NINE RIDERS NAMED ALL-STARS
DARIAN DURANT (QB): Durant surpassed career marks during his eighth season with the Riders. The 31-year-old started 16 regular season games, throwing a league leading, and career high, 31 touchdown passes. The North Carolina product finished with 4,154 passing yards while completing 325 of 531 attempts (61.2%). It is the third time in his career he has thrown for over 4,000 yards. His 95.7 efficiency rating is also a career best. This is Durant's second West Division All-Star nomination after previously being selected in 2009.
KORY SHEETS (RB): Sheets opened the 2013 season in record fashion rushing for over 100 yards in six straight games and finishing tied for a franchise best nine overall. In 15 games, the second year Rider had 287 carries for 1,598 yards and tied for the league lead with 12 rushing touchdowns. It was his second consecutive 1,000 yard season. He also added 37 receptions for 264 yards. This is Sheets' first West Division All-Star selection, and was voted as a unanimous selection.
WESTON DRESSLER (WR): Dressler just completed his sixth season with the Riders and it marked the fifth time he accumulated over 1,000 yards receiving since joining the team. He finished the regular season with 70 catches for 1,011 yards and a team leading nine touchdown receptions. He also added 5 carries for 26 yards, nine punt returns for 100 yards, and three missed field goal returns for 74 yards. This is Dressler's third consecutive West Division All-Star nomination and fourth overall after being previously selected in 2012, 2011 and 2009.
CHRIS GETZLAF (WR): 2013 marked Getzlaf's seventh CFL season after being acquired by the Riders via trade in 2007. The University of Regina product finished the regular season as the CFL's leading Canadian receiver with 63 receptions for 1,045 yards and seven touchdowns. This is Getzlaf's second career Division All-Star nomination after being selected for the first time last season.
BRENDON LABATTE (OL): LaBatte just completed his sixth CFL season and second with the Riders. The University of Regina product played all 18 regular season games at left guard, paving the way for the team's ground attack. This is LaBatte's fifth consecutive Division All-Star nomination after previously being selected to the West Division in 2012 and the East Division team in 2011, 2010 and 2009 while with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
ALEX HALL (DE): Hall was acquired via trade from Winnipeg on October 6th, after appearing in 13 games with the Blue Bombers. The second year CFL'er joined the Green and White as the league's leader in quarterback sacks, finishing the season second with 16 after appearing in four games with the Riders. He also added 40 defensive tackles and one fumble recovery on the season. This is Hall's first selection as a West Division All-Star.
TEARRIUS GEORGE (DT): 2013 marked George's sixth CFL season and third with the Riders. This season, the Kansas State product appeared in 12 games registering 26 defensive tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also tied for the team lead with eight quarterback sacks, matching a career high. This is George's first West Division All-Star selection.
DWIGHT ANDERSON (HB): Anderson completed his seventh CFL season and first with the Riders. The product of South Dakota has had previous stops in Hamilton, Calgary and Montreal before signing with the Green and White as a free agent during the 2013 offseason. In 17 games he registered 53 defensive tackles and led the team with nine pass knockdowns and five interceptions. This is Anderson's third career West Division All-Star selection after previously being named in 2010 and 2009.
TYRON BRACKENRIDGE (S): Brackenridge just completed his third season with the Riders after joining the team late in the 2011 season. The 29-year-old transitioned to safety after spending his first two seasons at linebacker. In 2013 the Washington State product recorded 48 defensive tackles, six pass knockdowns, three interceptions and two tackles for loss. He also added a league leading five forced fumbles. This is Brackenridge's first West Division All-Star selection.
Boo ya!!! Congrats to all especially Darian.
Wait a minute! I thought Durant was an overrated, overpaid bum of a quarterback with no throwing accuracy and will never amount to anything!
Gotta love the know-it-all's. Even after Durant is hoisting the Cup in a couple weeks time they will piss and moan that it was all a fluke. Can't swallow their pride/ego and cheer for the guy because they just have to be right.
Very deserving names on this list, all of them have had tremendous years. I expect each of these guys (with the jury still out on Getzlaf) to contribute this post-season.
Dubya
Dubya, you shouldn't troll the crybaby Darian haters in advance of them actually doing it…..whoops, I couldn't resist doing it myself.
Haha I'm sorry, it's just too good to resist. After all, what do sportswriters that cover the game inside out know? But to the know-it-all's, the writers are incredibly stupid because they disagree with their opinion.
Dubya
The selection that hurts the most is Weyburn's Jones getting picked. We shoulda, coulda had him, but ol' Hufer outfoxed Taman once again.
Old Cuss
Hufer > Taman
Hufer and and any other GM in this league seem to have no problem finding big tall stud import receivers which we haven't had since Matt Dominguez. I know Taj had 1000 yards but hes just not dominant like some others.
While he may not be tall in stature, Dressler is as big of a stud import reciever as this league has. As for not taking Jones, there was a real concern he might not play in the league and choose to attend Med. School so that can't be put on Taman's shoulders. If he had picked him, and Jones gone to school as some feared, you would be on here complaining about taking him. As for Durant, well deserved recognition as an All – Star. Most TD passes in the league with only a dozen INT's; pretty good season in… Read more »
If for any reason, that is within or outside Darian's control, the Riders could have converted at least half of their red zone field goals into TD's, he would easily be in the elite QB stratosphere.
I just don't buy that the futility in the red zone (field goals from the 1 yard line) is all on Darian. And that's become apparent as the coach has seemed to have nuked the Free Willy play from the 1.
These all-star selections not all good news for Riders – especially w.r.t. Durant. Just look back at his past performances following accolades bestowed on him such as Off. Player of Week/Month, or other ego-inflating media write-ups about him. Just sayin'…
or how he led the riders to two straight grey cup appearances after receiving the exact same all star selection in 09. just sayin..your comment makes zero sense.
Two players that are arguably the best sat there positions in the league, John chick who physically dominates opponents and is the most important d player. The other is Terrell maze, ask lance Frazier and he think he is technically the best db in the league. When u think about it how often does he get beat?
Matt R
I agree with anon #8. These guys cannot play from the front. They got to 8-1 and imploded after hearing all the accolades associated with a record like that. I don't think these guys can keep focused and remain intense after receiving any kind of compliments or accolades or awards. They have to be the underdog or they can't perform.
Is this actually happening? Are people actually flaunting durant making the all star team, like anyone who questioned him was misguided??
Lol
4 team division. One team was 2 and 16. The other team used 3 quwrterbacks and the other team used 3 as well.
Yah, we got a real payton manning on our hands here.
Lol.
Yeah right. And the people that did the voting are all dumb! C'mon man!
Dwight Anderson? Darian?
Love it.
Say what you want about Dwight, every other CFL team would want him on their roster.