SHAW CFL TOP PERFORMERS OF JULY
Williams, Harris and Reilly named Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Month
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 — TORONTO (August 3, 2016) – Chris Williams, Trevor Harris and Mike Reilly were named the Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Month for July of the CFL’s 2016 season.
Performer of the Month selection includes all appearances from Week 1 to Week 6.
The three players were chosen by a panel of judges who independently send their selections to the CFL head office. The panel includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.
REC | Chris Williams | Ottawa REDBLACKS
Ottawa REDBLACKS receiver Chris Williams had a fantastic start to begin the 2016 campaign. In the first three weeks he was recognized as a Shaw CFL Top Performer of the Week and set a new benchmark for receivers to begin the season.
Through the first three games, he set a CFL record by accumulating 25 receptions for 493 yards to eclipse the 483-yard mark set by Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver Alfred Jackson in 1994. He helped lead the REDBLACKS to a 3-0-1 start.
In Ottawa’s opening game of the year against the Grey Cup champions he caught eight passes for 176 yards and scored two touchdowns in the REDBLACKS overtime victory 45-37. That was the start of a three-game streak where Williams racked up 100+ receiving yards as well as scoring at least a touchdown in each of the first three contests.
He recorded seven receptions for 187 yards and a touchdown in the REDBLACKS victory versus Montreal and then followed it up with 10 receptions for 130 yards and three touchdowns in Ottawa’s tie with Calgary.
The Rio Rancho, New Mexico native is currently second in the CFL with 625 yards, first in the league in touchdowns with six and second in receptions with 38.
The product of New Mexico State is currently first in the Shaw CFL Top Performers leaderboard with 375 points.
QB | Trevor Harris | Ottawa REDBLACKS
Ottawa REDBLACKS quarterback Trevor Harris has set his new team on a path to success in the early weeks of the 2016 CFL season, making him a Shaw CFL Top Performer of the Month for July.
Filling in for an injured Henry Burris in the second half of Week 1’s game in Edmonton, Harris brought Ottawa back from behind to win the game with three touchdown passes, including a 71-yard major to Chris Williams on his very first pass attempt of the season.
Harris’ chemistry with Williams continued in Week 2 with a 52-yard pass extending an Ottawa lead over Montreal that he established with earlier bullets to Ernest Jackson and Greg Ellingson. Harris led the league in passing yards with 867 after Week 2, and currently possesses 1,499 passing yards and nine touchdowns.
In Week 4 against his former team, the former Edinboro Fighting Scot hit 28 of his 31 passes to set a CFL single-game completion percentage record with 90.3%. He also netted his first touchdown of the season to give Ottawa the lead. Harris is first in the league with an 82.2% completion percentage.
Harris was named a Top Performer in Weeks 1, 2 and 4 of 2016, and last year finished second on the Shaw CFL Top Performer points leaderboard.
QB | Mike Reilly | Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos quarterback and last year’s Grey Cup MVP Mike Reilly was named a Shaw CFL Top Performer of the Month for July.
Reilly has had a historic start to the season. In his first five games, Reilly has eclipsed the 300 passing yard mark in each game and is currently on pace to break Doug Flutie’s single season passing yards record (6,619) set in 1991.
Reilly’s streak in 2016 began by posting 383 passing yards versus Ottawa, 378 yards against Saskatchewan, 465 versus Winnipeg, 354 yards versus Hamilton and 346 yards versus Winnipeg. He was recognized as a Shaw CFL Top Performer in Week 5 for his performance versus the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Central Washington product has helped fuel the one of the best offences this season, featuring the league’s leading receiver Derel Walker (642 receiving yards) and the third-leading receiver Adarius Bowman (586 receiving yards).
This season Reilly has passed for a league-best 1,926 yards, tied for top touchdown passes with 11 and has completed 71% of his passes.
Last season, Reilly was named a Shaw CFL Top Performer for the month of October as well as Top Performer of the week on three occasions.
SHAW CFL TOP PERFORMERS LEADERBOARD
| Rank | Player | 2016 Points Total | Points Breakdown |
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| 1st place points | 2nd place points | 3rd place points | Fan vote points | Monthly points |
| 1 | Chris Williams | 375 | 100 | 50 | 25 | - | 200 |
| 2 | Trevor Harris | 320 | 100 | 100 | - | 20 | 100 |
| 3 | Simoni Lawrence | 110 | 100 | - | - | 10 | - |
| T-4 | Jeremiah Masoli | 100 | 100 | - | - | - | - |
| T-4 | Bo Levi Mitchell | 100 | 100 | - | - | - | - |
| T-4 | Adrian Tracy | 100 | 100 | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | Mike Reilly | 75 | - | - | 25 | - | 50 |
| T-8 | Maurice Leggett | 60 | - | 50 | - | 10 | - |
| T-8 | Naaman Roosevelt | 60 | - | 50 | - | 10 | - |
| 10 | Lirim Hajrullahu | 50 | - | 50 | - | - | - |
| T-11 | Adarius Bowman | 25 | - | - | 25 | - | - |
| T-11 | A.J. Jefferson | 25 | - | - | 25 | - | - |
| T-11 | Jonathon Jennings | 25 | - | - | 25 | - | - |
| T-11 | Jerome Messam | 25 | - | - | 25 | - | - |
2016 Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Week
| Week | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1 | Simoni Lawrence (HAM)* | Trevor Harris (OTT) | Chris Williams (OTT) |
| 2 | Trevor Harris (OTT)* | Chris Williams (OTT) | Jerome Messam (CGY) |
| 3 | Chris Williams (OTT) | Maurice Leggett (WPG)* | Adarius Bowman (EDM) |
| 4 | Adrian Tracy (HAM) | Trevor Harris (OTT)* | Jonathan Jennings (BC) |
| 5 | Jeremiah Masoli (HAM) | Naaman Roosevelt (SSK)* | Mike Reilly (EDM) |
| 6 | Bo Levi Mitchell (CGY) | Lirim Hajrullahu (TOR) | A.J. Jefferson (TOR) |
*Indicates Shaw Fan’s Choice of the Week
2016 Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Month
| Week | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| July | Chris Williams (OTT) | Trevor Harris (OTT) | Mike Reilly (EDM) |