Riders’ Milligan Cleans Up / Other CFL Year-End Awards

Rolan Milligan Jr. has put together quite a 2024 season.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back was named his team’s nominee for the CFL’s outstanding player, defensive player and special-teams performer awards Wednesday. He was the only individual to earn three nominations in voting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches and was a unanimous selection in each category.

Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira (outstanding player, Canadian), B.C. receiver Justin McInnis (outstanding player, Canadian), Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette (outstanding player, defensive player), Calgary linebacker Cameron Judge (defensive player, Canadian) and Ottawa’s Drew Desjarlais (Canadian, lineman) all earned two nominations.

Oliveira was the CFL’s top Canadian last season and a finalist for the league’s outstanding player award.

The other outstanding player nominees include: receivers Eugene Lewis (Edmonton Elks), Reggie Begelton (Calgary Stampeders) and Justin Hardy (Ottawa Redblacks); quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton Tiger-Cats); and running back Ka’Deem Carey (Toronto Argonauts).

Milligan, Begelton, Oliveira, Mitchell, Hardy and Beverette were all unanimous selections.

Milligan has put together a standout ’24 campaign. The five-foot-11, 200-pound American leads the CFL in interceptions (eight) and defensive takeaways (eight), is tied for second in special-teams tackles (20), fourth in defensive tackles (111) and tied for fourth in pass knockdowns (10, one off the league lead).

But the other nominees have also enjoyed solid seasons. Oliveira leads CFL in rushing (1,318 yards) while Mitchell is its passing leader (5,026 yards, 31 touchdowns).

Other notable accomplishments include: McInnis (league-high 1,469 receiving yards, 92 catches, seven TDs); Hardy (league-leading 97 receptions for 1,343 yards, five TDs); Beverette (league-best 132 defensive plays, fourth in tackles with 98); Begelton (89 catches, 1,112 yards, four TDs); Lewis (69 catches, 982 yards, CFL-high nine TDs); and Carey (third-leading rusher with 1,060 yards, 5.5-yard average).

The East and West Division finalists in all six categories will be announced next week. The CFL will honour its top individual performers Nov. 14 in Vancouver.

Joining Milligan, Judge and Beverette in consideration for the top defensive player honour are: defensive back Garry Peters (B.C.), Tyrell Ford (Winnipeg), Jamal Peters (Hamilton) and DaShaun Amos (Toronto); linebacker Nyles Morgan (Edmonton) and defensive lineman Michael Wakefield (Ottawa).

Milligan, Judge and Wakefield were unanimous picks. Wakefield is tied for the CFL lead in sacks with eight while Morgan leads in tackles (102) and Ford is second in interceptions (seven).

Also named for the top Canadian award were: receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (Edmonton), Samuel Emilus (Saskatchewan) and Kiondre Smith (Hamilton), kicker Lirim Hajrullahu (Toronto); and defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (Montreal).

McInnis and Oliveira were unanimous selections.

The other top lineman nominees were: B.C.’s Jarell Broxton; Edmonton’s Martez Ivey; Calgary’s Sean McEwen; Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland; Winnipeg’s Stanley Bryant; Hamilton’s Brandon Revenberg; Toronto’s Ryan Hunter; and Montreal’s Pier-Olivier Lestage.

Broxton, Ferland and Bryant were unanimous picks. Bryant is a four-time winner of the award.

Joining Milligan as the special-teams nominees are: kickers Sean Whyte (B.C.), Rene Paredes (Calgary), Sergio Castillo (Winnipeg) and Marc Liegghio (Hamilton); punter Jake Julien (Edmonton); returners Janarion Grant (Toronto) and James Letcher Jr. (Montreal); and Ottawa linebacker Adarius Pickett.

Milligan, Whyte, Julien, Paredes and Castillo were unanimous picks.

The top rookie nominees are: linebackers Ayinde Eley (B.C.), Nick Anderson (Edmonton) and Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (Montreal); defensive lineman Clarence Hicks (Calgary); offensive lineman Trevor Reid (Saskatchewan); and receivers Ontaria Wilson (Winnipeg), Shemar Bridges (Hamilton), Makai Polk (Toronto) and Kalil Pimpleton (Ottawa).

Anderson, Wilson, Bridges and Pimpleton were all unanimous selections.

Anderson is currently second overall in defensive plays (119) and tackles (101). Wilson has 63 catches for 943 yards and three touchdowns while Bridges recorded 84 receptions for 933 yards and four TDs before suffering a season-ending leg injury last month.

Polk (55 catches, 902 yards, five TDs) and Cantin-Arku (33 tackles, five special-teams tackles, five sacks, interception) have also performed well in their first CFL seasons.

(Canadian Press)