The Canadian Football League unveiled the 2015 CFL All-Stars on Wednesday, a list that included five Hamilton Tiger-Cats: defensive tackle Ted Laurent, linebacker Simoni Lawrence, defensive backs Emanuel Davis and Craig Butler, and receiver/kick returner Brandon Banks.
Laurent and Banks were named CFL All-Stars for the second consecutive season, while Lawrence, Davis and Butler were each first-time selections. The Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos and B.C. Lions each had a league-high five players chosen as All-Stars in 2015, the most for Hamilton since the team had six in the 1999 Grey Cup Championship season.
Laurent posted 26 defensive tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 17 games this season, while adding five defensive tackles and four sacks in two playoff games. The Montreal, Quebec native was named the Tiger-Cats Most Outstanding Canadian for the second time in as many seasons and earned his third Divisional All-Star nod in 2015.
Lawrence, the East Division’s 2015 Most Outstanding Defensive Player and reigning two-time Tiger-Cats top defensive player award winner, yet again contributed across the board for Hamilton’s defence this season. The native of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania started all 18 games at linebacker for the Ticats, recording 80 defensive tackles, five sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He also posted seven defensive tackles in two playoff games.
Davis led the CFL in 2015 with three interception return touchdowns (no other player had more than one) and 12 pass knock downs, and was tied for fourth overall with five interceptions. The native of Manteo, North Carolina added 61 defensive tackles, eight special teams tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 18 games. He added three defensive tackles and an interception in two playoff games.
Butler registered 43 defensive tackles, four sacks and one interception in 14 games for the Tiger-Cats this season, en route to his third Divisional All-Star selection. The 6-2, 196-pound native of London, Ontario also registered eight defensive tackles in two playoff games in 2015.
Banks, who won the 2015 John Agro Award as the league’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player, led the league with four punt return touchdowns this season, one shy of the all-time CFL single-season record. The two-time East Division All-Star ranked third in the CFL in all-purpose yards (2,073) and punt return yards (930), and had six total touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving, four punt returns).
The 5-7, 153-pound native of Garner, North Carolina returned a missed single-point convert attempt 127 yards on November 7 versus Ottawa for the first missed convert return score in the history of the CFL. He also accumulated 324 all-purpose yards in two playoff games this season for the Tiger-Cats.
The CFL All-Stars were selected by the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and the league’s head coaches. This is the 53rd year in which the CFL has named an All-Star team in recognition of the season’s best performers. In total, 75 voters selected the 27 All-Stars.
