QUEBEC CITY (CIS) - The 2015 Canadian Interuniversity Sport football all-stars were announced on Thursday evening during the Sun Life Financial All-Canadian Banquet presented by Mallett.
The awards gala was held at the Hilton Quebec hotel as part of the CIS championship celebrations. The University of Montreal Carabins face-off against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in the ArcelorMittal Vanier Cup presented by Promutuel Assurance on Saturday at 1 p.m. EST at TELUS-UL Stadium in Quebec City.
Coverage on TVA Sports and Sportsnet / Sportsnet 360 gets underway with pre-game shows at noon and 12:30 pm, respectively. The 51st CIS football final will also be streamed live on the web at CIS-SIC.tv.
"Sun Life Financial is thrilled and proud to partner with Canadian Interuniversity Sport for the presentation of the 51st Vanier Cup banquet. I salute the determination, passion and commitment of the players who excel not only on the field but also in the classroom. Among those exceptional models are without a doubt the leaders of tomorrow and maybe our future colleagues," said Robert Dumas, President, Sun Life Financial, Quebec.
For the second straight year, the selection was dominated by the Calgary Dinos, who topped the national rankings for most of the season. The Dinos placed no less than 11 players among the CIS elite, two more than in 2014, including nine on the first constellation.
Powerhouses Laval and Western followed with six all-stars apiece. For their part, Vanier Cup contenders Montreal and UBC boasts three and one, respectively.
On offence, the first all-Canadian team is comprised of Calgary quarterback Andrew Buckley, running backs Mercer Timmis of Calgary and Dillon Campbell of Wilfrid Laurier, receivers Mitch Hillis of Saskatchewan, Ian Stewart of Ottawa, Rashaun Simonise of Calgary and Danny Vandervoort of McMaster, as well as linemen Sean McEwen and Braden Schram of Calgary, Jason Lauzon-Séguin and Charles Vaillancourt, both of Laval, and Sean Jamieson of Western.
Buckley, Timmis, Campbell, McEwen, Vaillancourt and Jamieson are all returnees from last year's top unit, with Timmis and Vaillancourt receiving the honour for a third consecutive season.
Buckley cemented his legacy as one of the best quarterbacks in CIS history this fall. In his final university campaign, the fifth-year kinesiology student claimed his second straight Hec Crighton Trophy as the most outstanding player in the country after he set a national record for most passing yards in a season (3,162) and a Canada West mark for passing accuracy (72%), while throwing for 19 touchdowns against only one interception in eight league contests.
On defence, the first CIS dream team for 2015 is made up of linemen David Onyemata of Manitoba, Samuel Narkaj of Concordia, Mathieu Betts of Laval and Jesse St. James of Acadia, linebackers John Rush of Guelph, Drew Morris of Acadia and Doctor Cassama of Calgary, safety Jesse McNair of Western, defensive backs Robert Woodson of Calgary and Maïko Zepeda of Montreal, as well as corners Adam Laurensse of Calgary and Godrey Onyeka of Laurier.
St. James and Laurensse are the only returnees from the 2014 first unit.
Onyemata, Betts and Rush - like Buckley - all returned home with major individual awards. Onyemata claimed the J.P. Metras Trophy (outstanding down lineman), Betts captured the Peter Gorman Trophy (rookie of the year) and Rush merited the Presidents' Trophy (best stand-up defensive player).
Rounding out the list of first-team all-Canadians, on special teams, were UBC punter Quinn van Gylswyk, Calgary placekicker Johnny Mark and Carleton kick returner Tunde Adeleke.
Mark, a 2014 CFL draft pick of the Saskatchewan Roughriders who attended the Ottawa Redblacks' training camp last summer, tied the national record for most field goals in a season with 26 and wrapped up his stellar U of C career as the CIS all-time leader in scoring (535 points) and field goals (91).
2015 CIS FOOTBALL ALL-CANADIANS
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Athlete / University / Year / Hometown / Academic Program
Offence
QB Andrew Buckley / Calgary / 5 / Calgary, Alta. / Kinesiology
RB Dillon Campbell / Laurier / 5 / Whitby, Ont. / Kin. / Phys. Ed.
