The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will hope for better fortunes in the 110th Grey Cup game, after the Toronto Argonauts were the big winner at the annual CFL Awards on Thursday.
The Argos won five of the seven major awards, while the Bombers went just one-for-four at the annual gala in Niagara Falls, Ont., as part of Grey Cup week.
Bombers running back Brady Oliveira won the Most Outstanding Canadian Award but lost out to Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for the top honour of the night as the most outstanding player.
Kelly received 39 of the 61 first-place votes.
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros won the award the past two seasons.
Oliveira was chosen as the top Canadian after posting the second-best rushing season by a Canadian in the history of the CFL. He was nominated against East Division finalist Marc-Antoine Dequoy of the Montreal Alouettes.
“This is obviously great and a great honour,” Oliveira said. “I’m very fortunate to be able to win the Most Outstanding Canadian Award.
“But with that being said, the job is not done. We have unfinished business and there’s a piece of hardware Sunday that I need to get, and that my teammates need to get and need to experience.”
Oliveira had all but four of the first-place votes, getting the top spot on 57 of the 61 ballots.
“I feel like this entire season has been a dream for me,” he said. “Almost I got to keep blinking and see if this is real life or if I’ve woken up yet from this dream. It’s been incredible.”
The Bombers had two players and their head coach up for four different major CFL awards.
Bombers tackle Jermarcus Hardrick left the festivities empty-handed. Voters instead chose Dejon Allen from the Argonauts as the winner of the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award. The Bombers had won the award in four of the last five seasons after Stanley Bryant became the first-ever four-time winner of the award. Allen had 39 first-place votes.
The three-peat wasn’t in the cards for the Bombers at last year’s Grey Cup game and there was also no three-peat for Mike O’Shea as the coach of the year. Argos head coach and former Bombers quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie was the winner of the Annis Stukus Trophy as the CFL’s coach of the year after leading his squad to a 16-2 record.
He had 58 of the first-place votes.
BC Lions defensive tackle Mathieu Betts was an easy choice for the most outstanding defensive player. Betts led the CFL in both sacks and forced fumbles. He finished the season with 18 sacks, which was at least six more than anyone else in the league.
Argos returner Javon Leake is the league’s top special teamer after beating out Lions kicker Sean Whyte.
Argos defensive back Qwan’tez Stiggers was the winner of the Most Outstanding Rookie award. The East Division finalist was chosen over Edmonton Elks defensive back Kai Gray.
And the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Brayden Lenius was presented the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award as the player who best demonstrated the attributes of Canadian veterans. Oliveira was the Bombers’ team nominee.
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