Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Some of the most exciting debates come around the end of the CFL season.
Which team will make it to the Grey Cup? Who will be named an All-Star? Who will win the biggest accolades of the year at the CFL Awards?
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Those questions and more will be answered eventually but right now, we want to focus on the rookies. These are the players who suit up in the Canadian game for the first time and excel doing so.
The league released its list of eligible first-year players for the Most Outstanding Rookie award on Thursday and to help you navigate through the list of 107 names that could earn a nomination at the end of year, here are nine rookies (in no particular order) that have made impact this season.
QWAN’TEZ STIGGERS
Defensive back | Toronto Argonauts
Qwan’tez Stiggers has fit in nicely in Toronto, helping the Argos to a 13-2 record (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
Qwan’tez Stiggers has played in all 14 of the Argos games this season and has been an excellent addition in Toronto’s secondary. The 21-year-old corner has tallied 46 tackles on defence, while racking up another three on special teams, and has grabbed three interceptions.
DUSTIN CRUM
Quarterback | Ottawa REDBLACKS
Dustin Crum took over as the REDBLACKS starting quarterback in Week 5 and has completed 231 of 334 passes for 2,653 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. He’s also show off his abilities on the ground, calling his own number 87 times for 655 yards and nine major scores.
TYLER SNEAD
Receiver | Montreal Alouettes
Along with Austin Mack (who isn’t eligible to win Most Outstanding Rookie), Tyler Snead has been an excellent first-year receiver for the Alouettes. The 23-year-old has hauled in 49 catches for 682 yards, good for second on the team behind Mack, and five touchdowns, averaging 13.9 yards per catch.
KAI GRAY
Defensive back | Edmonton Elks
Kai Gray is third on his team in defensive tackles with 50, just behind linebackers Nyles Morgan (97) and Adam Konar (68). The 26-year-old has also tallied two tackles on special teams to go along with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown.
TYREIK MCALLISTER
Receiver | Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Tyreik McAllister has been used on both offence and as a returner for the Tiger-Cats this season. The five-foot-11, 180-pounder has hauled in 26 catches for 359 yards and two touchdowns when he’s played offence. As a returner, he’s tallied 572 punt return yards on 57 punts and 894 kickoff return yards on 34 kickoffs. He’s averaging 26.3 yards per kickoff return, the best of all returners in the CFL. The 25-year-old has also returned a league-leading six kickoffs longer than 40 yards, with his longest of the season going for 71.
CARTHELL FLOWERS-LLOYD
Defensive back | Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Carthell Flowers-Lloyd‘s biggest impact for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats has been on special teams. The 25-year-old leads the league in special teams tackles with 28 in 16 games.
REGGIE STUBBLEFIELD
Defensive back | Montreal Alouettes
Reggie Stubblefield has been making plays all over the field for the Alouettes defence this year (Daniel Crump/CFL.ca)
Reggie Stubblefield has made an impact for the Alouettes on defence in the 11 games he’s played this season. The 25-year-old has knocked down eight passes while also tallying 40 defensive tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and forcing a fumble.
KENNETH GEORGE
Defensive back | Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Kenneth George has racked up 37 tackles to go along with two interceptions and a fumble recovery in his first season with the black and gold.
DEAN FAITHFULL
Kicker | Edmonton Elks
British kicker Dean Faithfull has taken over kicking duties for the Elks this season, his first in the CFL (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
While Dean Faithfull isn’t leading the league in any kicking categories, we did still want to include him on this list for two reasons. The first is that he is a 36-year-old rookie. If that doesn’t remind you it’s never too late to try anything new, we don’t know what does. The second is his British-inspired celebrations, the Queen and the tea cup, were just too much fun not to mention.
