Hamilton's Ernest Cox, came off the sandlots (where he learned to play football) in 1919 and launched a career that was to carry him through 16 seasons, earning him recognition as perhaps the greatest snapback (centre) of the 1920s. He was a perennial all-star with the Hamilton Tigers. Always a clean, hard player, and a driving tackler, he was uncannily accurate in long or short snapping at any angle. For this reason in 1928, Cox was the first winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy for Most Outstanding Player of the Canadian Football League's East Division. Helped by his blocking ability, the Hamilton Tiger Cats reached the Eastern Finals twice and won the Grey Cup three times-1928, 1929, and 1932. Cox worked full time as a firefighter, and by the time he retired in 1955, "The Iron Fireman" had given 33 years to the Hamilton Fire Department and held the rank of Lieutenant.