Born May 21, 1911
Class of 1966, Player – Playing Career:
WINNIPEG RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB/WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS 1933 – 1940
PLAYER/COACH, VANCOUVER GRIZZLIES 1941
AWARDS AND HONOURS
ALL-WESTERN FLYING WING 1938
ALL-WESTERN GUARD 1939
ALL-WESTERN QUARTERBACK 1940
GREY CUP PARTICIPATION 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939
GREY CUP WINNING TEAMS 1935 , 1939
Kabat was a bit of an anomaly in that he was among the first crop of American-born players who ventured across the border to try to make a name for himself in the Canadian version of football. He was the first player in Wisconsin College History to earn three first team All-Big Ten selections, from 1930-1932.
In a strange twist, he was charged with teaching offensive line play despite the fact that he was primarily a running back as a player.
One of his other unprecedented claims to fame was that he was credited as an intelligent player who could play and understand the requirements of many different positions. He was also a member Winnipeg Grey Cup champs of 1935 – the first Western-based club to win the Canadian Championship.
He also was on the 1939 championship, a game he had to play with the burden of a broken toe. Typical of many Canadian-based football players, Kabat also worked as a teacher and coach of high school teams while continuing with his own career.
He became so adept at his various positions through his playing career that he parlayed all of that knowledge into a coaching assignment with the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1941.
His legacy to the Canadian game is as a pioneer whose success, after arriving in Canada and learning the nuances that separated the Canadian game from its US counterpart, paved the way for thousands of imports to seek fame and fortune or extend their careers north of the border.