BY TIM MICALLEF
Jon Cornish might be good with numbers, but you don’t need a degree in applied mathematics to calculate his case for Canadian Athlete of the Year. While the New Westminster, B.C., native chases a second career in quantitative analysis, a quick look at his 2012 season confirms he has chased down some of the galloping ghosts of CFL past and put himself at the forefront of a group that has rescued an endangered species—the homegrown feature running back—from near extinction.
Unlike some of the other candidates up for the honour this year, the Stampeders star put in a full season’s work and came out with a list of figures for the ages. His magic number was 1,457 yards rushing.
That sum gave him the highest total ever by a Canadian, breaking Edmonton Eskimo Normie Kwong’s record, which had stood for 56 years. He also became the first Canadian to lead the league in rushing since Ottawa Rough Rider Orville Lee in 1988. Cornish also led his team to a berth in the 100th Grey Cup, an honour that many had already gifted to the powerful B.C. Lions before Cornish’s 154 total yards on just 20 touches in the Western final helped the Stamps to an upset win.
The rarity of his accomplishments prompted Lee to dub Cornish "a trailblazer." Though the media has consistently focused on the lack of a Canadian quarterback in the CFL, Canadian tailbacks have been almost as rare. The emergence of the Eskimos’ Jerome Messam and the Lions’ Andrew Harris along with Cornish may represent the golden age of the Canadian ball carrier. For years, your passport almost precluded you from the position. Thanks to Cornish and Co., it may now be considered an asset.
I know what some of you are thinking: How can a running back from the second-best football league in the world be Canada’s athlete of the year? I won’t bother making the arguments that it’s a different game, or that Canadian players see different opportunities. I will simply say that Cornish is used to being overlooked, and those who are guilty of ignoring him have completely missed the boat.
After a stellar career at St. Thomas More in Burnaby, B.C., Cornish attended the University of Kansas, where he didn’t start until his senior year. All he did once he finally got his shot was set a single-season rushing mark at a school that produced Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and John Riggins.
After going undrafted by the NFL, Cornish chose to sign with Calgary as opposed to trying his luck as a walk-on at an NFL training camp. His practised patience came in handy north of the border, where—despite averaging 7.4 yards per carry in his first four seasons in the CFL—Cornish didn’t get his first chance as a feature back until midway through his fifth season. He’s never looked back.
Cornish totalled 863 yards and nine touchdowns in just eight starts last season, with a 7.3 yards-per-carry average, a ridiculous number for a feature back. Solid totals, for sure. Unless you compare them to the record-breaking stats from this year. The case for Cornish is simple: He’s the league’s most outstanding Canadian. The first Canuck to lead the CFL in rushing in 24 years. And the 1,457 yards he needed to set that mark are the most by a Canadian—ever. To quote the famous poet Shawn Carter—a.k.a. Jay-Z—"Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don’t."
Tim Micallef is co-host of Tim and Sid on Sportsnet 590 The Fan
Next nominee: Milos Raonic, tennis
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