Stampeders’ Cornish named top CFL player, top Canadian

REGINA Jon Cornish has joined an exclusive club.

The Calgary Stampeders running back was the big winner at the CFL awards banquet Thursday night, being named the league’s outstanding player and top Canadian. It’s the second straight year Cornish was honoured as the league’s top Canuck but he’s the first Canadian since 1978 to capture the outstanding player honour. The last Canadian winner of the award was Ottawa tight end Tony Gabriel. Cornish joins Gabriel and legendary Rough Riders quarterback Russ Jackson as the only Canadians to claim the CFL’s top individual honour.

Jackson was a three-time winner (1963, ’66, ’69) and both he and Gabriel, 64, of Burlington, Ont., are members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Rene Paredes (special teams) and Brett Jones (rookie) also won awards.