Ticats team award winners announced

The Canadian Football League (CFL) announced today the team winners for the 2015 Shaw CFL Awards.
The players were selected by voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and CFL head coaches.
In this first ballot, FRC representatives from each CFL city plus the respective head coach submitted votes for the six categories. Voters were asked to select players from their local CFL club who, through on-field performance excellence, best represent the awards’ titles – Most Outstanding Player, Most Outstanding Canadian Player, Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman, Most Outstanding Rookie, and Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.
The East and West Division winners for the 2015 Shaw CFL Awards will be announced on Thursday, November 12.
New to the East and West Division second round ballot will be the addition of Coach of the Year. Each division will have a nominee, similar to the player awards.
The 2015 Shaw CFL Awards will be handed out on Thursday, November 26 at the Club Regent Event Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Below are the first ballot results:
*Indicates a unanimous selection
Most Outstanding Player: Zach Collaros
Collaros started the Tiger-Cats first 12 games of the 2015 season, leading the team to an 8-3 record before exiting the team’s Week 13 game with a season-ending injury. The third-year quarterback completed 70.2 % of his passes, passing for 3,376 yards, 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Despite missing the team’s final six games of the regular season, Collaros holds the league’s highest marks in quarterback efficiency (113.7), yards per attempt (9.4), points per offensive drive (2.55) and touchdown-interception ratio (3.1).
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Simoni Lawrence
In his third season with the Ticats, the international linebacker is second on the team in tackles (76) and he ranks ninth in the entire CFL. Lawrence has put forth a well-rounded effort on defence in 2015, notching a career-high five sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery to his tackles total. A leader on the Black and Gold defence, Lawrence’s impressive season has allowed him to stand out on a talented Ticats defensive unit.
Most Outstanding Canadian: Ted Laurent
Laurent earned his second straight nomination as the Ticats Most Outstanding Canadian, notching 25 tackles and three sacks in his second season with the team. A consistent and disruptive force on the defensive line, Laurent’s stat-line does not tell the full story of the Canadian lineman’s second straight dominant season.
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Mike Filer
The veteran Canadian offensive lineman is the only Ticats offensive player to start every game in 2015, providing the team with consistency in a key offensive position. Friday’s season-finale against the Redblacks will mark Filer’s 24th straight start in the Black and Gold.
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: Brandon Banks
Banks earned his first nomination as Most Outstanding Special Teams player with another electric season for the Ticats. The explosive returner and receiver ranks third in the league in total yards (1,966) and has notched four punt return touchdowns in the season, at least two more than any other returner. On top of his league-high four touchdown returns, Banks has had two touchdowns negated by penalties. Banks is the only player in the league with the trifecta of a rushing, receiving and return touchdown this season. On 42 offensive touches, the shifty receiver has gained an average of 7.3 yards per play.
Most Outstanding Rookie: Terrence Toliver*
A unanimous selection as the team’s Most Outstanding Rookie, Toliver is third on the team in receiving with 679 yards in his first CFL season. Toliver’s 52 yards per game had him leading the team in receiving through 13 games, and his six touchdown receptions are tied for the most on the team with two other receivers. The Texas native’s six-reception performance on Labour Day was his best of the season, as he registered 90 yards and a touchdown in the rout of the Argos.