John Stroppa was born on January 2, 1926, and died on May 7, 2017
He was an award-winning halfback.
He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1949 to 1951.
Stroppa was a native of Winnipeg, Stroppa took the league by storm in 1949, being the surprise winner of the Dr.
Beattie Martin Trophy for Canadian rookie of the year in the west.
Stroppa also played in the famed Mud Bowl, the 1950 Grey Cup but retired after a serious mid-season kidney injury in 1951.
When his play off days was over, Stroppa moved to Edmonton because of his job, and took up amateur officiating.
Stroppa then became one of the few professional players to become a CFL referee, working 250 games in 15 years, after which he became the CFL’s supervisor of officials for another 11 years.
Stroppa died in Edmonton.
John Stroppa passed away at 91 years old.