Riders Announce 2024 Plaza Class

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, alongside the Plaza of Honour Selection Committee, have announced that three-time Grey Cup starting quarterback Darian Durant, 10-year CFL running back Steve Molnar (posthumous) and former Riders General Manager Roy Shivers are the 2024 SaskTel Plaza of Honour inductees. 

“I can’t think of three greater people to induct into the Plaza of Honour, as all three men have made an immeasurably impact on the Saskatchewan Roughriders,” said new Plaza of Honour Selection Committee Chair Steve Mazurak. “Among their many accomplishments, Darian Durant and Steve Molnar have seven Grey Cup appearances between them, and Roy Shivers made history when he hired Danny Barrett to become the first Black GM/Head Coach tandem in professional football. On behalf of all of Rider Nation, as well as the selection committee, I want to congratulate them on this great honour.” 

Darian Durant will forever hold Rider Nation’s heart for his historic Grey Cup win at Mosaic Stadium in 2013, Roy made history when he was named the first Black General Manager in CFL history, and hometown hero Steve Molnar played a pivotal role in getting the Roughriders to the 1976 Grey Cup. 

During 10 years with the organization, Durant earned a special place in the heart of Rider Nation. He was part of the 2007 and 2013 Grey Cup championship teams, quarterbacking Saskatchewan to a landmark home-field victory in the latter game. He also guided the Roughriders to West Division titles in 2009 (when the Roughriders also finished in first place) and 2010. He passed for a league-best 5,542 yards in 2010. 

Saskatchewan-born Steve Molnar played for the Roughriders from 1969 to 1978. Replacing the retired George Reed at fullback in 1976, Molnar proceeded to lead the Roughriders in regular season rushing yards (822). Most memorably, he rushed for a career-best 144 yards to power Saskatchewan to a 23-13 victory over Edmonton in the 1976 Western Conference final at Taylor Field. 

When Shivers was hired by the Birmingham Barracudas in 1995, he became the first Black GM in CFL history. He joined the Roughriders in late December of 1999 and soon hired Danny Barrett, thereby forming the first Black GM/Head Coach tandem in professional football history. As the Roughriders’ GM, Shivers signed or recruited 11 future SaskTel Plaza of Honour inductees and 16 players who earned CFL All-Star honours while in Saskatchewan. On April 12, 2006, Shivers made a trade that brought two future Grey Cup-winning starting quarterbacks – Kerry Joseph (2007) and Durant (2013) – to Saskatchewan. In 2022, Shivers was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a builder for his significant role in bringing talent to Saskatchewan, Birmingham, the Calgary Stampeders and B.C. Lions.  

The selection committee meets each spring to discuss and vote on each year’s Plaza of Honour Induction Class. The committee is made up of eight members, including new chair Steve Mazurak, former players Al Ford (who also served as GM from 1989-99), Cleveland Van and Wes Cates, journalist and broadcaster Don Hewitt, Roughrider board member Terri Strunk, former Board Chair Barry Clarke and Roughrider Historian Rob Vanstone. 

(Riderville.com)