Jim Van Pelt

Jim Van Pelt joined the Bombers in 1958, just in time to become a Grey Cup hero.  Actually, when he arrived, the Bombers had a #1 QB in Kenny Ploen, but Ploen went down with an injury and Van Pelt took over.  Besides playhing QB, Van Pelt also did the placekicking for the Bombers.  Van Pelt had 65 points during the regular season and then set a Grey Cup record with 22 points on two touchdowns, two fieldgoals and four converts.  One of the touchdowns scored by Van Pelt came on a trick play when he pitched the ball to halfback Leo Lewis and then took a pass from Lewis to run untouched 29 yards into the Hamilton endzone.  Van Pelt's second TD came ona one yard run in the fourth quarter to give Winnipeg the lead as they beat Hamilton 35-28.  In 1959, Van Pelt was the Bomber's regular QB even though Ploen was healthy and Van Pelt had a great season , completing 53.3% of his 300 pass attempts for 2706 yards and 31 touchdown passes. For his efforts in 1959, Van Pelt was named the West All-Star Quarterback (there were no CFL All-Stars until 1962).  The Bombers went on to win the Grey Cup again in 1959, though it was Ploen who did the quarterbacking in the final.  That was the end of Van Pelt's CFL career.  He returned to the states and spent three years in the Air Force.

A where are they now article on Jim Van Pelt 

Passing, Rushing and Receiving
Year Team GP PA PC % Yds TD Int TC Yds Avg Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Long
1958 WPG
160 90 56.2 1445 9 10 38 171 4.5 4.5 2 1 5 5 0 5
1959 WPG
300 160 53.3 2706 31 15 46 98 2.1 2.1 3 0 0 0 0 0

 

Placekicking and Points
Year Team GP ConvA ConvG % Att Good FG% Long S MFG YdsMFG Avg PTS
1958 WPG
32 26 81.2 13 8 61.5

      65
1959 WPG
46 34 73 15 8 53           78

 

Kickoffs and Punting
Year Team KO Yds Avg Long S P Yds Avg Long S
1958 WPG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1959 WPG 30 1534 51.1 64
14 538 38.4 50

 

Fumbles
Year Team F FL
1958 WPG 1
1959 WPG 5

1959 Topps Jim Van Pelt

Jim Van Pelt