QB Mitchell up for most outstanding player award
Bo Levi Mitchell has never shied away from admitting he thinks about the legacy he’ll leave in the CFL when his career is done.
On Thursday, the Calgary Stampeders quarterback got yet another nice accolade to add to his alreadyimpressive collection when he was named the West Division’s nominee for most outstanding player for the third time in four years.
“It means a lot, again, I’m talking about hanging your hat when your career is over. You look back at championships first and accolades after that and just the great teams you played with,” said Mitchell, who will be up against Hamilton Tiger-Cats QB Jeremiah Masoli when the winner is announced Nov. 22. “MOP is an individual award that goes to the entire team.
“It’s an award for all the O -lineman. Everything they’ve done this year keeping me upright, and they’ve had to work even harder, too, with what’s happened to the receivers and me having to hold onto the ball a little longer.
“All the work the receivers put in, the coaches, the running backs, everything everybody’s done throughout the entire year. The stats accumulate on my side, but really it’s been an entire group effort.”
Mitchell’s nomination wasn’t exactly a surprise, although with the way some of the award voting went, nothing was certain. He finished third in the league in passing yards, with 5,124, and led the CFL in passing touchdowns with 35.
Those numbers only tell part of the story, though, as Mitchell was quarterback for a team that had to recalibrate its offence after losing receivers Kamar Jorden, DaVaris Daniels, Marken Michel and Reggie Begelton to injuries. Eric Rogers was also out for most of the year.
They did lose three of their last four games, but Mitchell secured the Stamps first place in the West Division with a 13-5 record.
“I’m happy for him, I think it’s deserved,” said Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson. “We’ve had a great year and he’s been our leader and I think he’s played one of his best years.”
Mitchell was the only Stampeders player or coach nominated for an end-of-season award, despite the team fielding the best statistical defence in the league and finishing with the best record.
There are undoubtedly some complaints in the locker-room — that only three defensive players were named as West Division allstars is somewhat baffling, too — but the Stamps chose to celebrate Mitchell’s nomination instead of airing their grievances.
“We don’t focus on that, you know what, we play to win a ring,” Dickenson said. “The other stuff ’s nice, there’s no doubt, to get recognized is nice, but it is what it is. You take the good with the bad and move forward and get ready to play a football game.”