In the early days of Canadian football, Eddie "Dynamite" James was the roughest, toughest player in the west. A fearless plunger and prolific scorer, James starred with teams in Winnipeg and Regina throughout the late 1920s and early '30s. Described as a "human locomotive," James was a true 60-minute man who excelled both on offense and defense. As a junior player with the Regina Pats, James was among a handful of players called on to fill in with the injury-ridden Roughriders in 1928. Both the Pats and the Roughriders made it to their respective Dominion finals that year, but only the Pats came out victorious. In 1929, James was a full-fledged Roughrider. His team won the Western title that season with the help of two Dynamite touchdowns. In 1930, James played for the Winnipeg St. John's, but he returned to help the Roughriders claim the Western title once more in 1931. In 1932, James returned to Winnipeg, but a broken arm cost him most of the season. He was back in the game the following year, just as the St. John's team amalgamated with the Winnipeg Rugby Club to form the Winnipeg 'Pegs. Another broken arm forced James out of play in 1934, but he returned again in top form the following season. With Dynamite James on their side, the 'Pegs became the first ever western team to claim the Grey Cup, in 1935, with an 18-12 victory over the Hamilton Tigers. James retired from football after the 1935 Grey Cup victory. For his outstanding performance on the field, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1963. As a tribute to his talents for speed, power, and stamina, the Eddie James Memorial Trophy is presented annually to leading rusher in the West.