Jon Cornish became just the third Canadian player ever to be named the CFL’s most outstanding player.
The 29-year-old Calgary Stampeders’ running back also took home his second consecutive most outstanding Canadian award at the CFL awards banquet in Regina on Thursday.
Cornish, a St. Thomas More grad and former B.C. high school football player of the year, became the first non-import to win the MVP in 35 years, leading the CFL with 14 touchdowns, 1,813 rushing yards and 2,157 yards from scrimmage this season. He also broke his single season rushing record for a Canadian, set last season, while his total season yardage was also a new record for a non-import player.
The other two Canadian players to earn the league’s MVP were Tony Gabriel in 1978 and the great Ottawa quarterback Russ Jackson in 1963, ’66 and ’69. Both Gabriel and Jackson are iun the CFL hall of fame.
Cornish beat Toronto Argonaut quarterback Ricky Ray in the MVP balloting, garnering a near-unanimous 46 first-place votes.
“I’m happy I could do it because I think it will really inspire kids in all different sports to try your best and see what you can do,” said Cornish in a CFL press release.
Voting was conducted by 42 football reporters and the eight CFL head coaches.
Cornish also received all but two votes in the balloting for top Canadian.