RB Mercer Timmis / Calgary / 4 / Burlington, Ont. / Haskayne Business
IR Mitch Hillis / Saskatchewan / 3 / Saskatoon, Sask. / Kinesiology
IR Ian Stewart / Ottawa / 5 / Burlington, Ont. / Commerce-Finance
WR Rashaun Simonise / Calgary / 3 / Vancouver, B.C. / Arts
WR Danny Vandervoort / McMaster / 3 / Barrie, Ont. / Sociology
C Sean McEwen / Calgary / 5 / Calgary, Alta. / Science
T Braden Schram / Calgary / 3 / Manning, Alta. / Arts
T Jason Lauzon-Séguin / Laval / 4 / Pte. Claire, Que. / Social Studies
G Charles Vaillancourt / Laval / 4 / Coaticook, Que. / Business Admin.
G Sean Jamieson / Western / 4 / Winnipeg, Man. / Kinesiology
Defence
DT David Onyemata / Manitoba / 4 / Lagos, Nigeria / Arts
DT Samuel Narkaj / Concordia / 3 / Toronto, Ont. / Urban Studies
DE Mathieu Betts / Laval / 1 / Montreal, Que. / Phys. Ed. & Health
DE Jesse St. James / Acadia / 4 / Pincourt, Que. / Business Admin.
LB John Rush / Guelph / 5 / Niagara Falls, Ont / Marketing Management
LB Drew Morris / Acadia / 5 / Ottawa, Ont. / Business Admin.
LB Doctor Cassama / Calgary / 5 / Kristianstad, Sweden / Open Studies
FS Jesse McNair / Western / 3 / London, Ont./ Man. & Org. Studies
DB Robert Woodson / Calgary / 3 / Calgary, Alta. / Arts
DB Maïko Zepeda / Montreal / 4 / LaSalle, Que. / Industrial Relations
CB Godrey Onyeka / Laurier / 2 / Brampton, Ont. / Health Sciences
CB Adam Laurensse / Calgary / 3 / Sherwood Park, Alta. / Arts
Special Teams
P Quinn van Gylswyk / UBC / 3 / Victoria, B.C. / Arts
K Johnny Mark / Calgary / 5 / Peterborough, Ont. / Science
RET Tunde Adeleke / Carleton / 3 / Ottawa, Ont. / Communications
SECOND TEAM
Offence
QB Will Finch / Western / 4 / Burlington, Ont. / Social Sciences
RB Alex Taylor / Western / 2 / Winnipeg, Man. / Kinesiology
RB Ashton Dickson / StFX / 5 / Ottawa, Ont. / Arts
IR Brian Jones / Acadia / 4 / Enfield, N.S. / Science
IR Jimmy Ralph //Alberta / 3 / Raymond, Alta. / Education
WR Yanic Lessard / Concordia / 1 / Ste. Julie, Que. / Economics
WR Jacob Scarfone / Guelph / 3 / London, Ont. / Economics & Finance
C Matthew Van Praet / Western / 3 / London, Ont. / Kinesiology
T Eddie Merdith / Western / 4 / Toronto, Ont. / Social Sciences
T Vernon Sainvil / StFX / 3 / Malden, Mass. / Arts
G Darius Ciraco / Calgary / 2 / Burlington, Ont. / Haskayne Business
G Philippe Gagnon / Laval / 4 / L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que. / Tox. Studies
Defence
DT Donovan Dale / Saskatchewan / 4 / Saskatoon, Sask. / Kinesiology
DT Adam Melanson / Acadia / 3 / Kentville, N.S. / Arts
DE Kwaku Boateng / Laurier / 3 / Milton, Ont. / Business
DE Jonathan Boissonneault-Glaou / Montreal / 2 / Lyster, Que. / Mechanical Engineering
LB Shayne Gauthier / Laval / 4 / Dolbeau-Mistassini, Que. / Entrep. & Management
LB Jake Heathcote / McMaster / 2 / Aldergrove, B.C. / Commerce
LB Micah Teitz / Calgary / 2 / Calgary, Alta. / Arts
FS Kwame Adjei / Mount Allison / 5 / Brampton, Ont. / Sociology
DB Nicholas Parisotto / Guelph / 2 / Guelph, Ont. / CLOM
DB Mikaël Charland / Concordia / 4 / Gatineau, Que. / Human Environment
CB Alex Hovington / Laval / 4 / Montreal, Que. / Management
CB Devante Sampson / Mount Allison / 3 / Mississauga, Ont. / Sociology
Special Teams
P Félix Ménard-Brière / Montreal / 3 / Ste. Agathe-des-Monts, Que. / Architecture
K Gabriel Ferraro / Guelph / 2 / Mississauga, Ont. / CLOM
RET Jamel Lyles / Manitoba / 1 / Surrey, B.C. / Undeclared