No Winnipeg Blue Bomber who entered the 2021 CFL Awards left empty-handed.
Quarterback Zach Collaros was named the league’s most outstanding player, linebacker Adam Bighill the league’s best defender, Mike O’Shea the best coach and Stanley Bryant the best offensive lineman, a perfect four-of-four performance for Winnipeg nominees.
Collaros is the first blue and gold member to earn the league’s top honor since Milt Stegall in 2002, receiving 43 of 54 votes for first place.
He led the Bombers’ explosive offense with 20 touchdown passes and an efficiency rating of 111, the second-highest all-time among Winnipeg starting signals.
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The Bombers’ offense ranked first in the CFL in points, touchdowns, passing efficiency and average gain per pass.
At 33, it’s a highlight in a career that has changed since Bombers general manager Kyle Walters traded Collaros just seconds before the 2019 trade deadline.
Bighill is one step closer to the CFL Hall of Fame after winning the third Most Outstanding Defensive Player of his career award, only the sixth player to accomplish that feat.
He received 42 of 54 first-place votes.
Bighill was the key cog in a Bombers defense that will become one of the best the league has ever seen, with four shots, one defensive touchdown, 70 tackles and two sacks.
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The tight-fisted unit allowed just 15 offensive touchdowns in 14 games, forced 38 turnovers, the league’s highest, and allowed just 13.4 points per game, the lowest total in 51 years, placing them in the top 10 defenses in the United States. all the times.
Bryant is also a recently minted three-award winner at his position, taking home his third most outstanding offensive lineman award in the past four seasons.
The Bombers’ offensive line kept their quarterbacks exceptionally clean, with just 16 sacks in 14 games.
Winnipeg’s top three running backs (Andrew Harris, Brady Oliveira and Johnny Augustine) managed more than 100 yards on the ground at some point in the season, thanks in part to holes punched by the offensive line.
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Bryant nearly won the award unanimously, with only four of 54 voters not giving him their first-place pick.
And the man at the helm of the club, O’Shea, won his first Annis Stukus Coach of the Year award, the first Bomber head coach to do so in two decades.
He was an overwhelming winner after his club went 11-3 during the regular season, losing just one significant game before a pair of late-season losses in which the Bombers rested multiple starters.
That record is good for the club’s best winning percentage (.786) in 59 seasons.
O’Shea received 47 first-place votes. He becomes the sixth Bombers coach to take home the award.
The award was received by a pair of legendary Canadian announcers who recently announced their retirement: Bob Irving and Brian Williams.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea receives the Coach of the Year award at the 2021 CFL Awards on December 10, 2021.
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The Bombers may have won most of the hardware, but others in the league were also honored at Friday’s awards show.
BC Lions linebacker Bo Lokombo won the league’s top Canadian award with 50 of 54 votes for first place. His teammate Jordan Williams, the 2020 first-round draft pick, won the Most Outstanding Rookie award.
DeVonte Dedmon was the league’s most outstanding special teams player award for the Ottawa Redblacks.
The CFL also honored Hamilton Nurse Sara May for her outstanding contributions to the league with the Commissioner’s Award.
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CFL Medical Directors Dhiren Naidu and Drs Bob McCormack were selected by Commissioner Randy Ambrosie as winners of the Hugh Campbell Distinguished Leadership Award.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats offensive lineman Chris Van Zeyl won the Jake Gaudaur Veterans Award for demonstrating the attributes of Canada veterans, returning from a pair of injuries during his 38-year season to return to his best. shape.
Carol Longmuir of the BC Lions won the Jane Mawby Tribute Award, which is given to current employees who are highly valued, though too often not recognized at the club or league level.
The awards continue preparation for Sunday’s Gray Cup game between the Bombers and Ticats.
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