Outstanding Duo: Rourke and Betts Nominated for CFL Hardware
Published on October 30, 2025 under Canadian Football League (CFL)
B.C. Lions News Release
(Vancouver) - The Canadian Football League unveiled its award nominees for the Western and Eastern Divisions on Thursday, with two key BC Lions emerging as finalists for three total honours:
Nathan Rourke- George Reed Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian.
Mathieu Betts- Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
The winners will be announced on Thursday, November 13, as part of festivities for the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg.
Rourke- it has been a 2025 to remember for the Victoria native, as he led all CFL quarterbacks with a 112.7 passer rating after recording 352 completions on 500 pass attempts (70. 4 percent) for 5,290 yards and 31 touchdown strikes across 16 appearances.
Rourke's passing yardage shattered the single-season Canadian record, previously held by Hall of Famer Russ Jackson in 1969 (3,641).
The dual-threat quarterback also finished with 564 rushing yards (8th in the CFL, 1st among QBs) and ten touchdowns on 61 total carries.
Rourke also recorded a career-long 70-yard touchdown run in a win over Edmonton on October 17, the longest TD on the ground ever by a Lion quarterback.
Rourke won Most Outstanding Canadian in 2022 and eyes a first Most Outstanding Player honour.
He is up against Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell for George Reed Most Outstanding Player and Montreal defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund for Most Outstanding Canadian.
Betts- his 15 sacks this season led the CFL and were just three short of his own Canadian record, set in a 2023 season where he last claimed Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
The Laval product also made more history, becoming the first CFL player in over three decades to register nine sacks in a three-game span.
Betts' career-high four forced fumbles were good for a share of the CFL lead, while he finished the regular season with 42 defensive tackles.
He is up against Hamilton defensive lineman Julian Howsare.
Canadian Football League Stories from October 30, 2025
- Pancakes, Mimosas & Football: It All Adds up to a Jam-Packed Western Semi-Final Saturday - B.C. Lions
- Data Enhanced Grey Cup Playoff Games Coming to TSN2 - CFL
- Four Tiger-Cats Advance as East Division Finalists for 2025 CFL Awards - Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Jason Maas Nominated for Awards - Montreal Alouettes
- Blue Bombers Trey Vaval Named a Double Most Outstanding Player Award Finalist - Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Hajrullahu Named Finalist for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player - Toronto Argonauts
- Mace and Hardrick Named West Division Award Finalists - Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Outstanding Duo: Rourke and Betts Nominated for CFL Hardware - B.C. Lions
- And Then There Were Two: Rourke and Mitchell to Face off for George Reed Mop - CFL
- Stamps Face Lions in Western Semi-Final - Calgary Stampeders
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