Keith Stokes named CFL Player of the Month
September 2, 2004 - Canadian Football League (CFL)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers News Release
WINNIPEG, MB â August is obviously Keith Stokes' month.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers runningback â who is now in his 3rd CFL campaign and 1st with Winnipeg â today won the CFL's Player of the Month Award in the special teams category for August. That marks the 3rd time in his CFL career that Stokes has won the honor and each time, oddly enough, he has won in the month of August.
Stokes â the CFL Player of the Week in Weeks 2 & 8 â had a monster month, scoring two punt return touchdowns, twice surpassing 200 combined yards in a game, compiling 720 combined yards in four games and setting two Blue Bombers club records along the way. A consistent performer, he had at least one play of 40 yards or longer in all four of the Big Blue's games in August.
Stokes scored a 60-yard punt return score against the Stampeders (Winnipeg @ Calgary, Aug. 7, 2004) as part of a 221-yard performance. In that game, he achieved the rare feat of having more than 100 yards in punt returns (108) and kickoff returns (104) in the same contest.
A 55-yard kickoff return and 143 total yards helped Winnipeg gain an important West Division victory over the Eskimos (Winnipeg vs. Edmonton, Aug. 12, 2004).
Against the Montréal Alouettes (Winnipeg vs. Montréal, Aug. 26, 2004), the thrilling back had an 83-yard punt return touchdown on his way to a 238-yard outing.
Though he has only played in 10 games as a member of the Blue Bombers, Stokes already holds two club records. He set a new standard for punt return touchdowns in a season with three.
Stokes is now only two punt return TDs back of the CFL record of five, set by Henry "Gizmo" Williams of the Edmonton Eskimos in 1991.
Stokes' three majors represent a tie for the club's career punt return TD record, originally set by James Jefferson III, who played for the Blue & Gold from 1986-1988 and in 1995.
Stokes is also in the Blue Bombers Top-10 for two other single-season categories. He is 5th in kickoff returns with 34 and 6th in punt return yards with 726.
As far as single plays go, he already holds the 3rd and 4th longest punt returns in club history, with scores of 83 and 81 yards.
As mentioned, this Player of the Month Award is Stokes' 3rd of his CFL career. He won in August, 2002 and August, 2003 as a member of the Montréal Alouettes.
Stokes leads the CFL in punt returns (52), punt return yards (726), punt return average (14.0 yards per return) and punt return touchdowns (3). He is also 2nd in combined yards (1,527), 2nd in kickoff returns (34), 3rd in kickoff return yards (585) and 4th in missed field goal return yards (106).
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Canadian Football League Stories from September 2, 2004
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- Renegades statement on Pat Woodcock - Ottawa Renegades
- Be a Fan, Bring a Can - Calgary Stampeders
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- Labour Day Sold Out - Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Grace named Player of the Month - Calgary Stampeders
- CFL names players of the month - CFL
- England lands CFL Lineman of the Month award - Toronto Argonauts
- Stamps sign Darcey Levy - Calgary Stampeders
- Bombers release statement on story - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Keith Stokes named CFL Player of the Month - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Veteran linebacker Sheldon Benoit rejoins Esks - Edmonton Elks
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