CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Blue Bombers CFL Award Nominees Named

Published on October 23, 2002 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers News Release


WINNIPEG, MB – The Canadian Football League today announced the team nominees for the 2002 CFL Most Outstanding Player Awards.

The Winnipeg Chapter of the Football Reporters of Canada voted early this week on the Blue Bombers nominees. The following is a list of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers nominees in the six categories:

Most Outstanding Player – Milt Stegall
Most Outstanding Defensive Player – Denny Fortney
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman – Dave Mudge
Most Outstanding Canadian – Doug Brown
Most Outstanding Rookie – Benedict Ibisi
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player – Mike Sellers

The six awards represent the best players the CFL has to offer. The league will announce the West Division nominees in the upcoming weeks. The CFL will name the eventual winners at its CFL Player Awards Ceremony, Nov. 22.

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER MILT STEGALL

He is the CFL's biggest playmaker – bar none. Big plays, key plays and game-winning plays, slotback Milt Stegall does it all. Every game the graduate of Miami of Ohio makes a meaningful and/or thrilling catch.

Stegall is having one of the greatest individual seasons in CFL History. He has set or tied two major CFL single-season records and is on pace to tie another one. He has set three major Winnipeg Football Club records and is close to breaking two more.

Stegall has set personal bests for receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, total touchdowns and 100-yard games.

Despite having players with big-play capabilities such as Arland Bruce III, Charles Roberts and Mike Sellers, Stegall leads the club in plays 40 yards or greater with nine, including seven of the club's nine longest plays.

Stegall, who entered the season with 7,007 career receiving yards, has passed the 8,000-yard barrier and is within striking distance of reaching 9,000 yards this season.

He has moved up 28 places in the CFL's All-Time touchdowns list (35th to 7th) in this season alone. Most players never advance 28 spots in the category in their entire careers.

The speedy slotback has achieved an incredible amount of records and accomplishments, despite the fact he is the most highly guarded player in the CFL. Each game Stegall is mugged, fouled, held, impeded, punched, shoved and double-teamed yet, he continues to flourish.

This marks the third time the Football Reporters of Canada have named Stegall the football club's Most Outstanding Player. The three-time CFL All-Star took home the honor in the 1997 & 2000 seasons.

THE 2002 CFL SEASON – A LEAGUE LEADER - Milt Stegall leads the CFL in the following categories:

Touchdowns Receiving Touchdowns Yards From Scrimmage Receptions Receiving Yards 100-Yard Games 100-Yard Receiving Games Average Yards Per Catch (50 min.) Non-Kicker Scoring To date, the CFL has named Stegall its Player of the Week three times.

- He scored the game-winning touchdown against the Montreal Alouettes in Week 12 (Winnipeg vs. Montreal, Sept. 20, 2002), the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 15 (Winnipeg vs. Saskatchewan, Oct.12, 2002) and the Calgary Stampeders in Week 16 (Winnipeg @ Calgary, Oct. 18, 2002).

- He has nine 100-yard receiving games to his credit and has the opportunity to add two more to his total this season.

SINGLE-GAME RECORDS - Stegall recorded the 2nd-highest receiving touchdown total for a single CFL game (4 TDs, Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, Oct. 6, 2002). This was also 2nd-highest in football club history.

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS - Stegall set the CFL record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 22. - Stegall set the football club record for most total touchdowns in a season with 22, shattering the 45-year-old mark set by Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Gerry James. - Stegall tied the CFL record for most total touchdowns in a season with 22. - Stegall set the football club record for most receiving touchdowns in a season with 22. - Stegall set the football club record for most 100-yard receiving games in a season with nine. - Stegall needs one touchdown to take sole possession of the CFL record for touchdowns in a season with 23. - Stegall needs one more reception for 100 on the season. - Stegall needs two more 100-yard games this season to tie the CFL record for most 100-yard receiving games in a season with 11. - Stegall needs 13 yards to break the football club record for receiving yards with 1,747.

CAREER RECORDS - Stegall set the Winnipeg Football Club record for career touchdowns. - Stegall set the football club for most 100-yard receiving games in a career with 35. - Stegall tied the club record for most 10-touchdown seasons. - Stegall tied the club record for most consecutive 10-touchdown seasons. - Stegall tied the club record for most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. - Stegall recorded the second most 1,000-yard receiving seasons in club history. - Stegall moved into 2nd place in the football club's career receiving yards list. - Stegall moved into 6th place in the CFL record books for most 100-yard receiving games in a career with 35. - Stegall moved into 7th spot on the CFL's All-Time touchdowns list. - Stegall moved into 19th place on the CFL's All-Time receiving yards list. - Stegall recorded his 20th multiple touchdown game. - Stegall needs one receiving touchdown to tie Canadian Football Hall of Fame member Tom Scott for 3rd place in the CFL record books for career receiving TDs with 88.

MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER DENNY FORTNEY

Denny Fortney is the most underrated player in the CFL. Despite the lack of public attention, opposing players know who the defensive tackle is because Fortney is a one-man wrecking crew. Week in and week out he manhandles helpless guards and centres, who are forced to commit holding penalties on nearly every play.

Fortney causes fits for opposing offensive linemen because of his ability to break free from coverage. The double teams that Fortney regularly sees don't deter him from him from hauling down runningbacks or pressuring quarterbacks.

It is rare that a defensive tackle leads his team in quarterback sacks but that is exactly what Fortney has done for the Blue Bombers this season. Seven times his has brought down signal callers including three in a game against the Saskatchewan roughriders in the 36th Labour Day Classic (Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, Sept. 1, 2002).

Fortney's statistical count also includes 21 defensive tackles, three pass knockdowns, one tackle for a loss and one forced fumble.

As a team, Winnipeg possesses the league's top defence. The Blue Bombers Determined Dozen lead the CFL in 11 categories and is second in five others, thanks largely to the stellar play of Fortney.

MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN DAVE MUDGE

For the second-straight year, offensive tackle Dave Mudge is the Blue & Gold's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman.

Mudge, who was the CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman in 2001, is back to defend his award after having another phenomenal season.

The quiet, unassuming player steadily provides maximum protection for Winnipeg quarterback Khari Jones. The hard-throwing Jones – who is demolishing CFL and Blue Bomber passing records – has been able to accomplish very much because of the safety provided by Mudge.

Runningback Charles Roberts, a CFL All-Star last season, is having his best campaign because Mudge has been trenching out massive running lanes to run through. Mudge's efforts have allowed Roberts to rush for more than 1,000 yards – the first Blue Bombers player to do so in five years.

Offensively, Winnipeg leads the CFL in nine categories and is second in seven others, thanks to the work of Mudge. The Blue & Gold have the CFL's top offence because Mudge keeps the opposing team's top defender in check every game.

MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN PLAYER DOUG BROWN

Doug Brown: (dug-brəwhn), proper noun, 1. The most dominant Canadian player in the CFL; 2. an active, mammoth-sized defensive tackle that plays with excellence and passion; 3. (rare) a literate, freewheeling Winnipeg Free Press columnist.

No one defines "Most Outstanding Canadian Player" better than Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Doug Brown.

One of the league's most impressive defenders, Brown is the player who attracts extra attention from opposing offensive linemen so that his teammates can succeed. His talent for stopping the run and controlling the opponent's passing options is without parallel in the league.

The nomination is the second for Brown, who was the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Player in 2001. Like last season, the Blue Bombers defence leads the league in fewest first downs, fewest rushing first downs, fewest yards rushing and fewest yards of total offence. These are areas where Doug Brown has made significant impact with ability to control the line of scrimmage.

To date, Brown has 28 defensive tackles, three quarterback sacks, two tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and one pass knockdown

MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE BENEDICT IBISI

In the past off-season, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made the conscious decision to re-sign as many of their veterans as possible. Very few first-year players made the team that advanced to last year's Grey Cup. One of those talented few who cracked the Big Blue's roster was centre Benedict Ibisi.

Ibisi is a physical and aggressive centre that plays with great awareness and leverage – two attributes that are rare among CFL centres. Coaches around the league admire his technique.

Ibisi brought stability to a Winnipeg offensive line that was ravaged by injuries all season long. He has appeared in 12 games for the Big Blue, starting each of those contests.

MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER MIKE SELLERS

Offensively or defensively, fullback Mike Sellers is a threat on special teams.

Sellers has marked his return to the CFL by being one of the most intimidating players in the league.

Sellers leads the Blue Bombers in special teams tackles with 20 – good enough for 3rd place in the CFL standings. He leads the Blue Bombers in forced fumbles with two, both of which were caused on special teams.

"Bigg Mike" is also 3rd on the team in kickoff return with an 18.0-yard average on five returns.

Check out the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Statistics

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