Hamilton Tiger–Cats seasons (1980–1989)

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1980

Player stats

Receiving

Grey Cup

1981

The Tiger-Cats offence scored 414 points, while the DeFence allowed 335 points. Tom Clements returned to the Canadian Football League after one season with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in 1980 and set a franchise record (which he would break a year later) for most passing yards in one season with 4,706 yards.

Player stats

Passing

Receiving

Awards and honors

• Tom Clements, All-Eastern Quarterback

1982

The Tiger-Cats offence scored 396 points, while the defence allowed 401 points. Tom Clements set a new franchise record (since broken) for most passing yards in one season with 4,864 yards.

Player stats

Passing

Receiving

Awards and honors

• CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award - Rocky DiPietro (SB)
• Vince Scott was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Player on May 28, 1982.

1982 Eastern All-Stars

• SB - Rocky DiPietro, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• WR - Keith Baker, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• C - Henry Waszczuk, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• OT - Ed Fulton, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• LB - Ben Zambiasi, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• DB - David Shaw, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• DB - Howard Fields, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
• P - Bernie Ruoff, Hamilton Tiger-Cats

1983

The Tiger-Cats offence scored 389 points, while the defence allowed 498 points. It would be Tom Clements final season with the Tiger-Cats. He would finish his Tiger Cats career with 13,329 passing yards. At the time, it ranked second all-time in franchise history.

Player stats

Passing

Receiving

1984

The Tiger-Cats offence scored 353 points, while the defence allowed 439 points. Dieter Brock would throw for 4,200 passing yards. At the time, it was the third highest total in franchise history.

Player stats

Passing

Grey Cup

Awards and honors

• Terry Evanshen was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Player, March 16, 1984.
• Tony Gabriel was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Player, August 18, 1984.
• Jacob Gaudaur was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Player as a Builder, March 16, 1984.

1985

Grey Cup

Awards and honors

• Jimmy Simpson elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Builder August 17, 1985.

1986

Tiger-Cats owner Harold Ballard claimed to be losing a million dollars a year as owner of the Tiger-Cats. In 1986, Ballard publicly called the Tiger Cats a bunch of overpaid losers. After the Tiger Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts in the 1986 Eastern Final, Ballard said “You guys may still be overpaid, but after today, no one can call you losers.” A few days later, the Tiger Cats won the 1986 Grey Cup by beating the Edmonton Eskimos 39–15 and Ballard said it was worth every penny.

Mike Kerrigan and Paul Osbaldiston would be in their first years with the Tiger-Cats.

Grey Cup

1987

The Tiger-Cats offence scored 470 points while the defence allowed 509 points. Steve Stapler set a franchise record (broken in 1989) for most touchdowns in one season with 13. It would be Bernie Ruoff’s final season with the Tiger Cats. He would finish his career as the franchise leader in career converts (since broken) with 245.

Awards and honors

• Harold Ballard was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Builder, May 2, 1987.
• Angelo Mosca was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a player on, May 2, 1987. He played 15 CFL seasons, including nine times in the Grey Cup Game (emerging a winner five times). A CFL All-Star in 1963 and 1970, he was an Eastern All-Star Defensive Tackle five times.

1988

Earl Winfield tied Steve Stapler’s record for most touchdowns in one season with 13 (which Tony Champion broke the year later). It would be Stapler’s final season with the Tiger-Cats, and he finished ranked fourth all-time in franchise history in touchdowns. Paul Osbaldiston would set a franchise record (which he would break on three separate occasions) for the most converts in one season. He scored 49 converts.

Awards and honors

• Ralph Sazio was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Builder on March 5, 1988.
• CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award - Grover Covington (DE)

1989

Tony Champion set a franchise record for most touchdowns in one season with 15. Paul Osbaldiston nearly matched his franchise record for most converts in a single season. Osbaldiston had 47 converts, two less than he scored in 1988.

Grey Cup

Awards and honors

• Jerry Keeling was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Player on June 3, 1989.
• CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award - Rocky DiPietro (SB)
• CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award - Stephen Jordan (DB)
• Tony Champion, Wide Receiver, CFL All-Star
• Rocky DiPietro,, Slotback, CFL All-Star