Brady Oliveira joined elite company becoming just the fourth player to win both the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian award on Thursday.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back joins Jon Cornish, Russ Jackson and Tony Gabriel to win both awards in the same season. Oliveira received 31 of 56 first-place votes to beat out Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell for Most Outstanding Player.
Oliveira captured his second-straight Most Outstanding Canadian award, becoming the sixth player to do it in consecutive seasons. The Winnipeg native took home 55 of a possible 56 votes for the award.
Oliveira finished with 1,353 rushing yards to lead the CFL for a second consecutive season. The last player to finish with the rushing crown in back-to-back seasons was former Blue Bombers running back and teammate of Oliveira, Andrew Harris.
The 27-year-old established a new career high in receptions with 57 and had 475 yards through the air.
Oliveira helped the Blue Bombers win their fourth-straight West Division title and make it to a fifth-straight Grey Cup. Winnipeg will take on the Toronto Argonauts in the Grey Cup on Sunday.
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive back Rolan Milligan Jr. was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player after registering a career-high and lead-leading eight interceptions.
The Lake Wales, Fla., native recorded 111 defensive plays and equalled a personal best with 71 defensive tackles. The Roughriders defence finished second in the league with 356.1 yards allowed per game, third-fewest with 24.1 points per game and led the league with 49 takeaways.
Milligan is the first Roughriders player to win Defensive Player of the Year since John Chick in 2009 and the first defensive back to earn the nod since Jovon Johnson did it back in 2011.
After guiding the Montreal Alouettes to first place in the East Division for the first time since 2012, Jason Maas was named the Coach of the Year. Under Maas, the Alouettes had 12 wins, the most the team had recorded in a regular season since 2010. Maas received 30 votes to join Marc Trestman, Don Matthews, Charlie Taaffe and Marv Levy as the only Alouettes coaches to win the award.
Canadian Ryan Hunter earned the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman award after claiming 40 of a possible 56 first-place votes. This is the second straight season that a Toronto Argonauts player won the award after Dejon Alle took home the honour in 2023.
Hunter was the second Argonauts player to come away with hardware after Janarion Grant was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player. Grant led the CFL with three punt return touchdowns and four return touchdowns total establishing a new career high.
He had three consecutive games with a return touchdown this season and earned 45 of 56 first-place votes. The Argos won the award last season when Javon Leake was named the top special teams player in 2023.
Nick Anderson’s standout season with the Edmonton Elks earned him the nod for the Most Outstanding Rookie award. The 24-year-old linebacker led the league in total tackles and tied for first with 111 defensive tackles with teammate Nyled Morgan. Anderson is the first Elks player to win the award since Derel Walker in 2015.
The league also recognized B.C. Lions owner Amar Doman with the 2024 Commissioner’s Award for his work to re-energize the fanbase in the province and the community at large. The Lions were purchased by Doman from David Braley in 2021 and are hosting the Grey Cup for the first time since 2011.
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