, tied for third in team history.