It’s shaping up to be a pretty good week for Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly.
On Tuesday he was named one of the Canadian Football League’s top performers for the month for October, on Wednesday he was named the Eskimos nominee for the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player (MOP) award – the top individual honour in the CFL – now Reilly can cap the week on Saturday with a win in Regina that could give the Eskimos home field advantage in the CFL playoffs starting on Nov. 12.
The stats don’t lie for Reilly. The 2017 season will be his best in his five years as a starter. Going into the final week of the season, Reilly leads the CFL in passing yards with 5,536, he is 18 passing yards away from a personal best season and 128 yards away from eclipsing Ricky Ray’s 2008 Eskimos’ franchise record for passing yards in a season.
The 32-year-old from Kennewick, Wash. has already set a career high with 30 touchdown passes and tied his career best with nine TDs on the ground, tied for the CFL lead in both departments.
Since he became an Eskimo five seasons ago, Reilly has been exactly what was needed for this franchise. For Head coach Jason Maas there is no doubt who the most outstanding player is on the 2017 Eskimos.
“He is the face of the franchise and there is not a better ambassador of the franchise than Mike Reilly. He does every interview candidly, he is well dressed on the road, he cares about the game, he cares about his teammates. He is a professional on and off the field and is a great player on top of it. He is the full package.”
Maas added Reilly is not just the Eskimos MOP but should also get the nod at the league level.
“To win an MOP, which I believe he should win, speaks volumes of the type of guys we have that helped him obtain that status. He has a great upbringing, he has great parents, very supportive of him and his career and you can tell that the love he has been shown in his household, he gives to everybody he meets.”
Maas doesn’t get a vote, but you can tell who would get it if he did.
“He is easy to talk to, easy to get along with. He is just a regular guy, who just happens to be a super star in our league.”
Here are the other other Eskimos nominees for the awards that will be handed out during Grey Cup week in Ottawa.
Most Outstanding Canadian and most Outstanding Offensive lineman
Matt O’Donnell is the offensive lineman nominee for the second time in his six-year career with the Eskimos. The Comax, B.C. native joins Reilly as the only players on the team to start every game this season.
Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Linebacker Kenny Ladler leads the Eskimos in defensive tackles with 81 and is third on the club with 12 special teams tackles. He ranks fourth in the CFL in total defensive plays heading into the final week of the season. Ladler’s stats include three interceptions and nine knockdowns.
Most Outstanding Rookie
Defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng is a fifth round draft pick out of Wilfrid Laurier. He has not started a game in his rookie campaign, but has made an impact racking up 21 tackles and four quarterback sacks.
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player
Linebacker Christophe Mulamba-Tshimanga, drafted in the third round last May, has 13 special teams tackles and made such an immediate impact that teams were double teaming him early in his rookie season.
The next step for voting will be to pick divisional winners in all categories.