Men’s Football
All-Canadian Awards Gala presented by Sun Life Financial All-Canadian teams announced
HAMILTON (U Sports) – Noah Picton, a third-year quarterback from the University of Regina, was named the most outstanding player in U Sports football for the 2016 season during the All-Canadian Awards Gala presented Sun Life Financial, Thursday evening.
Official Vanier Cup website: www.vaniercup.com
The business administration student from Regina became the first Rams standout to claim the Hec Crighton Trophy since the program joined U Sports in 1999. He also became the 50th recipient of the prestigious award since its inception in 1967.
Signal callers have now merited Canadian university football’s highest individual honour each of the past 10 years and 30 times overall. For the first time this season, all four national nominees were quarterbacks.
Other U Sports award recipients announced at the Hamilton Convention Centre were Manitoba linebacker DJ Lalama, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the stand-up defensive player of the year; Laval defensive end Mathieu Betts, who merited the J.P. Metras Trophy as most outstanding down lineman; Mount Allison quarterback Jakob Loucks, who received the Peter Gorman Trophy as top rookie; Manitoba defensive back Cam Teschuk, who claimed the Russ Jackson Award recognizing excellence in football, academics and citizenship; and Wilfrid Laurier head coach Michael Faulds, winner of the Frank Tindall Trophy.
The gala was held as part of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Vanier Cup, which will see the Laval University Rouge et Or and University of Calgary Dinos battle for national supremacy Saturday at 1 p.m. EST at Tim Hortons Field.
Television coverage on Sportsnet / Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports gets underway with pre-game shows at 12:30 p.m. The 52nd U Sports championship game is also available online through Sportsnet NOW and TVASports.ca.
HEC CRIGHTON TROPHY – NOAH PICTON (Regina)
Simply put, Picton had one of the best campaigns in Canadian university football history, at any position.
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound pivot set a single-season U Sports record with 3,186 passing yards in eight league games, surpassing the previous national standard of 3,162 established a year ago by former Calgary Dinos great and current Calgary Stampeder Andrew Buckley, the back-to-back Hec Crighton Trophy winner in 2014 and 2015. On his way to a ridiculous 398.3 yard-per-game average, Picton reached the 400-yard plateau in four contests – including a career-best 499 yards against Manitoba on Sept. 8 – and had at least 300 yards through the air in all but one game.
The product of Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School in Regina also led the nation in touchdown passes (25) – including five games with four - and completion percentage (69.3). He ranked second in the country with a Canada West-record 224 completions, and threw only nine interceptions in 323 passing attempts. He also contributed 238 yards and two majors on the ground.
Picton, who attended the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ training camp in 2015 as part of the CFL’s Canadian quarterback internship program, played a major role in the Rams remarkable turnaround this season as the team improved from 0-8 a year ago to 6-2 and first place in the Canada West standings, a first since the program moved from the Canadian Junior Football League to U Sports in 1999.
Picton’s favourite target this fall was his cousin, Mitchell Picton, who set a team record with 58 catches and led the nation with 11 touchdown receptions. In a classic case of the apple not falling far from the tree, Noah’s father, Dean, is a former standout quarterback for the Rams who led the program to back-to-back CJFL national championships in 1986 and 1987.
“Truth be told, I said to Noah in March to get his Hec Crighton speech ready - and here we are,” said first-year Rams head coach Steve Bryce. “He’s a fantastic competitor, and his efforts this year were integral to the team success we experienced. Noah’s leadership and positive attitude drove everyone around him to be better. He is the kind of player and person that inspires those around him, players and coaches alike. Noah is tremendously deserving of this honour and I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Other nominees:
AUS: Tivon Cook, quarterback, StFX (Scarborough, Ont. / Arts)
RSEQ: Samuel Caron, quarterback, Montreal (Lévis, Que. / Civil Engineering)
OUA: Derek Wendel, quarterback, Ottawa (Belleville, Ont. / Philosophy)
PRESIDENTS’ TROPHY – DJ Lalama (Manitoba)
Lalama, 23, is only the second Manitoba player to claim the Presidents’ Trophy, after linebacker Joey Mikawoz in 2000. He is also the first winner from the Canada West conference since Regina’s Mat Nesbitt in 2007.
In his fourth season with the Bisons, the 6-foot, 225-pound graduate studies student led U Sports in total tackles (72.5) and solo tackles (54), finishing the eight-game regular schedule with 16 more total tackles than any other player in Canada West. The Winnipeg native also tied for the conference lead in forced fumbles (3) and ranked third in the country in pass breakups (7). He registered double-digit tackles in three contests, including a Bison-record 14 in the league opener against Calgary on Sept. 1.
