The Calgary Stampeders handed out six awards Thursday, but the biggest prize remains locked behind somebody else’s effort.
Calgary finished 9-9 and needs the BC Lions to prevent a Winnipeg victory Friday night. A B.C. win or tie puts the Stamps in the playoffs; a Bombers win ends Calgary’s season.
Regardless of the result, that shouldn’t take away from the performances of the CFL team’s award winners.
Vernon Adams Jr. was named Calgary’s Most Outstanding Player after delivering the best statistical season of his CFL career and keeping the offence dangerous throughout October.
Adams started 17 games, completing 338 of 515 passes for 4,533 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns against only six interceptions. He added 381 rushing yards and three scores. His 36 touchdown passes tied head coach Dave Dickenson for the sixth-highest single-season total in franchise history, pretty tidy company indeed.
Adams sounded less interested in trophies than Friday’s scoreboard after Calgary’s 32-13 win over B.C. in the regular-season finale. “We obviously know we don’t control our own destiny now,” he said on Stamps TV. He called the wait “a little awkward.” That may be the season’s biggest understatement so far.
On defence, Clarence Hicks collected Most Outstanding Defensive Player after spending most of the year in opposing backfields. The defensive end started all 18 games and finished with 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, three knockdowns and 24 defensive tackles, including four tackles for loss and plenty of hurried quarterbacks too.
Hicks matched his personal high for sacks and, according to Pro Football Focus, generated 96 quarterback pressures. That was 21 more than any other CFL defender. For an offence built around Adams’ deep arm, it was useful to have someone making opposing quarterbacks hurry almost every week, all season long.
Tyreik McAllister won Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, which almost undersells how many jobs he performed. In his first Calgary season, he accumulated 1,570 kickoff-return yards, 791 punt-return yards and 330 yards on missed-field-goal returns. He scored three return touchdowns and finished second league-wide with 2,901 combined yards in all.
His Week 8 performance in Winnipeg belongs in the anything-you-can-do department. McAllister became the first player in CFL history to score rushing, receiving and return touchdowns in the same game. Better yet, he completed the three-part trick before halftime. He also finished third on Calgary with seven total touchdowns scored.
Christy Nkanu was chosen Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman after starting every game at right guard. Calgary’s 2024 first-round pick still has not missed a game in his professional career. The Stamps averaged 5.7 yards per carry, second-best in the CFL, and rushed for 2,059 yards despite injuries changing the backfield.
Nkanu helped Dedrick Mills reach 943 rushing yards in only 13 appearances. When Mills went down, Deonta McMahon stepped behind the same line and produced two 100-yard outings in five games. Offensive linemen rarely appear on highlight reels, but Calgary’s running numbers made Nkanu’s case without requiring one anyway this.
Jalen Philpot, Calgary’s Most Outstanding Canadian, turned his fourth CFL season into his first 1,000-yard campaign. The former University of Calgary Dino led the Stamps with 91 catches, 1,241 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. He produced three 100-yard games and established career highs almost everywhere worth looking statistically this season.
Philpot also delivered his first multi-touchdown game in Week 5 and a career-best 128 receiving yards in Week 8. His longest catch and longest touchdown arrived on the same 69-yard strike. For a Calgary offence that needed explosive plays, he became Adams’ most productive and dependable target down the stretch.
Rookie Jesulayomi Ojutalayo earned his award by treating kick coverage like a tackling contest. The third-round pick recorded 26 special-teams tackles, four more than anyone else in the league, and tied for fifth in Calgary’s single-season record book. He added a fumble recovery on a muffed punt in Week 18.
The six winners were selected by local members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with one vote from Calgary’s coaching staff. West Division All-CFL selections come next, followed by the league-wide all-star team. With these numbers, several Stamps should remain busy when those lists arrive later this fall too.
For now, though, the awards sit beside a season still waiting for its official ending. Calgary has done all it can do after beating B.C. and finishing 9-9. The honourees can enjoy their recognition, but their next football moment depends entirely on the Lions stopping Winnipeg Friday night in Vancouver.
