OTTAWA — Winnipeg native Andrew Harris is the CFL’s outstanding Canadian player.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back was honoured at the league’s awards banquet Thursday night.
Receiver Brad Sinopoli of the Ottawa Redblacks, the 2015 winner, was the finalist.
Harris had a CFL-best 105 catches, the most ever by a running back. He also led the league in rushing (1,035 yards) as Winnipeg (12-6) earned its first home playoff game since 2011.
Sinopoli, a native of Peterborough, Ont., had 91 catches for 1,009 yards with three TDs before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Toronto’s Marc Trestman wins coach of the year
Marc Trestman, who guided Toronto to the CFL playoffs in his first season with the Argonauts, was named the league’s coach of the year Thursday.
Trestman, 61, claimed the honour at the league’s annual awards banquet.
Dave Dickenson of the Calgary Stampeders, last year’s winner, was the finalist.
Trestman, the CFL’s top coach in ’09 with Montreal, joined Toronto after four seasons in the NFL and led the Argos (9-9) to first in the East Division after the squad finished with a 5-13 mark last year.
Dickenson led Calgary (13-4-1) to first in the West Division and a second straight Grey Cup appearance.
Toronto and Calgary will square off Sunday in the Grey Cup game at TD Place.
Stampeders linebacker Singleton captures outstanding defensive player honours
Calgary Stampeders linebacker Alex Singleton is the CFL’s outstanding defensive player.
Singleton captured the honour Thursday night at the league’s awards banquet.
Montreal Alouettes linebacker Kyries Hebert is the finalist.
Singleton, 24, recorded 123 tackles — most by a Canadian — in his first full season as a starter, anchoring a Calgary defence that allowed a league-low 349 points (19.4 per game) while recording 50 sacks and 45 turnovers.
Hebert, 37, was a bright spot for Montreal (3-15), finishing third overall in tackles (108)
He’s the first player in CFL history over the age of 35 to surpass 100 tackles, his previous best being 78 recorded last year.
Argos RB Wilder Jr. takes home CFL’s outstanding rookie award
Running back James Wilder Jr. of the Toronto Argonauts is the CFL’s outstanding rookie.
Wilder captured the honour Thursday at the league’s awards banquet.
Receiver Marken Michel of the Calgary Stampeders was the finalist.
The six-foot-three, 232-pound Wilder had 872 yards rushing (7.2-yard average) and five touchdowns in 17 games — 10 starts — while adding 51 catches for 533 yards.
The five-foot-11, 190-pound Michel had 41 catches for 780 yards (19-yard average) and three TDs.
Stampeders’ Roy Finch named top special teams player
Kick-returner Roy Finch of the Calgary Stampeders is the CFL’s outstanding special-teams player.
Finch was honoured Thursday at the league’s annual awards banquet.
Diontae Spencer of the Ottawa Redblacks was the finalist.
Finch had a club record-tying three punt return TDs this season as the five-foot-seven, 165-pound dynamo amassed a league-best 1,200 yards.
Finch’s 16.4-yard average was the third-best in CFL history and he added 696 kickoff-return yards.
Spencer capped his first season with Ottawa accumulating a CFL-record 496 all-purpose yards in a 41-36 win over Hamilton on Oct. 27.
He was fourth in punt returns (70, 929 yards, one TD) and kickoff returns (25 for 607 yards) but first in missed field-goal returns (five, 260 yards, one touchdown).
Bombers’ Stanley Bryant earns outstanding lineman award
Stanley Bryant of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers captured the CFL’s top lineman award Thursday night.
Bryant received the honour at the CFL’s awards banquet.
Centre Sean McEwen of the Toronto Argonauts was the finalist.
The six-foot-five, 308-pound Bryant anchored a Winnipeg offensive line that created holes for CFL rushing leader Andrew Harris and protected quarterback Matt Nichols (4,472 yards, 28 TDs).
The Bombers led the CFL in rushing (101.3 yards per game) and were second in offensive points (26.7 per game).
The six-foot-three, 297-pound McEwen, 24, is completing his second season with Toronto, which led the CFL in pass attempts (713) and completions (502) while finishing second in passing yards and net offence.
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