OLIVEIRA AND MITCHELL TO FACE OFF FOR MOP AT CFL AWARDS, PRESENTED BY SECURIAN CANADA

TORONTO (October 31, 2024) – For the second straight year, Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira is the West Division finalist for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award, while Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell attempts to become the fourth player to capture the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) top individual honour on three occasions.

The pair will go head-to-head at the sold-out CFL Awards, presented by Securian Canada, on Thursday, November 14 during the 2024 Grey Cup Festival. The evening ceremony honours the top performers across seven categories as voted by the national and local members of the Football Reporters of Canada, and the league’s nine head coaches. This season’s recipients of the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Award and the Tom Pate Memorial Award will also be recognized. Viewers can tune in to the event via the league’s livestreaming platform, CFL+.

The 111^th Grey Cup, featuring the internationally-acclaimed Jonas Brothers in the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show, will be played at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Sunday, November 17, with kickoff slated for 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. A limited number of tickets are still available via Ticketmaster. The championship contest will be broadcast live across the nation on TSN, CTV and RDS. CBS Sports Network will exclusively televise the Grey Cup in the U.S. Viewers outside of North America can tune-in on CFL+.

2024 CFL AWARDS FINALISTS
​(Category | West Division nominee | East Division nominee)

For the second consecutive season, Brady Oliveira topped the league in rushing yards (1,353), becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Andrew Harris from 2017-19. He has now eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in the past three seasons. The former North Dakota Fighting Hawk led the CFL in yards from scrimmage (1,829) for a second straight year. Oliveira was also nominated for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player Award in 2023.

Bo Levi Mitchell cemented his place in Hamilton Tiger-Cats lore by establishing a franchise record – and new personal-best – 5,451 passing yards, including nine games with 300+ yards and two surpassing 400. He is the only pivot to eclipse the 5,000-passing yard mark in the past six years, and he led the league with 32 touchdown passes. The Eastern Washington product matched his career-high with five touchdown passes in a game on two occasions this season. Mitchell has now been nominated for the George Reed Most Outstanding Player on four occasions, capturing the CFL’s highest individual honour in 2016 and 2018.

Rolan Milligan Jr. recorded 111 defensive plays this season – good for fifth overall. The Lake Wales, Fla., native tallied a career-high eight interceptions to sit atop the league leaderboard and he equaled his personal-best with 71 defensive tackles. Milligan led a stout Roughriders defence that allowed the third fewest points (24.1 per game) and the second fewest yards (356.1 per game), while forcing a league-high 49 turnovers.

Tyrice Beverette finished first in defensive plays with 137, including 102 defensive tackles – his first season breaking the 100-mark – to rank fourth. He was tied for second with eight tackles for a loss, trailing only teammate Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund. The former Stony Brook Seawolves standout showcased his versatility throughout the season, collecting five sacks, four forced fumbles, two interceptions and six pass knockdowns.

Oliveira, the reigning Most Outstanding Canadian, is looking to go back-to-back in Vancouver; the last player to accomplish the feat was Jon Cornish, who won three straight from 2012-14. In addition to being the league’s premiere rusher, the Winnipeg native bested his former career-high of 38 receptions by 19, while falling just six yards shy of his career-high 482-receiving yard performance from last season.

Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund stood tall on the Montreal defensive line with a career-high 36 defensive tackles. He topped the CFL with nine tackles for a loss, and he led all Alouettes with seven sacks – the second-highest total of his career and one off the CFL lead.

Logan Ferland was the lone constant on a Saskatchewan offensive line that was decimated by injuries. The native of Melfort, Sask., started every game and registered time at guard, right tackle and centre throughout the season. He led the way as Saskatchewan topped all playoff-bound West Division teams in points scored (478), offensive touchdowns (45) and touchdown passes (27). As a unit, the Roughriders’ offensive line finished with 35 sacks allowed, down from 54 last season.

Ryan Hunter was key to an Argonauts offence that scored a league-high 514 points (28.6 per game), while allowing Ka’Deem Carey to set a new career-high with 1,416 yards from scrimmage. The team also topped the East Division in rushing yards (121.3), rushing first downs (158) and time of possession (30:33). The Bowling Green product started 17 games, including time spent at guard and tackle.

For the second consecutive season, Sean Whyte made 50 field goals in 53 attempts – a 94.3 per cent success rate. His tremendous season propelled him to first all-time in career field goal percentage (88.4). Combined with 36 converts made in 38 attempts, the White Rock, B.C., native finished with 188 points to cross the 2,000-point plateau and move into 11^th place with 2,116. Whyte was the East Division Most Outstanding Canadian in 2011, and he was the West’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2023.

Janarion Grant led the CFL with a 14.8-yard punt return average (minimum 22 returns), three punt return touchdowns and a career-best four total return touchdowns. The Rutgers product dwarfed his previous career-highs, setting new personal marks in punt returns (67), punt return yards (989), kickoff returns (41) and kickoff return yards (1,000). His season was punctuated by a stretch of three consecutive games with a return touchdown, including a career-long 103-yard effort in Week 6.

Nick Anderson led the league in total tackles, while finishing tied for first with 111 defensive tackles alongside fellow Elk, Nyles Morgan. The dominant duo became the first teammates to record 110-or-more defensive tackles in the same season. The former Tulane Green Wave finished second in defensive plays with 130, and added three sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles on the year.

Shemar Bridges collected a team-high 83 receptions in 15 games to set a franchise record for first-year players. Bridges was on pace to eclipse Curtis Marsh’s CFL rookie record of 102 before an injury ended his season. The Jacksonville, Fla., native’s impressive debut campaign also included 933 receiving yards, four touchdowns and 30 catches for second down conversions.

In his first year as a head coach, Corey Mace led the team to a second-place finish in the West Division, securing the Roughriders’ first home playoff game since 2021. The Port Moody, B.C., native led the team to a league-leading rushing defence that allowed 80.3 yards per game, while finishing with the best turnover ratio at +26.

In his second season with the team, Jason Maas guided the Alouettes to their first division title since 2012. Montreal last reached 12 victories in 2010. The team led the league in quarterback completion percentage (71.3), offensive touchdowns allowed (31) and yards allowed per play (6.32).