WINNIPEG — It may not be the prize the Ottawa Redblacks really want, but on Thursday night the team took home four of the seven Shaw CFL Awards.
Henry Burris won the biggest prize of the night. The 40 year-old Redblack quarterback picked up the Most Outstanding Player award.
Burris passed for a career high 5693 yards and 26 touchdowns as he led the second-year Ottawa franchise to 12 wins and a Grey Cup berth.
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He said he’s pleased with this win but the three others by Redblacks “shows Ottawa football is back on the map.”
Burris describes the MOP award as a team win noting that “last year, there was no hope of this happening.”
He adds he was a little extra motivated this year. Hamilton and Calgary have both let him go. “As an athlete you take it as they don’t think you have it anymore. So you use that as motivation to allow you to continue to play and prepare and develop yourself and be the guy who can still get it done.”
Burris was the overwhelming choice for the award. He received 71 of the 75 votes cast for Most Outstanding Player. This is the second time Burris has been named Most Outstanding Player. He won it as a Calgary Stampeder in 2010.
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Two other players from Ottawa’s high powered offence also won awards. The Most Outstanding Canadian trophy went to Redbklacks receiver Brad Sinopoli. The former Ottawa Gee-Gee was fifth in the league in receiving with 1,035 yards.
Sirvencent Rogers was named Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.
It wasn’t just Ottawa players who picked up some hardware.
Redblacks coach, Rick Campbell won the Annis Stukus trophy for CFL coach of the year.
Campbell led the Redblacks to a 12-6 record one year after the team’s 2-16 innaugural year. Campbell downplayed this honour saying, “It’s totally a team award. It’s not about me. It’s about everyone in our organization.”
The win makes Rick and Hugh Campbell the first father-son duo to win this award. Hugh Campbell took it as coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in 1979.
This year the younger Campbell edged out Chris Jones for the award, the coach of Ottawa’s Grey Cup rival, Edmonton Eskimos.
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Campbell talked about the game in his acceptance speech addressing Jones. He said, “congratulations on your great year, Chris. I hope it ends badly.”
The Eskimos did take one award at the ceremony. Receiver Derel Walker won Rookie of the Year honours.
Walker only played in 12 games this year. He still managed to amass 1,110 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Walker led the league in receiving average with 92.5 yards per game.
“I’m truly blessed,” said Walker after his win. “This award I won tonight is not an individual award. It’s a team award. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
While the Redblacks soundly beat the Eskimos for the awards, players from both teams say these honours are nice but they’re not the reason they play the game. They’re focused on the Grey Cup.
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Rick Campbell described what he felt his dad would say about being named Coach of the Year. “I know if he was here, he’d say the same thing to me. Keep your eye on the big proze which is Sunday at 5. But I know he’ll be proud,” said Campbell.
BC Lions linebacker, Adam Bighill took home the Most Outstanding Defensive Player award.
Brandon Banks won the Moust Outstanding Special Teams Player after he scored a league leading four punt return touchdowns for the Hamilton Tiger Cats.
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