Nathan Rourke and the Western Division were the standout stars at the CFL awards event held on Thursday night. The quarterback for the B.C. Lions, Nathan Rourke, was honored with the George Reed Trophy for being the CFL’s outstanding player and also clinched the title of top Canadian player at Club Regent Casino.
Rourke now joins a prestigious group of players including Brady Oliveira, Jon Cornish, Russ Jackson, and Tony Gabriel as the only individuals to achieve both awards in the same season. Expressing his gratitude, Rourke mentioned, “Those names are obviously legendary in the CFL and it’s so much cooler that they’re Canadian as well. Just to be able to kind of continue the legacy they started and continue on the great traditions of this league is an honor and privilege and something I don’t take lightly.”
In addition to Rourke’s success, Trey Vaval from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers also shined with two accolades, being named the top rookie and special-teams player. Other notable winners included Mathieu Betts of B.C. for the defensive player award and Jermarcus Hardrick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for outstanding lineman.
The awards’ recipients were determined through a voting process conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and all nine CFL head coaches, with a total of fifty-three ballots cast. Notably, Logan Ferland from the Saskatchewan Roughriders received the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy, while Andrew Peirson of the B.C. Lions was honored with the Tom Pate Memorial Award for outstanding sportsmanship and community contribution.
During the season, Rourke, hailing from Victoria, achieved career-high statistics in passing yards (5,290), touchdowns (31), rushing yards (564, leading among quarterbacks), and rushing touchdowns (10). His contributions helped the B.C. Lions lead the CFL in offensive points (31.1 per game), net yards (430.2), and passing yards (325.4 per game). Despite finishing second in the West Division with an 11-7 record after winning their final six regular-season games, B.C.’s season concluded with a 24-21 loss to Saskatchewan.
Reflecting on the season and awards, Rourke expressed his desire to have played in the Grey Cup, stating, “No, you want to play in that game (the Grey Cup). Not to sound ungrateful or anything but I’d trade these for it in a heartbeat. You receive these with grace knowing it’s a reflection of not just your performance but the rest of your team and we have a great one. Hoping we can keep building.”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders will battle the Montreal Alouettes in the upcoming Grey Cup on Sunday.