CFL.ca Staff
OTTAWA — Quarterbacks Erik Glavic of Calgary and Michael Faulds of Western Ontario, along with Mount Allison receiver and kick returner Gary Ross were announced as CIS football player of the year nominees, on Thursday.
The Canada West, OUA and AUS conferences unveiled their season award winners with Glavic, Faulds and Ross joining Laval quarterback Benoit Groulx as the 2009 finalists for the Hec Crighton trophy.
Groulx, last year’s Hec Crighton recipient, was named Quebec MVP for the third time on Monday when the QUFL handed out its individual honours.
The fifth-year senior from Montreal, who led the Rouge et Or to Vanier Cup victories in 2006 and 2008, became only the fifth player in CIS history to receive three Hec Crighton nominations following fellow quarterbacks Chris Flynn of Saint Mary’s (1988, 1989, 1990), Brent Schneider of Saskatchewan (1993, 1994, 1996) and Phil Côté of Ottawa (1998, 1999, 2000), as well as St. Francis Xavier receiver and defensive back Kevin Aver (1975, 1979, 1980).
Glavic made some history of his own on Thursday.
The fourth-year veteran from Pickering, Ont., who is in his first season with the Dinos in 2009, became the first player to earn Hec Crighton nominations for two different schools. He started his university career at Saint Mary’s, where he was named CIS MVP in 2007.
This fall, Glavic passed for 2,186 yards and rushed for 503 more, led the Canada West with 14 TD passes, and guided the Dinos to a 7-1 conference record, the program’s best since 1988. Calgary plays for a second straight Canada West banner Saturday against Saskatchewan.
Faulds of Eden Mills, Ont., and Ross of Windsor, Ont., are both first-time CIS MVP nominees.
In his fifth and final season at Western, Faulds set a single-season CIS record with 3,033 passing yards as well as a CIS career mark with 10,811 yards. He will play in his third straight Yates Cup final Saturday against Queen’s, after being named the game’s MVP in both 2007 and 2008.
In his fourth campaign at Mount Allison, Ross set an AUS single-season record with 60 receptions – tied for fifth on the all-time CIS list – as well as conference career marks with 172 catches and 2,582 receiving yards. He is also the AUS career leader with 5,990 all-purpose yards and ranks second in conference history with 1,679 yards on punt returns.
Following is the complete list of conference nominees for the CIS football individual awards which will be presented in two weeks in Quebec City as part as the Desjardins Vanier Cup festivities. All awards will be handed out on Thursday, November 26, during the All-Canadian Banquet, with the exception of the coach of the year trophy which will be presented on the Friday morning.
