THE 2022 CORNISH TROPHY FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

by Football Canada Staff

ALL FINALISTS FROM ONTARIO

VANCOUVER – The race for the top Canadian player in the NCAA is down to the final vote. Five Canadian athletes are on the final ballot for the sixth Jon Cornish Trophy as selected by a panel of voters across Canada.

The patrons have awarded previous Cornish Trophy presentations before the CFL and NFL Drafts. This year, the decision was made to place the award at the end of the college football season, before postseason competition.  

All finalists list their home as the province of Ontario, which is a first.

HERE ARE THE FINALISTS:

CHASE BROWN, JUNIOR RUNNING BACK

LONDON, ONTARIO/ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Illinois Junior running back Chase Brown from London, Ontario, was durable, reliable and productive in 2022. With 1,643 rushing yards, he was second in the NCAA and the first in Power Five rushing in his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. This is Chase Brown’s second nomination for the Cornish Trophy.

  • Recognition: Doak Walker Award finalist as one of the top three running backs in college football… Maxwell Award semifinalist as one of the top 20 offensive players in college football… Walter Camp Player of the Year semifinalist as one of the top 22 players in college football… Senior Bowl All-American… All-Big Ten second team (coaches and media)… Ranked #1 Canadian prospect by the CFL Scouting Bureau.
  • Superlatives: Second in the nation in rushes of 10+ yards (48), 100-yard games (10), and rushing attempts per game (27.3)… Third in the nation in all-purpose yards (1,883) without having return duties… Fourth in the nation in forced missed tackles (78), according to PFF… Led the Big Ten in rushing yards during conference games with 1,238… Has ran for 100+ yards in 10 of 12 games.

KURTIS ROURKE, JUNIOR QUARTERBACK

OAKVILLE, ONTARIO/OHIO UNIVERSITY BOBCATS

The Mid-American Conference player of the year in 2022 was Ohio Jr. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke of Oakville, Ontario. He was fifth in the nation in passing until sustaining a knee injury in Ohio’s second to last game, finishing with 3,256 yards passing, good for 20th in the NCAA.

  • Recognition: Selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Mid-American Conference … Was selected the MAC Offensive Player of the Year…. MAC First-team all-conference QB… Guided the Bobcats to their first appearance in the MAC Championship since 2016…
  • Superlatives: Completed 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,257 yards, 25 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also ran the ball 74 times for 245 yards and four touchdowns. The Ohio Bobcats went 8-3 with him as the starter… He broke the Ohio school record for passing yards in a game which stood since 1983, as he went 41-of-50 for 537 yards and four touchdowns… He threw for 300 or more yards six times in 2022…

TAVIUS ROBINSON, SENIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMAN

GUELPH, ONTARIO/OLE MISS REBELS

The former Guelph Gryphon, who transferred during the pandemic, senior D-lineman Tavius Robinson has been a force to be reckoned with at Ole Miss in 2022, always capable of making a game-changing play in the interior of the line. He was also highly decorated for his achievements in the classroom.

  • Recognition: 2022 Senior Bowl Watch List… Two-time Dean’s Honour Roll… Honoured three times by SEC for the Academic Honour Roll…
  • Superlatives: Versus Troy (9/3/22): Got the season-opening start at defensive end, where he finished the game with a pair of tackles and one QB hurry … vs. Central Arkansas (9/10/22): Started at right end for the Rebels, where he assisted on two tackles and had one QB hurry … at Georgia Tech (9/17/22): Chalked up his first sack of the 2022 season, ending the day with two total tackles … vs. Tulsa (9/24/22): Logged one QB hurry in the team’s 35-27 victory.

JARED WAYNE, SENIOR WIDE RECEIVER

PETERBOROUGH, ONTARIO/PITT PANTHERS

Peterborough, Ontario, Senior Jarred Wayne was a top target at Pitt this year. Another top Canadian who lost some playing time due to injury, Wayne rallied toward the season’s end, eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark. This is Wayne’s second nomination for the Cornish Trophy. He is attempting to become only the second wideout to win the award after John Metchie III’s back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021.

  • Recognition: All-ACC second team all-conference 2022… ACC Offensive player of the week (12/3/22) for 11 receptions, 205-yard, three-touchdown performance against Miami… Ranked fourth on the CFL Scouting Bureau’s 2023 draft prospect list in the fall edition.
  • Superlatives:  Registered his first +1k season with 55 receptions for 1,012 yards and five TD in 2022… Achieved his first +200-yard game in his final game as a senior (12/3/22).

SYDNEY BROWN, SENIOR DEFENSIVE BACK

LONDON, ONTARIO/ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI

Thoroughly productive and consistent in his five years with the Fighting Illini, London Ontario super senior Sydney Brown turned in his best year in the Illinois secondary. He’s turned the heads of NFL scouts with six picks and stats in just about every defensive category. A Cornish Trophy would be the crowning glory for one of Canada’s best-ever college defensive backs.

  • Recognition: PFF All-American third team…All-Big Ten first team (coaches)… All-Big Ten second team (media)… Accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl… Ranked #3 Canadian prospect by the CFL Scouting Bureau… Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Award National Player of the Week, Senior Bowl Player of the Week, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after two interceptions, a 39-yard interception return touchdown, and a 53-yard fumble return touchdown in Illinois’ 41-3 victory at Northwestern 11/26/22
  • Superlatives: Tied for the national lead in interceptions during the regular season with six… The first player with two interceptions, one interception return touchdown, and one fumble return touchdown in the same game in over 10 years… Two interceptions at Nebraska 10/29/22, the first Illini with two interceptions since he also did it at Michigan State 11/9/19

The presentation will take place during the final episode of Krown Gridiron Nation on TSN Wednesday, December 14.

PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE CORNISH TROPHY:

2021      –              John Metchie III,           Jr. – WR,            Brampton, ON/Alabama

2020      –              John Metchie III,           Jr. – WR,            Brampton, ON/Alabama

2019      –              Chuba Hubbard,             Jr. – RB,              Sherwood Park, AB/Oklahoma State

2018      –              Nathan Rourke,              RS-Jr. – QB,      Oakville, ON/Ohio

2017      –              Nathan Rourke,              RS.-So. – QB,    Oakville, ON/Ohio        

ABOUT FOOTBALL CANADA: Established in 1880 and reconstituted in 1884, Football Canada is the national governing body of amateur football in Canada and a proud member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). Working closely with the provincial football associations, we develop programs and resources for players, coaches, and officials in the three disciplines of Tackle, Flag and Touch Football. Football Canada’s vision statement is “from playground to stadium,” where players can participate in the game of football throughout a lifetime recreationally, competitively and internationally.

ABOUT THE CORNISH TROPHY: The Jon Cornish Trophy is awarded annually to the Canadian student-athlete who has been the most outstanding player in NCAA Football. It is awarded by voters consisting of Canadian journalists, player personnel evaluators from the Canadian Football League, former NCAA players connected to Canada and the panellists from the TSN Krown Gridiron Nation TV programs. The award is named after Jon Cornish, a former high school football player from British Columbia who was a college standout running back at the University of Kansas. Cornish later went on to win three Most Outstanding Canadian awards and a 2013 Most Outstanding Player award in the CFL as a member of the Calgary Stampeders. His 2013 season was capped off with winning the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s top athlete. The award has been presented since 2017. The trophy is presented at and in conjunction with the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario, on an annual basis and is on permanent display there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Jim Mullin

President, Football Canada

E: [email protected]

T: 778-996-7398

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