Thanks to his 72.5 tackles, Lalama broke Manitoba’s previous single-season record of 65 set by Mikawoz in his Presidents’ Trophy campaign. An eighth-round selection of the Edmonton Eskimos in the 2016 CFL draft (70th overall), he also moved to second place on the Bisons’ all-time list with 184 career tackles.
“I am very happy and this is a well-deserved honour for DJ. A leader on our defence, he is also a leader in the locker room and our community as he was a finalist for the Russ Jackson Award last season. He is an outstanding player and person,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie. “DJ had a record-breaking season in 2016. His hard work, personal growth and perseverance through his time at Manitoba have culminated in this prestigious recognition. Our Bison coaching staff and his teammates are extremely proud of him.”
Other nominees
AUS: DeAndre Smith, linebacker, Saint Mary’s (Dunn, N.C. / Arts)
RSEQ: Jonathan Boisonneault-Glaou, defensive end, Montreal (Lyster, Que. / Mechanical Engineering)
OUA: Nakas Onyeka, linebacker, Wilfrid Laurier (Brampton, Ont. / Communications)
J.P. METRAS TROPHY – MATHIEU BETTS (Laval)
Betts, a sophomore from Montreal, is the first player in history to claim both the Peter Gorman Trophy as U Sports rookie of the year (2015) and the J.P. Metras Trophy. On the list of Laval standouts to be named most outstanding down lineman, he joins defensive ends Arnaud Gascon-Nadon (2010-2011) and Étienne Légaré (2008), as well as offensive linemen Dominic Picard (2005) and Carl Gourgues (2001).
After setting a national rookie record with 12 quarterback sacks a year ago, Betts picked up where he left off with nine sacks in eight league games this fall, good for the RSEQ conference lead and second place in the country. Despite being double-teamed throughout the season, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound physical education and health student also ranked first in Quebec in tackles for a loss (10.5) and pass breakups (5.0), and was seventh on his team with 21 total tackles. For good mesure, he also scored the first touchdown of his young university career on Sept. 10 against Concordia, returning a blocked field goal attempt on 84 yards for the score.
Named to the first all-Canadian team for the second straight year, Betts helped the Rouge et Or defense finish among the national leaders in most team categories once again this season, including second in points allowed (9.8 per game) and total yards (294.0), third against the run (91.8) and fourth against the pass (202.3).
With 21 sacks in 16 contests over his first two campaigns, Betts is only 5.5 shy of the Laval career record and 10.5 off the conference mark set over five seasons by Queen’s Jim Aru (1994-1998).
“The best compliment Mathieu could receive is to see how other teams tried to adjust to him this season,” said Rouge et Or head coach Glen Constantin. “We saw all kinds of protections to try to counter him, but in spite of that, he was still a dominant force in our conference. The way Mathieu plays dictates our performance on defence.”
Other nominees:
AUS: Vernon Sainvil, offensive tackle, StFX (Malden, Mass. / Arts)
OUA: Sean Jamieson, offensive tackle, Western (Winnipeg, Man. / Kinesiology)
CWUAA: Geoff Gray, guard, Manitoba (Winnipeg, Man. / Engineering)
PETER GORMAN TROPHY – JAKOB LOUCKS (Mount Allison)
Loucks became the fifth Mount Allison player to capture the Peter Gorman Trophy, following in the footsteps of linebacker Sébastien Roy (1999) and running backs Éric Lapointe (1995), Grant Keaney (1988) and John Hutchinson (1980. He is the first winner from the AUS conference since StFX linebacker Jeremy Steeves in 2001.
Originally from Cornwall, Ont., Loucks had big shoes to fill this fall following the graduation of four-year starter Brandon Leyh, a two-time AUS all-star. The 5-foot-10, 195-pound psychology student not only started all eight regular season games in his university debut - a rare feat for a freshman – he was also the only quarterback used by the Mounties in all but two contests. He helped Mount Allison to second place in the league standings with a 3-5 record.
Loucks was consistent at the helm of a young offensive unit and finished second in the Atlantic conference in most passing categories, completing 54.2 per cent of his passes for 1,325 yards, five touchdowns, and only seven interceptions in 225 attempts. He also proved a dual threat for opposing defences as he carried the ball 56 times for 404 yards and one major, finishing second in rushing yards among U Sports pivots behind Alberta’s Ben Kopczynski (443).
“Jakob had an outstanding rookie season and is very deserving of this award,” said first-year Mounties head coach Scott Brady. “He improved each and every week and is a true playmaker at the quarterback position - he consistently turns bad plays into great ones. His toughness is incredible and has quickly won him the respect of everyone in our program. He is a special player with a very bright future ahead of him.”
