Head of the class: Riders unveil team award winners

For the second straight season, Cody Fajardo has been voted the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ most outstanding player.

The team announced Wednesday its nominees for the CFL’s awards, as voted by select Regina-based members of the Football Reporters of Canada as well as Roughriders head coach Craig Dickenson.

The awards will be handed out Dec. 10 during the Grey Cup Festival at the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Most Outstanding Player: Cody Fajardo

Fajardo has thrown for 2,970 yards and 14 touchdowns while throwing 11 interceptions this season. He has added 468 rushing yards on 78 carries and four rushing touchdowns.

The 29-year-old has started in all 13 games for the Riders in 2021, leading them to a 9-4 record.

But Fajardo says the nomination is more of a team one than an individual honour.

“Our team did an incredible job of having my back the entire year,” Fajardo said. “Knowing that I’ve been nominated for the MOP for our team for my two years as a starter makes me feel good and we’re heading in the right direction, but I know I can be a lot better moving forward.”

Fajardo said there are a lot of players who could have been nominated, including defensive end A.C. Leonard and running back William Powell.

“You put talent aside, I think we’re a really close-knit team and found ways to win and become a 9-and-4 football team,” Fajardo said.

“Coming off a year with no football (due to COVID-19) and win nine games with all the injuries we had early on and all of the pressure and anxiety and expectations of us, to answer the bell and go 9-and-4 and be able to host a semifinal game, it speaks to the character in that locker room.”

Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Loucheiz Purifoy

No matter where he has lined up for the Riders’ defence, Purifoy has answered the call in a big way.

Purifoy started the season at defensive back but has played eight games at safety after a season-ending injury to Mike Edem. Purifoy also routinely lines up as the team’s strong-side linebacker in various packages.

The 28-year-old has recorded 39 tackles and two interceptions and has helped the Riders’ defence remain one of the CFL’s best.

“I’ve been through a lot,” Purifoy said. “In January, I lost my mom, so this season is dedicated to her. I know she’s watching over me.

“I couldn’t do it without my boys. You see our D-line and how they’re playing, to me the award should have gone to A.C. At the end of the day, he missed three games and he’s the sack leader so I appreciate this.”

Most Outstanding Special-Teams Player: Brett Lauther

One of the team’s two unanimous nominees, Lauther has been good on 85 per cent of his field-goal attempts (39 of 46), including three longer than 50 yards. He’s also 18-for-19 on converts.

The 31-year-old has scored 137 points, which is 47.7 per cent of the Roughriders’ entire scoring output this year (287).

And Lauther thinks he’s more than just the Riders’ best special-teamer.

“I’m the best kicker in the league. I do things that other people aren’t asked in this league,” he said. “I work hard enough to say that and show it year in and year out on and off the field. No disrespect to the other guys — I talk to them all the time and there’s a lot of good kickers — but if I don’t believe I’m the best kicker in the league, what am I doing?”

Lauther’s journey saw him play four games in Hamilton in 2013 but didn’t start another game until he joined the Riders in 2018.

Since then the product of Truro, N.S., has hit 125 of 147 field-goal tries (85 per cent).

“I remind myself of who I am — just a kid from the East Coast trying to trailblaze and I had everything taken away,” he said, “but every day I wake up, I believe I’m the best kicker in this league.”

Most Outstanding Canadian: Micah Teitz

For the second straight season, a linebacker has been named the Riders’ most outstanding Canadian.

Teitz had big shoes to fill in 2021 with the departure of Cam Judge to the Toronto Argonauts; Judge was the Riders’ 2019 most outstanding Canadian nominee.

Teitz leads the Riders with 64 tackles and has added four tackles for loss (second-most on the team) and three sacks.

“From the very beginning I was given the opportunity from training camp to be the starting Will linebacker and the coaches had faith in me to get the job done,” Teitz said.

He said a turning point for him in the season was an Aug. 21 game against the Ottawa Redblacks in which he had eight tackles and a sack in a 23-10 win.

“I just knew that I could do it and I knew I had all the abilities and I’m just proud of myself for believing in myself the whole way,” Teitz said.

But he said there’s still ways for him to improve on his season.

“Most outstanding Canadian is great, but maybe some day we will get the defensive one as well,” said Teitz, who also was a unanimous nominee.

Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Dan Clark

For the second straight season, Clark’s work in the middle of the Riders’ offensive line has been recognized with a nomination for this award.

After a shoulder injury to tackle Terran Vaughn in training camp, Clark was the only returning member of the 2019 line. He has started in all 13 games this season.

“It’s one of the things that I’ve thought about the last two years, especially coming off my car accident,” said Clark, who was in a rollover in May of 2019.

“I didn’t want it to be a crutch and I didn’t want it to be something that people just relied on. The fact I played 18 games (in 2019) after my car accident was something they could just give me the award to make me feel better about myself.

“(The nomination in 2021) definitely means something to me and I couldn’t have done it without the group I have alongside me every day.”

Most Outstanding Rookie: Kian Schaffer-Baker

The Riders appear to have found a diamond in the rough in the fourth round of the 2020 CFL draft.

Schaffer-Baker was taken 30th overall by the team and had to wait to play his first season with the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.

Schaffer-Baker didn’t start a game until Week 3 but hasn’t missed one since. In 11 games, the 23-year-old has caught 45 passes for 550 yards and two touchdowns.

“Just before I was walking out to practice, a couple of guys said congrats and I wasn’t too aware of it,” Schaffer-Baker said. “None of that is possible without the help of my teammates and the amazing organization and coaches.

“There’s a nice little saying that ‘the reward is greater than the sacrifice’ and I felt like I made a lot of sacrifices to get to this point.”

Until slotback Duke Williams had 146 yards in Saturday’s game against Edmonton, Schaffer-Baker had the only 100-yard receiving game for the Riders in 2021 (107 against Calgary on Oct. 2.).

The East and West Division finalists for the 2021 CFL awards will be announced on Nov. 25.