British Columbia Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke of Victoria, British Columbia became the third Canadian quarterback to win the Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Canadian Award on Thursday. He followed Ottawa Rough Riders quarterback Russ Jackson of Hamilton, Ontario (1959, 1963, 1966, 1969) and Montreal Alouettes quarterback Gerry Dattillo of Chomedey, Quebec (1980).
Rourke received the honour even though he injured his foot on August 19, 2022. The Lisfranc sprain required surgery and he would be gone for three months. Rourke did play the Lions’s three final games of the 2022 CFL season.
In 2022, Rourke completed 255 passes in 324 attempts for 3349 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also had 39 rushes for 304 yards and seven more touchdowns. In winning the Canadian Football League Most Outstanding Canadian Award, Rourke beat out Eastern finalist and Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Kurleigh Gittens Jr. of Ottawa, Ontario.
Rourke was one of two Canadians to win a significant award on Thursday. Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea of North Bay, Ontario won the CFL Award for coach of the year. O’Shea becomes the sixth coach to win the award in back-to-back years, as he also won in 2021. He follows Ottawa Rough Riders head coach Jack Gotta (1972, 1973), Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Cal Murphy of Winnipeg, Manitoba (1983, 1984), Calgary Stampeders head coach Wally Buono (1992, 1993), Baltimore head coach Don Matthews (1994, 1995), and Montreal Alouettes head coach Charlie Taaffee (1999, 2000). The other CFL award winners were Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (most outstanding player), Blue Bombers offensive lineman Stanley Bryant (most outstanding offensive lineman), Ottawa Redblacks defensive end Lorenzo Mauldin IV (most outstanding defensive player), and Blue Bombers wide receiver Dalton Schoen (most outstanding rookie).
