Nathan Rourke and the Western Division stood out at the CFL awards ceremony held on Thursday night. The B.C. Lions’ quarterback clinched the George Reed Trophy for being the CFL’s most exceptional player and was also honored as the top Canadian player at Club Regent Casino.
Rourke now joins a prestigious group including Brady Oliveira, Jon Cornish, Russ Jackson, and Tony Gabriel as one of the few players who have achieved both accolades in the same season. Expressing his gratitude, Rourke mentioned, “Those names are undoubtedly iconic in the CFL, and it’s even more special that they are Canadian. Continuing the legacy they initiated and upholding the great traditions of this league is a privilege that I deeply value.”
Trey Vaval of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers also had a memorable night, securing two awards for the top rookie and special teams player categories. Other individual winners included Mathieu Betts from B.C. (defensive player) and Jermarcus Hardrick from the Saskatchewan Roughriders (outstanding lineman).
The winners 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. Another highlight of the event was Logan Ferland from the Saskatchewan Roughriders receiving the Jake Gaudaur Veterans’ Trophy, recognizing the CFL player who best embodies the attributes of Canada’s veterans. Additionally, Andrew Peirson of the B.C. Lions was honored with the Tom Pate Memorial Award for his outstanding sportsmanship and community contributions.
Rourke, hailing from Victoria, achieved career-high statistics in passing yards (5,290), touchdowns (31), rushing yards (564, the highest among quarterbacks), and rushing touchdowns (10), leading the Lions to top offensive rankings in the CFL in points (31.1 per game), net yards (430.2), and passing yards (325.4 per game). Despite a strong regular season finish with six consecutive wins, B.C. ended their season with a 24-21 loss to Saskatchewan after beating Calgary 33-30 in the Western semifinal.
Reflecting on his dual awards, Rourke expressed his desire to have played in the Grey Cup, saying, “No, you want to play in that game. 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 upcoming Grey Cup will feature Saskatchewan against the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday.