Rookie Clarence Hicks, veteran Sean McEwen, star kicker René Paredes also get nod from Stampeders for league hardware
Bright spots for the Calgary Stampeders in 2024?
There’s been a few …
Even in the face of the team’s worst season, including a miss of the playoffs, in at least two decades.
And a handful of them were saluted Wednesday by the CFL team.
“It feels good,” said Cameron Judge to reporters, of learning he is the Stampeders nominee for both the Most Outstanding Defensive Player and Most Outstanding Canadian awards.
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“I mean … it’s been a tough season, you know,” continued Judge. “I wish it could be under better circumstances. But it is nice when you get recognized for the things you’ve done. So it’s a good feeling.”
It’s much the same sentiment for four others in Red and White earning league award nominations.
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The team’s other representatives for the CFL’s major awards are centre Sean McEwen (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman), defensive lineman Clarence Hicks (Most Outstanding Rookie) and kicker René Paredes (Most Outstanding Special Teams Player).
And for the third time in his career, receiver Reggie Begelton is the Stamps nod for the Most Outstanding Player award.
“He’s probably one of our hardest workers and takes care of his body as good as anybody,” said Dickenson, of Begelton. “Very competitive, prideful, a leader …
“It’d be nice to have a bunch of Reggies. They don’t make ’em like that. He’s durable — he’s got speed and great hands and will block. So … yeah … he’s always doing a lot of good things.”
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Among those facing Begelton in the league vote for MOP are two former teammates — QB Bo Levi Mitchell, of the Hamilton Tiger Cats, and running back Ka’Deem Carey, of the Toronto Argonauts.
Calgary’s award finalists were determined by voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada, as well as one vote from the Stampeders coaching staff.
The league’s top players in each category will be announced on Nov. 14 during the CFL awards ceremony during Grey Cup Week in Vancouver.
Here is a closer look at the Stampeders players being honoured:
Begelton has started all 17 games at slotback in 2024 and is the team’s leader in receptions (89), receiving yards (1,112), second-down conversion catches (32) and receptions of at least 30 yards (six). He has four touchdowns, a two-point conversion reception and three 100-yard games.
In Week 11 against the Ottawa Redblacks, Begelton surpassed the 5,000-yard mark for his career and in Week 15 against the Montreal Alouettes, he made his 400th career reception. In Week 19 against the Edmonton Elks, Begelton had a season-long 54-yard reception and surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in a season for the third time in his career.
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Begelton, who was recently voted by teammates as the 2024 winner of the Presidents’ Ring award for excellence on and off the field, was previously Calgary’s Most Outstanding Player nominee in 2019 and 2023.
The Montreal-born linebacker is the Stamps’ top Canadian for a third consecutive season and top defensive player nominee for the first time. In 2019 as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he was the West Division finalist for the Most Outstanding Canadian award.
Through 17 starts this season at the weak-side linebacker position, Judge has amassed a team-leading 72 tackles as well as four tackles for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and two knockdowns.
Judge has recorded at least five tackles in a game seven times this season, including seven in Week 4 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and in the Labour Day Classic against the Elks.
The veteran centre is the Stamps’ nominee for the top lineman for the third time in four seasons with the Red and White. In addition, McEwen was previously the Argonauts’ Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman on three occasions.
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The Calgary native has made 16 starts in 2024 and is part of an offensive line that has allowed just 28 sacks, tied with the Elks for the lowest total in the league. The Stamps running attack has averaged 105.3 yards per contest.
The University of Texas at San Antonio product has appeared in all 17 regular-season contests for the Red and White including one start at defensive end.
He is tied for third on the team with four sacks and also has 14 defensive tackles including two tackles for losses, two interceptions, one knockdown and one special-teams stop.
In his CFL debut in Week 1 against the Tiger-Cats, Hicks recorded his first CFL sack when he brought down Mitchell. Hicks sacked Mitchell twice more in a Week 20 contest in Hamilton. In Week 4, Hicks picked off a pass by Bombers QB Zach Collaros for his first CFL interception.
The Venezuelan-born, Montreal-raised kicker is the Stamps finalist for the special-teams award for the eighth time in his career.
Paredes has been the West Division finalist for the award on three occasions and was the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2013. He has been successful on 39 of 42 field-goal attempts this season for a success rate of 92.9 per cent. The totals include a league-leading 23 field goals from at least 40 yards and a CFL-best 92 per cent success rate from 40-plus yards.
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Paredes already holds the CFL record with six seasons at a field-goal success rate of at least 90 per cent and with one game remaining in 2024, he is in position for a seventh. He has added 30 extra points and one single this season for a total of 148 points in 17 games.
His season highlights include going six-for-six on field goals in the season-opener against the Ticats, a 52-yard game-winning overtime field goal against Winnipeg in Week 4 and a career-long 57-yard field goal against the Elks in the Labour Day Classic.
Paredes has kicked off 57 times for 3,816 yards and an average of 66.9 yards.
Stamps QB Matt Shiltz (shoulder), who is pencilled in to start Saturday’s season finale against the host Saskatchewan Roughriders in Regina (5 p.m., TSN, QR Calgary), did not participate in Wednesday’s practice, marking the second straight day he was sidelined … Illness kept both RB Dedrick Mills and DB Tyler Richardson off the practice field … Other Stamps absent from the session were WR Ishmael Hyman (calf), WR Cole Tucker (hamstring) and LB Darius Williams (wrist) … WR Eric Brooks (arm) was again limited Wednesday … And DB Daniel Amoako (knee) did practise fully for a second consecutive day.
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