Rod Connop had two years of college football eligibility remaining at Wilfrid Laurier when he joined the Edmonton Eskimos as a first-round selection, ninth overall, following the 1982 CFL draft.

Although the Eskimos had won the previous four Grey Cup games, Connop made the squad as a rookie, starting on the offensive line for a team that ultimately won its fifth straight CFL championship in 1982.

He spent 16 seasons in Edmonton, winning Grey Cups again in 1987 and 1993, before retiring in 1998 as the team's all-time leader in games played (303)- 274 during the regular season, 23 playoff contests and six Grey Cups.

After missing two starts because of an injury in 1983 he played 210 consecutive games, a rare feat for an offensive lineman.

Born June 4, 1959, the native of north Vancouver and Toronto, Connop developed into a team leader with the Eskimos. Five times he was chosen as Edmonton's outstanding offensive lineman (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995) and ultimately became an eight-time division All-Star and six-time All-Canadian. Connop was the West Division's All-Star centre in 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995 (when the Canadian teams played in the North Division) and 1996. He was a CFL All-Star in 1987 and also for five straight seasons from 1989-1993.

In 1989 Connop won the DeMarco-Becket Memorial Trophy as the West's nominee for outstanding offensive lineman and was subsequently named as the CFL's top lineman.

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