CFL.ca Staff
SHERBROOKE, Que. — Simon Charbonneau Campeau of the Sherbrooke Vert & Or has been named the 2010 university football player of the year by the RSEQ (Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec) during the association’s annual awards media conference in Sherbrooke, Que.
Three members of the regular season champion Laval Rouge et Or picked up individual honour including linebacker Frédérick Plesius as defensive player of the year, Arnaud Gascon-Nadon as the league’s most outstanding linemen and Glen Constantin as the coach of the year. Montreal Carabins rookie defensive end David Ménard earns the nod as the conference’s top first year player, while teammate Guillaume Saliah is the RSEQ nominee for the Russ Jackson Award.
Receiver Simon Charbonneau Campeau (Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) is the first member of the Université de Sherbrooke gridiron squad to earn the Jeff Russel Trophy as the top player in Quebec university football. Charbonneau Campeau, who began playing football just four years ago, has quickly distinguished himself in his three-year university career. The Biotechnical Engineering student finished the 2010 campaign as the top receiver in Canada and set a new conference record for the most receiving yards in a single season with 1121. He made 55 catches including six for touchdowns while averaging 124.6 yards per contest. His top single-game performance came on October 2 in a 34-8 win over the McGill Redmen at Perceval Molson Stadium when he caught nine passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. The 6-4 receiver was a key component in Sherbrooke’s air attack, as the squad lead the league with 2592 yards passing this season.
As a result of earning the Russel Trophy, Charbonneau Campeau moves forward as the Quebec nominee for the Hec Creighton Trophy, presented annually to the outstanding football player in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).
Linebacker Frédérick Plesius (Laval, Que.) of the Laval Rouge et Or has been named as the defensive player of the year for his exploits during the 2010 campaign. The former Champlain College standout recorded 38.5 total tackles including 29 solos and five quarterback sacks. He also made a trio of interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. On October 3, the third year student picked off a pair of passes including a 58-yard return for a touchdown to open the scoring in Laval’s 46-10 win over Concordia. He helped Laval to the best defence in Canada this season, allowing just 6.4 points against per game. Plesius is the RSEQ’s nominee for the Presidents’ Trophy as the outstanding defensive player in the CIS.
Also earning the nod from the Rouge et Or is Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (Montreal) who is recognized as the best lineman in the conference. The second-year Industrial Relations student terrorized quarterbacks in his first season in the league, recording eight sacks in seven games. The CIS record of 12 quarterback sacks in a single season would have been in jeopardy of falling had Gascon-Nadon not been injured, forcing him to miss the final two games of the campaign. The 6’3”, 250-pound player finished the season with 19 solo tackles and 12 assists. Gascon-Nadon is the Quebec nominee for the J.P. Metras Trophy as the outstanding of the year in the CIS.
Montreal Carabins defensive end David Ménard (Chicoutimi, Que.) is the rookie of the year in the RSEQ and finalist for the Peter Gorman Trophy as the top first-year player in Canada. A first-team RSEQ all-star and graduate of François-Xavier-Garneau College, Ménard lead the conference and was second overall in Canada with nine quarterback sacks and was first in Quebec with three fumble recoveries. The 20-year old Kinesiology student racked up 27 tackles including 19 solos and one knockdown after starting every game for the Carabins. It is the fourth time since 2002 that a member of the Carabins has been named rookie of the year.
Second-year Montreal guard Guillaume Saliah (Paris, France) is the RSEQ nominee for Russ Jackson Award, presented annually to the CIS football player who best exemplifies the attributes of academic achievement, football skill and citizenship. Saliah started the first seven games of the season before suffering an injury that forced him out of the line-up. He is known throughout the league as being one of the smartest linemen on the field. In the classroom, the Administration student at HEC Montreal has a 3.17 average through his first 42 credits.
Saliah’s father comes from Niger and this past year the younger Saliah wanted to return to family’s roots while using the occasion to do humanitarian work. Backed by the organization “Pencils for Kids,” Saliah and his girlfriend spent time in the village of Liboré on the outskirts of the capital Niamey. While visiting schools, he taught students how to use software on their new computer and upon his return to Canada, the 6’4”, 275-pound player shared his experiences which allowed “Pencil for Kids” to expand their program and launch new projects including the construction of a classroom for pre-school children. This fall, Guillaume helped to collect used school materials that he is sending to Niger.
The final individual award was presented to Laval head coach Glen Constantin, who for the third straight year was named the top head coach in the circuit. Constantin is also the association’s nominee for the Frank Tindall Trophy as the coach of the year in the CIS, an honour that was previously bestowed upon him back in 2005. This year, the Rouge et Or dominated their opponents, outscoring them 411-58 in the nine regular season contests. Laval averaged 45.7 points per game, which is the most for any team in the CIS since 2004. In ten seasons as head coach of Laval, Constantin has posted a 67-14 regular season record and 22-7 mark in the playoffs. The Rouge et Or has won 67 of its last 73 regular season games and the last seven Dunsmore Cup titles.
-With files from the RSEQ