Other nominees:
RSEQ: Adam Auclair, defensive back, Laval (Notre-Dame-des-Pins, Que. / Consumer Science)
OUA: Adam Preocanin, kicker, McMaster (Burlington, Ont. / Humanities)
CWUAA: Nicholas Dheilly, defensive tackle, Regina (Regina, Sask. / Arts)
FRANK TINDALL TROPHY – MICHAEL FAULDS (Wilfrid Laurier)
Faulds follows in the footsteps of Gary Jeffries (2003), Rick Zmich (1995), Rich Newbrough (1991) and two-time winner Dave ‘Tuffy’ Knight (1972, 1979) as Laurier coaches to capture the Frank Tindall Trophy.
In only his fourth season at the helm, Faulds capped off a remarkable turnaround for the purple and gold in 2016 as he led the Golden Hawks to a 7-1 conference mark – good for second place in the OUA standings - and then their first Yates Cup championship since 2005, just three years removed from a 1-7 campaign in his head coaching debut. It marked the Hawks’ best record since 2007 and their highest regular season finish since 2009.
The team set a new school record for touchdowns in a single regular season (43), scored the second most point in Laurier history (341) and posted the fourth-highest rushing yards total in school annals (2,251), the most since the 1970’s. The Hawks led the nation in rushing (281.4 yards per game) and finished second in total yards (500.6) and scoring (42.6 points per game).
On the defensive side of the ball, Laurier was simply dominant in all phases, allowing only 15.8 points per contest in league play, good for second in Ontario and fourth in the country. Anchored by all-Canadians Nakas Onyeka (LB), Godfrey Onyeka (CB), Malcolm Thompson (HB) and Kwaku Boateng (DE) - the top U Sports prospect for the upcoming CFL draft - the Hawks were among the nation’s Top 5 in a number of statistical categories, including first in sacks (36) and defensive touchdowns (6).
One of the greatest quarterbacks in Canadian university football history, Faulds was the all-time leader in passing yards (10,811) at the end of his stellar five-year career with Western in 2009, and now ranks second on the national list. A two-time Yates Cup winner as a player, he made his U Sports coaching debut with the York Lions, acting as the team’s offensive coordinator for three seasons from 2010 to 2012.
“Michael had all the tools to build a championship culture, including an educational philosophy that ensures that student-athletes are developed academically, athletically, and as leaders,” said Laurier director of athletics and recreation Peter Baxter. “He has surrounded himself with top coaching talent on his staff, recruited character student-athletes, and set expectations that drive results. I am not surprised he has earned national recognition for himself and his coaching staff.”
Other nominees:
AUS: Gary Waterman, StFX
RSEQ: Danny Maciocia, Montreal
CWUAA: Steve Bryce, Regina
RUSS JACKSON AWARD – CAM TESCHUK (Manitoba)
Teschuk, 23, is only the second Manitoba player to merit the prestigious Russ Jackson Award. Linebacker Michael Hall was a back-to-back recipient in 2009 and 2010.
In his fifth and final season with the Bisons, the 5-foot-8, 180-pound defensive back produced another strong campaign with 23 tackles, three pass breakups and one fumble recovery in eight league contests. A co-captain for the third consecutive year, the St. Paul’s High School product has shown his reliability during his time on the U of M campus as he did not miss a conference game over his last four seasons.
In the classroom, the Winnipeg native is a four-time Academic All-Canadian with a cumulative GPA of 4.13 in the faculty of management, and is well on his way to receiving the honour once again this year. Involved in multiple student associations, the Rhodes scholarship applicant has been selected to represent the University of Manitoba at eight different national and international business case study competitions.
An active member of the Winnipeg volunteer community, Teschuk has worked on several initiatives with the homeless, including volunteering for the Five Days for the Homeless campaign. He has also volunteered at the Siloam Mission homeless shelter and spent time raising donations for Shinerama - a student-run organization that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis research - and the True North Foundation, which works to empower youth in the Winnipeg community.
In addition, Teschuk has worked with Bison Book Buddies and the Bison Buddy Bash, which sees student-athletes go to schools to read and play sports with kids. His football expertise has also extended off campus as a coach, working annually with the Blue Bomber Crunchers Youth Football Camp and with the Manitoba Fearless - a woman’s spring football team - where he will become a full-time coach this spring.
“I am proud of Cam. I have coached for 42 years and during that time he is unquestionably one of the best people I have known through the game of football,” said Bisons head coach Brian Dobie. “Cam is an absolute teammate, great friend, and an unselfish and tireless worker who always seems to be doing the right things for the common good and the well-being of those that surround him. He is not only an exceptional representative of the Bison football program but also of the entire University of Manitoba community. Cam personifies the integrity and character of recipients of the prestigious Russ Jackson Award.”
Other nominees:
AUS: Will Wojcik, defensive back, Acadia (Ottawa, Ont. / Kinesiology)
RSEQ: Shayne Cowan-Cholette, linebacker, Bishop’s (Ottawa, Ont. / Education-Drama)
OUA: Mark Mackie, defensive end, McMaster (London, Ont. / Kinesiology)