Passaglia among five inductees into CFL Hall of Fame

Prolific kicker Lui Passaglia headlined a group of five inductees enshrined into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum in Hamilton on Saturday.

Passaglia, Dan Yochum, Larry Highbaugh, Ben Zambiasi were all formally inducted into the Hall as players, while Cal Murphy was welcomed in under the builder category.

The Hall of Fame's membership now sits at 214.

Passaglia played 25 CFL seasons. He retired from football four years ago at the age of 47. The last kick of his career provided the margin of victory in the Lions' 28-26 victory over the Montreal Alouettes in the 2000 Grey Cup

All-told, Passaglia appeared in five Grey Cup games, winning three. His most memorable CFL title game was in 1994 when Passaglia made four-of-six field goal tries, including a 38-yard boot on the final play of the game to give the Lions a thrilling 26-23 championship victory over the Baltimore Stallions at B.C. Place.

Passaglia holds nearly every CFL kicking and punting record, including most field goals, singles and converts made, and most punting yardage amassed.

He is also the embodiment of the classic "local boy makes good" story.

Passagalia was born in Vancouver, played college ball at Simon Fraser University, and moved into a Lions uniform after being selected fifth overall in the 1976 CFL college draft.

Highbaugh is one of the game's all-time great cornerbacks and kick return men. During his career with the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Eskimos, he amassed 66 interceptions. Only Less Brown, who made 87 interceptions during his career, has more.

Highbaugh is also sixth all-time in CFL history with 4,966 kickoff return yards.

Yochum was one of the CFL's premier offensive lineman during the 1970s. The ex-Montreal Alouette was named an East Division all-star seven straight years and appeared in five Grey Cup games, winning twice.

Zambiasi joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1978 and soon became a defensive force. That year he earned his first of five straight all-star selections. A year later, in 1979, he was named the CFL's top defensive player.

Zambiasi was an all-star in five straight years and spent 10 seasons in Hamilton before finishing his career with the Toronto Argonauts in 1988.

Murphy amassed a 106-87-3 record as a CFL head coach with B.C., Winnipeg and Saskatchewan. In 1993, he received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation for Canada in recognition of significant contribution to compatriots, community and Canada.

Murphy won 10 Grey Cup championships as a coach and general manager and was twice named CFL coach of the year.

with files from Canadian Press