Cody Fajardo Is Riders Nominee For MOP

The nominees for the 2019 CFL Awards were announced with six Roughriders being nominated. The Shaw CFL Awards happen each year during the Grey Cup Festival.  This year, the awards will be on Thursday, November 21^st at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.

The nominees from the Saskatchewan Roughriders are: Cody Fajardo (Most Outstanding Player), Charleston Hughes (Most Outstanding Defensive Player), Jon Ryan (Most Outstanding Special Teams Player), Cameron Judge (Most Outstanding Canadian), Dan Clark (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman), and Dakoda Shepley (Most Outstanding Rookie).       

                                        

CODY FAJARDO*

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

After being pressed into action in the first game of the 2019 season, Cody Fajardo took the ball and ran with it – quite literally – leading the Roughriders to a 12-5 record with one game to go and currently has the team sitting in top spot in the west. At the end of week 20, the first-year starter is leading the league with 4,302 passing yards. Fajardo has thrown for 18 touchdowns in 2019 and added an additional 611 yards rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.  He was named a Top Performer of the Week in weeks three, eight and 20.  This is his first career team award nomination.

CHARLESTON HUGHES

MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER

Hughes continues to wreak havoc on CFL quarterbacks this season amassing a league-leading 15 sacks, while also adding 48 tackles, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 16 games. Hughes was named CFL Top Performer of the Month in July and September and a Top Performer of the Week in week six. He’s ranked eighth among all-time league leaders for sacks with a career 129. Hughes has been nominated for this award four times in 2012, 2013 and 2016 with the Stampeders and was the west finalist in 2013.

JON RYAN

MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL-TEAMS PLAYER

After a 12-year hiatus from the CFL, Ryan signed with his hometown Roughriders this year after an incredible career in the NFL with Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.  As a Rider, he has played in all 17 games this season making 104 punts for 5,098 yards and a 49 yards per punt average. Ryan’s longest punt this season spanned a whopping 77 yards and he’s placed nine punts inside the opponents 10-yard line. The last Rider to win CFL Most Outstanding Special-Teams Player was Corey Holmes in 2005.

CAMERON JUDGE*

MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN

Judge has been a force to be reckoned with on the field this season.  He has established a career-high 59 tackles, 12 special teams tackles, five quarterback sacks, one interception and one forced fumble in 16 games played. The Roughriders 2017 draft pick has already surpassed his 2018 stats in which he recorded 41 tackles and two sacks in 18 games. The last Rider to win CFL Outstanding Canadian was Andy Fantuz in 2010. This is Judge’s first career team award nomination.

DAN CLARK*

MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN

Clark has been a veteran leader for the Riders offensive line this season, supporting his teammates on and off the field. A stalwart on an offensive line that saw many changes due to injury, Clark anchored a fierce group that allowed just 35 sacks this season – the third best record in the league. The offensive line also opened holes for the run game, which is averaging 115 yards per game this season and has a league-high 25 rushing touchdowns. After overcoming injuries from a serious car accident before training camp, Clark went on to play every game this season, including his 100^th career game on July 27 against the BC Lions. Teammate Brendon LaBatte is the last Rider to be named CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman when he picked up the award in 2013.

DAKODA SHEPLEY*

MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE

Shepley joined the Riders in March after attending the New York Jets training camp in 2018. He made his CFL debut on June 13^th and didn’t miss a beat playing in all 17 games this season and starting in 14 of them at right guard. Shepley has worked hard for his place as a rookie on the established offensive line and continues to impress on a line full of CFL veterans that has allowed only 35 sacks this season and has the third-best rushing average in the league. The last Rider to win CFL Most Outstanding Rookie was Weston Dressler in 2008.

*denotes unanimous selection

Players from each team recognized for outstanding performances TORONTO (October 30, 2019) – The Canadian Football League (CFL) has announced six team award-winners from each CFL club who will advance to the next stage of voting in the lead up to the 2019 Shaw CFL Awards. The winners were selected by their respective CFL city’s voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC), as well as, the team’s head coach. Voters were tasked with selecting players whose on-field performances best represent the team’s Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Canadian, Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Most Outstanding Rookie, and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. The East and West Division-winners for the 2019 Shaw CFL Awards will be announced on Thursday, November 7. The 2019 Shaw CFL Awards will take place on Thursday, November 21 in Calgary at Scotiabank Saddledome. The evening is one of the highlights of the 2019 Grey Cup Festival presented by Shaw. A limited number of tickets is still available. In addition to the Shaw CFL Awards, several ticketed events for the 2019 Grey Cup Festival presented by Shaw are on-sale now, including the Canadian Tire CFL Alumni Association Legends Luncheon, the Alberta Blue Cross Grey Cup Gala Dinner, the Cheer Extravaganza, the first-ever Grey Cup Rodeo, the SiriusXM Saturday Night Concert presented by Coors Light, and more. Additional event details, dates and purchasing information can be found at GreyCupFestival.ca. Tickets, as low as $150, are on sale now for the 107th Grey Cup presented by Shaw at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on Sunday, November 24, featuring Keith Urban in the Freedom Mobile Grey Cup Halftime Show. For more information, click here. 2019 TEAM AWARD-WINNERS BC LIONS ·     Player: Bryan Burnham* ·     Defensive: T.J. Lee ·     Canadian: Lemar Durant* ·     Offensive Lineman: Joel Figueroa ·     Special Teams: Sergio Castillo* ·     Rookie: Jevon Cottoy EDMONTON ESKIMOS ·     Player: Trevor Harris ·     Defensive: Larry Dean* ·     Canadian: Kwaku Boateng ·     Offensive Lineman: David Beard* ·     Special Teams: Sean Whyte* ·     Rookie: Vontae Diggs* CALGARY STAMPEDERS ·     Player: Reggie Begelton* ·     Defensive: Tre Roberson* ·     Canadian: Cory Greenwood* ·     Offensive Lineman: Shane Bergman ·     Special Teams: Nate Holley* ·     Rookie: Nate Holley WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS ·     Player: Willie Jefferson ·     Defensive: Willie Jefferson* ·     Canadian: Mike Miller ·     Offensive Lineman: Stanley Bryant* ·     Special Teams: Mike Miller* ·     Rookie: Kenny Lawler HAMILTON TIGER-CATS ·     Player: Brandon Banks* ·     Defensive: Simoni Lawrence ·     Canadian: Brandon Revenberg ·     Offensive Lineman: Chris Van Zeyl ·     Special Teams: Frankie Williams ·     Rookie: Jaelon Acklin TORONTO ARGONAUTS ·     Player: Derel Walker ·     Defensive: Cleyon Laing ·     Canadian: Cleyon Laing ·     Offensive Lineman: Sean McEwen* ·     Special Teams: Chris Rainey ·     Rookie: Kennan Gilchrist OTTAWA REDBLACKS ·     Player: Avery Williams ·     Defensive: Avery Williams ·     Canadian: Nolan MacMillan ·     Offensive Lineman: Nolan MacMillan ·     Special Teams: Richie Leone ·     Rookie: Jerod Fernandez MONTREAL ALOUETTES ·     Player: Vernon Adams Jr.* ·     Defensive: Henoc Muamba ·     Canadian: Henoc Muamba ·     Offensive Lineman: Kristian Matte ·     Special Teams: Boris Bede ·     Rookie: Jake Wieneke *Denotes a unanimous selection