MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
TORONTO (CP) – B.C. Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian and Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray are the finalists for the CFL’s outstanding player award.
Elimimian and Ray earned the West and East Division nods Thursday in voting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nineCFL head coaches.
Elimimian is the first defensive player to be named a division finalist for the outstanding player honour.
Elimimian registered a CFL-record 143 tackles this season while Ray was the league’s top passer with 4,595 yards, 28 touchdowns and a 68.5 per cent completion average.
Elimimian is also the West Division nominee for the league’s top defensive player honour, with Montreal Alouettes linebacker Bear Woods the East Division finalist.
Running back Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampeders, last year’s outstanding player winner, is a finalist as top Canadian, an award he has won the last two years.
Cornish, a native of New Westminster, B.C., ran for a league-high 1,082 yards despite playing just nine games. The East Division’s nominee is defensive lineman Ted Laurent of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Toronto has the most nominees with three. The others are kicker-punter Swayze Waters (special-teams) and defensive lineman Tristan Okpalaugo (rookie).
The other award finalists include Calgary centre Brett Jones and Montreal tackle Jeff Perrett (top lineman), kicker Lirim Hajrullahu of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (special-teams), Edmonton Eskimos linebacker Dexter McCoil (rookie).
Perrett’s nomination comes a day after not being voted to the East Division all-star squad.
The winners will be announced at the CFL’s awards banquet Nov. 27 in Vancouver.
If Mike Reilly would have been a bit more healthy he would have been the pick ahead of Rick Ray. It is still a shock though, given how many wins Reilly lead his team to. In any event, this will ensure that Elimimian becomes the first defensive player to win the MOP.
I hope people don't come on here and bitch and moan that Foley wasn't nominated as Canadian. Do you really think he was going to get it after the way he ripped the CFL for not getting individual awards earlier in the season?
I love my Riders and love how Foley plays – but I knew he wasn't going to be nominated after his tirade earlier. The CFL official Twitter account even tweeted "The top 30 players to watch in the #GCPlayoffs. Spoiler: @Foley4Real didn't make the cut."
Ouch!
Devo
Couldn't agree more with the Elimimian choice. Well done voters.
I couldn't give a rats ass who wins these awards. It's all about the big award 3 weeks from now. That's all that matters.
As a matter of fact, I found it very entertaining last year watching Cornish collect all his INDIVIDUAL awards.
Then a couple days later watching Kory Sheets lift the Grey Cup, break the Grey Cup rushing record, and win MVP.
Enjoy your trophies Cornish.
Travis
Lemme tell you somethin' – John Chick not being nominated is shameful. This was a miscarriage of justice. I said from week 6 that John Chick should not only be the nominee he is the MOP of 2015. The teams had to game plan against John Chick I have not seen this since Montford was in the CFL. When they double team him his sacks tailed off, but Foley and George had all the room to get to the opposing QBs. The team started losing when Durant went down and this took the focus off. Also I love the guy,… Read more »
I cant believe I agree with Obama, but he makes some valid points. Teague was a beast all year and his numbers took off after Chick started getting more attention, same with Foley. It is a easier to hide a linebacker in the scheme.Elimimian had a great year also I dont think you could of went wrong with either guy.
Riders were a few clowns short for the circus when they didn't draft Brett Jones despite his stated personal intentions.
Chip Cox is the most outstanding defensive player in the East by far. He also should have gotten the MOP nod over Ricky Ray.
Every team past on Brett Jones at least once.
Also, there is more to the Jones story than has been reported.
Obama is way out to lunch on this one. Elimimian has played at a level that is off the charts for a full season. As a life-long Rider fan and John Chick fan I wish I could say otherwise, but there can be no doubt that Elimimian will be the CFL MOP. He was truly outstanding!
Old Hank
…If you could see me I just went sniff sniff what's that smell?…is that the rodeo in town?…Oh no it's just Old Hank….
Lemme tell you somethin.
John Chick makes Elimimian look like a beer bellied sharecropper and that's Elimimian's best day.
There has not been a guy in the CFL like John Chick since Joe Montford, and I'm at the point of saying Chick is better than Montford for this season anyway.
I'll tell you another thing. Had John Chick gone down the same amount of losses would have occured. The guy is a franchise player.
Y'er Welcome
Obama
Ad hominem attack. Very bad form. Washes out any valid argument you had.
Ricky Ray is so "OUTSTANDING" his Team did not make the Playoffs. Let me get this straight: If Ricky wasn't so OUTSTANDING, his Team would not have made the Playoffs. ? (did I get that right?) Who the heck votes on these awards ?????
John Chick is one cool cat, but the fact remains he is the second most outstanding defensive player in 2014. Stats don't lie. Both Elimimian and Chick forced teams to game plan for them, but Sol's play was exceptional and if you ask Mr. Chick he would agree with me.
My dear, dear friend Obama, I have been a CFL fan longer that you have been able to tie your skates. I may have a lot less yeller teeth left in my old grey haired head that you do, but I feel compelled to tell you that you are so very wrong in your Chick lovin' comments. Sure he is a great player and one of the top two defensive ends in the CFL in 2014, but you gotta look at the performance of Sol with out your green coloured glasses. Stats don't lie! The guys who voted in the… Read more »
Sol won this because he made a high number of tackles…if his D-Line was any good, he would never had the opportunity to make those tackles……. – most of his tackles were 6-8 yards (Or more) across the L of Scrimmage. You call that OUTSTANDING ?…. I call that a Beneficiary of someone else's poor play.
Majority of his outstanding opportunity against Riders poor play, statistics are there.
"Sol won this because …"
because the people who follow the game the closest and know a heck of a lot more than you voted for him (in the same way that Chick won the most votes in 2009).
Solomon Elimimian the Great Gretzky of the football world.
2009? that's a long time a ago when a few current Riders were allstars in their heyday.
Obama obviously didn't have cable when Cam Wake was in the league…
Solomon Elimimian is the best football player in Canada by a mile.
Old Cuss
I have seen Cam Wake player. Good little player, but he was no Joe Montford.
Y'er Welcome
Obama