The Canadian Football League handed out its player awards this evening at the Telus Convention Centre, and there was no surprise who won the Most Outstanding Player Award.
Montreal Alouettes' quarterback Anthony Calvillo took the honours becoming the first Alouette in team history to win the CFL Most Outstanding Player Award two consecutive seasons. He defeated Stampeder running back Joffrey Reynolds to take the honour.
The 37-year old import from Utah State led the CFL with a quarterback rating of 108.4 and touchdown passes with 26. His most startling statistic however was thast he had twenty more touchdown passes than interceptions (6).
Calvillo joins a prestigious list that includes Edmonton Eskimo quarterback/running back/defensive back Jackie Parker (1957, 1958), Winnipeg Blue Bomber quarterback Dieter Brock (1980, 1981), and quarterback Doug Flutie (1991-94, 1996-97), to win the award in back-to-back years.
The other major award winners included Saskatchewan Roughrider defensive end John Chick (defensive player of the year), British Columbia Lion defensive end Rickey Foley (Canadian), Montreal Alouette guard Scott Flory (lineman), and British Columbia running back Martell Mallett (rookie).
Chick, also an alumni from Utah State, was third in fumbles with four and fourth in sacks with 11. He was a little bit of a surprise selection to begin with because his teammate Stevie Baggs had one more sack, the same number of fumbles, and 23 more tackles than his teammate
Foley, was tied for the lead in sacks with 12, with Alouettes defensive end John Bowman, and Roughriders defensive lineman Baggs, The York University graduate was instrumental in helping the Lions lead the Canadian Football League with 45 sacks.
Flory, who also won the Outstanding Offensive Lineman award last year, helped the Alouettes lead the CFL with 600 points scored, and gave quarterback Calvillo added time in the pocket to make a pass and allowed running back Avon Cobourne find extra running room, which consequently led to his first 1,000 yard rushing total of his career.
Mallett,like Chick, was a surprise initial selection. The 23 year old rookie from Arkansas Pine Bluff, had 53 fewer rushing yards and six fewer rushing touchdowns than Edmonton Eskimo running back Arkee Whitlock, who recorded his impressive work with three fewer carries. The Lion still finished the season however with 1240 yards, impressive on a team that had a great deal of instability at quarterback all season long.
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