Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray B.C. Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian are the finalists for the CFL’s outstanding player award.
B.C. Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian and Toronto Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray are the finalists for the CFL's outstanding player award.
Elimimian and Ray earned the West and East Division nods Thursday in voting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine CFL head coaches.
Elimimian is the first defensive player to be named a division finalist for the outstanding player honour.
Elimimian registered a CFL-record 143 tackles this season while Ray was the league's top passer with 4,595 yards, 28 touchdowns and a 68.5 per cent completion average.
Elimimian is also the West Division nominee for the league's top defensive player honour, with Montreal Alouettes linebacker Bear Woods the East Division finalist.
Running back Jon Cornish of the Calgary Stampeders, last year's outstanding player winner, is a finalist as top Canadian, an award he has won the last two years.
Cornish, a native of New Westminster, B.C., ran for a league-high 1,082 yards despite playing just nine games. The East Division's nominee is defensive lineman Ted Laurent of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Toronto has the most nominees with three. The others are kicker-punter Swayze Waters (special-teams) and defensive lineman Tristan Okpalaugo (rookie).
The other award finalists include Calgary centre Brett Jones and Montreal tackle Jeff Perrett (top lineman), kicker Lirim Hajrullahu of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (special-teams), Edmonton Eskimos linebacker Dexter McCoil (rookie).
Perrett's nomination comes a day after not being voted to the East Division all-star squad.
The winners will be announced at the CFL's awards banquet Nov. 27 in Vancouver.