him at rush end in his 3-4 defense. In 1984, however, when Matthews, former Edmonton defensive co-ordinator, traded for James "Quick" Parker from the Eskimos, Klassen again switched positions. He was put back inside at defensive tackle, where he stayed for the rest of his CFL career. In June 1983, he retired from football due to a contract dispute, but returned nine-days later. Career highlights Klassen played in two Grey Cup games during the B.C. Lions' glory years in the mid-1980s, where he played the two best games of his CFL career. His first Grey Cup experience came in 1983 when the Lions hosted the championship game during the first year of BC Place's existence. That year, the Lions hosted the Western Final for the first time since their 1964 Grey Cup championship and beat Winnipeg, 39–21. In the 71st Grey Cup, the Lions built up a 17-7 half-time lead but, unfortunately, weren't able to maintain the lead, eventually losing to the Toronto Argonauts 18–17 in front of 59,345 fans at BC Place. Klassen was a force at defensive end during the 1983 Grey Cup, earning 2.5 sacks and the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Canadian. Two years later, Klassen was given another shot at winning the Grey Cup. B.C. got back to the Grey Cup in 1985 in what might be considered the greatest Lions team in club history. The team breezed through the 1985 CFL season, finishing with a club-record 13–3 mark to finish first place in the West Division and host their third consecutive Western Final. The Leos dominated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Place, winning it 42–22. In the 73rd Grey Cup, B.C. continued its dominance against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats en route to a 37–24 victory at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, ending a 21-year drought. Klassen again played an outstanding game at defensive tackle, pressuring and sacking Hamilton quarterback Ken Hobart twice during the game to earn what would be his only Grey Cup championship, however his heroic effort at Olympic Stadium was overshadowed by the play of James "Quick" Parker, who was named the Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player on Defence. Klassen finished his CFL career second all-time in Grey Cup sacks with 4.5, only behind Tyrone Jones. The next two years, the B.C. Lions were close again but weren't able to get past the Edmonton Eskimos in the 1986 and 1987 Western Finals, losing