Bombers’ Brady Oliveira named CFL’s outstanding player, top Canadian

VANCOUVER — Brady Oliveira stole the show at the CFL awards banquet.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back captured the George Reed Most Outstanding Player honour and was named top Canadian for a second straight year. Oliveira led the West Division to four of the seven top individual awards Thursday night at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

“It’s amazing to be up here with two of the most prestigious awards in this amazing league that I’ve been watching since I was a young kid,” he said. “It’s a dream, man, it’s awesome.

“But I want to win a Grey Cup.”

Oliveira and the Bombers face the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup on Sunday at B.C. Place Stadium. Winnipeg is in the game for a fifth straight year and chasing a third title.

Also honoured were Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan Jr. (defensive player), Edmonton’s Nick Anderson (rookie), Toronto’s Ryan Hunter (lineman) and Janarion Grant (special-teams) and Montreal’s Jason Maas (coach of the year).

Voting was conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches. Fifty-six votes were completed.

Saskatchewan long-snapper Jorgen Hus earned the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award (possessing attributes of Canada’s veterans) while Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill received the Tom Pate Memorial Award (community service). B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman was presented the Commissioner’s award.

Carolyn Cody, B.C.’s vice-president of business operations and marketing, received the Jane Mawby Tribute award.

Oliveira, 27, earned a second straight CFL rushing title with 1,353 yards. A finalist last year, the five-foot-11, 222-pound Winnipeg native also topped the league in yards from scrimmage (1,829) for a second consecutive year to garner 31 votes.

Oliveira hopes to be an inspiration to future Canadian players. He’s just the fourth Canuck to win both awards in the same year.

“I want to just continue playing extremely good football in this league for a lot more years and make sure I inspire the younger generation,” Oliveira said. “Understand if you’re a Canadian kid and you want to play at a skill position, you can win the most outstanding player award.

“It doesn’t always have to go to a quarterback. If you’re the best player in the league and you so happen to a running back, receiver, safety or whatever it is that you can do it because there’s been others before you who’ve accomplished the feat.”

Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell was the finalist. A two-time award winner, Mitchell led the CFL in passing (career-best 5,451 yards) and TDs (32).

Winnipeg head coach Mike O’Shea said while Oliveira’s double was a lofty accomplishment, he doesn’t expect the star halfback to dwell upon it.

“I think Brady, he’s wired right, not just on the football field but understanding team,” O’Shea said. “You win an award (MOP) like that, it’s a moment you should be proud of.

“I also know come later (Thursday night) he’s going to be focused on one thing and one thing only.”

Oliveira received 55 votes as top Canadian.

Montreal defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund was the finalist. The six-foot-two, 248-pound Dartmouth, N.S., native had a CFL-best nine tackles for a loss and team-high seven sacks while registering a career-best 36 tackles.

The five-foot-11, 200-pound Milligan received 35 votes after leading the CFL in interceptions and defensive takeaways (both eight) and registering 111 defensive plays (fifth overall). He was also third in special-teams tackles (20) and helped Saskatchewan’s defence rank first in forced turnovers (49), forced fumbles (17) and fumble recoveries (14) and second in interceptions (24).

“It was a surreal moment when they called my name,” Milligan said. “Just a rush of emotions, I kind of still have them right now.

“I’m still kind of trying to come back down from it but it feels great just getting the recognition for all of the work I’ve put in.”

Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette was the finalist. He registered a CFL-high 137 defensive plays — including 102 tackles to stand fourth — and was second overall in tackles for a loss (eight) while adding five sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.

Hunter, of North Bay, Ont., received 40 votes in becoming the second Argo to claim the honour after Dejon Allen won it last year. The six-foot-three, 315-pound Hunter played guard and tackle in 17 starts as Toronto finished second overall in rushing (121.3 yards per game) and third in offensive scoring (26.2 points) and net offence (368.7 yards).

This marks the first time Toronto players have won this award in consecutive years since Mike Kiselak did so in 1996-97.

“It’s good to have it stay in Toronto,” Hunter said. “I definitely would like to start the trend of us being known as the offensive line team.

“To have Dejon kind of hand the baton off to me, hopefully I’ll keep it or get to hand it off to another teammate next year.”

Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland was the finalist. Ferland, of Melfort, Sask., started all 18 regular-season games, playing guard, tackle and centre.

Maas received 30 votes after guiding Montreal (league-best 12-5-1 record) atop the East Division for the first time since 2012 after leading the franchise to a Grey Cup title last year, his first as head coach. The Als last recorded 12 regular-season wins in 2010.

“It’s quite an honour to be recognized,” Maas said. “I love being a part of the Montreal organization . . . it takes every single one to be successful.

This award isn’t just for me, it’s for our organization.”

Corey Mace, who led Saskatchewan (9-8-1) to second in the West Division in his first season as head coach, was the finalist.

The five-foot-nine, 157-pound Grant is the second Toronto special-teams winner as Javon Leake earned it last year. Grant led the CFL in punt-returns yards (career-high 989), average (14.8 yards) and TDs (three) and total return touchdowns (four) while setting career highs in punt returns (67), kickoff returns (41) and kickoff return yards (1,000).

Grant didn’t feel any vindication considering he signed with Toronto as a free agent in May as Winnipeg chose not to re-sign him after four seasons.

“I think it proves just me going out there and being great for whatever team I play on,” Grant said. “It just lights a fire in me, it tells me to keep going.

“There’s always juice in me, I’m always fired up playing football.”

B.C. kicker Sean Whyte was the finalist after making 50-of-53 field goals — 94.3 per cent — for a second straight year while making 36-of-38 converts.

The five-foot-11, 242-pound Anderson finished tied with teammate Nyles Morgan for most defensive tackles (111) and second in both total tackles (116) and defensive plays (130) in 18 regular-season games.

Hamilton receiver Shemar Bridges was the finalist. He had a team-high 83 catches (club record for first-year players) with 933 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games before suffering a season-ending leg injury.

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— Gemma Kartsens-Smith contributed to this report.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.

Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press