As an indirect response to the battle lines first drawn between the White House and the NFL last summer, the CFL hurried to launch its ‘Diversity is Strength’ campaign to celebrate the highly-assorted populace that makes up the nine-team professional football community that prides itself on acceptance.

One year later, the CFL has expanded on that initiative.

Saturday in Ottawa, Moton Hopkins and Jo-Anne Polak were the first of 12 honouree ‘trailblazers’ recognized in the CFL’s effort to underscore those “who embody the spirit of diversity and inclusion” over the next few weeks.

Bullied in childhood while helping raise his nonverbal autistic younger brother, Hopkins used his platform in the CFL to speak at schools to encourage kids to better understand the people that are different or experiencing significant challenges in their lives. Polak became the first female general manager of a professional sports franchise in North America when at 29 she was appointed to the position by the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1988.

For Saturday’s game between the Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes, players and coaches wore shirts to recognize the contributions of Hopkins and Polak.

The remaining nominees to be celebrated in the coming weeks include, Wally Buono, the current head coach of the B.C. Lions; Johnny Bright, who found acceptance in the CFL and became the first African-American winner of the CFL’s MOP Award; Joey Moss, who was proven that employees with disabilities can be a tremendous value to an organization; Herm Harrison and John Helton, two Pennsylvania men that found friendship and a better life in Calgary; Neal Hughes, who is Metis and grew up in government-funded housing in Regina; Obby Khan, a Muslim of Pakistani descent that found in acceptance in the game; Bernie Custis, who came to Hamilton after being barred from quarterback in the NFL; Orlando Bowen, who forgave his attackers after an episode of police brutality cost him his career; and Herb Trawick, who broke the CFL’s colour barrier in 1946 and became a Canadian citizen less than a decade after.

These celebrations will continue in CFL stadiums across the country in Weeks 10 and 11.

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