The Ottawa REDBLACKS on Wednesday announced the club’s list of outstanding player nominees ahead 2017 Shaw CFL Awards.
The award winners are selected by voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and CFL head coaches.
The East and West Division finalists for the 2017 Shaw CFL Awards will be announced on Thursday, November 9.
Ottawa’s nominees are:
Outstanding player: Greg Ellingson
Just when you think the American receiver can’t get any better after posting consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Greg Ellingson led the CFL for much of the year and finished the regular season with 1,459 yards and 12 touchdown on 96 catches. Ellingson has been a key piece of Ottawa’s offensive attack since signing in Ottawa as a free agent before the 2015 season.
Outstanding defensive player: Antoine Pruneau
A Day 1 REDBLACK, Antoine Pruneau has proven to be someone that offensive players in the CFL would rather not run into. Though not the biggest guy out there, Pruneau packs a punch, something illustrated by his 65 defensive tackles this season – plus another eight on special teams – which nearly equaled his career high of 68 set in his rookie season in 2014.
Outstanding Canadian player: Brad Sinopoli
Though his season was cut short due to injury late in the year, that didn’t stop Canadian receiver and former University of Ottawa star QB Brad Sinopoli from once again reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in as many seasons. In addition to his ability to catch the ball, what has set Sinopoli apart over the years is his ability to rack up yards after the catch (he finished 3rd in the CFL this year with 384 YAC).
Outstanding offensive lineman: Alex Mateas
While offensive linemen rarely get the respect they deserve, Alex Mateas stepped up in a big way this season. Ottawa’s first overall pick in 2015 was a busy guy this year, moving from his usual position at left guard to centre after an injury to Jon Gott. Mateas, who played centre in college at Connecticut, didn’t miss a beat as a makeshift offensive line (also without left tackle SirVincent Rogers) got the job done.
Outstanding special teams player: Diontae Spencer
You could pretty much hand Spencer this award based solely off Ottawa’s regular season finale, but the first-year REDBLACK has done plenty more this season than one record-breaking breaking game. In addition to catching 71 passes for 922 yards, Spencer returned 70 punts for 929 yards, 25 kickoffs for 607 yards and five missed field goals for 260 yards.
Outstanding rookie: Sherrod Baltimore
One of the feel-good stories of the year, Baltimore cracked the REDBLACKS lineup after being spotted at an open tryout in the United States and then making the team out of training camp. The first-year defensive back had 47 defensive tackles on the year, including a season-high eight tackles on October 13 in a win over Saskatchewan.
