Collaros, Stanback finalists for top award

Argos rookie, coach also nominated for league hardware

The significance isn’t lost on William Stanback.

The Montreal Alouettes running back was named the East Division’s nominee for the CFL’s outstanding player award Thursday. Only two players at that position have won the honour since 1998.

Trouble is, the West Division nominee is Zach Collaros, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ veteran quarterback. And since 1998, quarterbacks have claimed the award 15 times.

“This is a passing league. This is an award usually given to the quarterbacks,” Stanback told reporters during a video conference. “It means a lot that a running back can make it this far and be a finalist.

“Collaros is a great player. If he gets it, I guess he deserves it. Nothing I can really say. Hopefully a running back like myself can get it.”

Calgary’s Jon Cornish was the last running back to win, in 2013. Before that, the last recipient was none other than former Alouettes star Mike Pringle, the Hall of Famer who won it for the second time in 1998 (his first came in 1995).

Among the quarterbacks to capture the CFL’s top individual honour was Montreal head coach Khari Jones, in 2001 while with Winnipeg. But his season ended with a 27-19 loss to the Calgary Stampeders in the Grey Cup game.

“The way (Stanback) played this year was pretty incredible,” Jones said. “When I won my teammates were there, which made it more special. “Hopefully we can do the same and be there with those two.”

Montreal defensive lineman David Menard was named the East’s top Canadian nominee.

Collaros, 33, led Winnipeg to a CFL-best 11-3 record and top spot in the West. The six-foot-two, 222pound quarterback completed 243 of 346 passes (70.2 per cent) for 3,185 yards with a league-high 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. In his 10th CFL season, he also had a league-best efficiency rating of 111.0.

Stanback, 27, ran for a CFL-high 1,176 yards and three TDs in 12 games. The six-foot, 233-pound running back recorded six 100-yard games, including a 203-yard performance in a 37-16 home win over Toronto on Oct. 22.

Stanback, in his third season with Montreal, averaged 6.1 yards per carry and added 16 receptions for 114 yards. The 7-7 Alouettes finished third in the East Division.

Voting was conducted by members of the Football Reporters of Canada and the nine CFL head coaches. The CFL’s awards banquet will held Dec. 10 in Hamilton, two days before the Grey Cup game.

The Toronto Argonauts have two finalists. Offensive lineman Peter Nicastro was named the East’s outstanding rookie, and Ryan Dinwiddie top coach.

Collaros was among four Bombers selected as finalists. The others were linebacker Adam Bighill (defensive player), Stanley Bryant (lineman) and Mike O’Shea (coach).

Linebacker Simoni Lawrence of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats was the East’s top defensive player for a second straight season and third time overall. He was the runner-up to Winnipeg’s Willie Jefferson for the honour in 2019 and Bighill in 2015.

The six-foot-one, 231-pound Lawrence is completing his ninth CFL season, eighth with Hamilton. He had 73 tackles, four sacks, three interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) while appearing in all 14 of the Ticats’ regular-season contests.

Teammate Brandon Revenberg was named the East’s top lineman for the second time, also earning the honour in 2018.