Riders’ Milligan earns three CFL individual award nominations

By The Canadian Press on October 23, 2024.

Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. (0) intercepts a pass intended to Ottawa Redblacks receiver Dominique Rhymes (15) during CFL action in Regina, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Milligan Jr. is up for three different CFL individual awards.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu

TORONTO – Rolan Milligan Jr. is up for three different CFL individual awards.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back was named his team’s nominee for outstanding player, defensive player and special-teams performer.

He was the only individual to earn three nominations in voting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches and was a unanimous selection in all three categories.

Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira (outstanding player, Canadian), B.C. receiver Justin McInnis (outstanding player, Canadian), linebackers Tyrice Beverette (outstanding player, defensive player) and Cameron Jordan (defensive player, Canadian) of Montreal and Calgary, respectively, and Ottawa’s Drew Desjarlais (Canadian, lineman) all earned two nominations.

Oliveira was the CFL’s top Canadian last season and a finalist for the league’s outstanding player award.

The other outstanding player nominees include: receivers Eugene Lewis (Edmonton Elks), Reggie Begelton (Calgary Stampeders) and Justin Hardy (Ottawa Redblacks); quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell (Hamilton Tiger-Cats); and running back Ka’Deem Carey (Toronto Argonauts).

Milligan, Begelton, Oliveira, Mitchell, Hardy and Beverette were all unanimous selections.

The East and West Division finalists in all six categories will be announced next week.

Joining Milligan, Judge and Beverette in consideration for the top defensive player honour are: defensive back Garry Peters (B.C.), Tyrell Ford (Winnipeg), Jamal Peters (Hamilton) and DaShaun Amos (Toronto); linebacker Nyles Morgan (Edmonton) and defensive lineman Michael Wakefield (Ottawa).

Milligan, Judge and Wakefield were unanimous picks.

Also named for the top Canadian award were: receivers Kurleigh Gittens Jr. (Edmonton), Samuel Emilus (Saskatchewan) and Kiondre Smith (Hamilton), kicker Lirim Hajrullahu (Toronto); and defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (Montreal).

McInnis and Oliveira were unanimous selections.

The other top lineman nominees were: B.C.’s Jarell Broxton; Edmonton’s Martez Ivey; Calgary’s Sean McEwen; Saskatchewan’s Logan Ferland; Winnipeg’s Stanley Bryant; Hamilton’s Brandon Revenberg; Toronto’s Ryan Hunter and Montreal’s Pier-Olivier Lestage.

Broxton, Ferland and Bryant were unanimous picks. Bryant is a four-time winner of the award.

Joining Milligan as the special-teams nominees are: kickers Sean Whyte (B.C.), Rene Paredes (Calgary), Sergio Castillo (Winnipeg) and Marc Liegghio (Hamilton); punter Jake Julien (Edmonton); returners Janarion Grant (Toronto) and James Letcher Jr. (Montreal); and Ottawa linebacker Adarius Pickett.

Milligan, Whyte, Julien, Paredes and Castillo were unanimous picks.

The top rookie nominees are: linebackers Ayinde Eley (B.C.), Nick Anderson (Edmonton) and Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (Montreal); defensive lineman Clarence Hicks (Calgary); offensive lineman Trevor Reid (Saskatchewan); receivers Ontaria Wilson (Winnipeg), Shemar Bridges (Hamilton), Makai Polk (Toronto) and Kalil Pimpleton (Ottawa).

Anderson, Wilson, Bridges and Pimpleton were unanimous selections.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.