‘It’s super humbling’: Adam Bighill voted Blue Bombers’ most outstanding player

For the first time since 2015, a player not named Matt Nichols is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers most outstanding player.

Linebacker Adam Bighill beat out running back Andrew Harris for the club’s top honour after a spectacular first season in the blue and gold.

It’s usually pretty rare for a defensive player to win the award, but with Bighill getting both the M-O-P award and the team’s top defensive player award, it’s now the sixth time in the last 11 years a defensive player has snagged the Bombers’ most valuable player honours.

“It’s super humbling with the talent we have on this team and the guys in this locker room,” Bighill said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's super humbling with the talent we have on this team and the guys in this locker room," Bighill said.

“It’s something I never go out at the beginning of the season saying, ‘I’m going to accomplish these things,’ but you take it week by week, and you put in the work, and you know, good things will happen.”

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“Adam is very well deserving,” Harris said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Adam is very well deserving," Harris said.

“He’s come in and he’s learned a new defence, and made everyone around him better, and he’s made big plays in big situations, and changed games.”

Harris, meanwhile, had to settle for the Bombers’ Most Outstanding Canadian award. It’s the third straight season he’s won the award, only proving that signing with his hometown Bombers was the right decision.

“Coming back home was a great move for me,” Harris said. “And the success we’ve had in the last three years has been amazing, and we’ve been building something special here.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Coming back home was a great move for me," Harris said. "And the success we've had in the last three years has been amazing, and we've been building something special here."

For the second straight season, and for the third time in the last four years, Stanley Bryant won the team’s top offensive lineman award. Kicker Justin Medlock was voted as their best special teams player for a third consecutive season. And defensive back Marcus Sayles beat out quarterback Chris Streveler for the Most Outstanding Rookie award thanks in part to his teammates, who helped him learn the Canadian game after coming up from the NFL.

“It’s tremendous how much I’ve grown,” Sayles said. “When I started, I probably didn’t start as good as I wanted to, but it’s a credit to them. They’ve helped me with a lot of film work.”

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The Bombers’ five winners will now be nominated for the West Division Awards with the winners to be announced on Thursday, November 8.

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