The Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award is annually awarded to the best defensive player in the

Canadian football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. The winner of the award is selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada along with the head coaches in the CFL. The two nominees for the award are the James P. McCaffrey Trophy winner from the East Division, and the

Norm Fieldgate Trophy The Norm Fieldgate Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy awarded to the outstanding defensive player in the West Division. Each team in the West division nominates a player, from which the winner is chosen. Either the winner of this trophy o ...

winner from the West Division. Between 1955 and

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

, both defensive players and offensive lineman had to compete for the

CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award The Most Outstanding Lineman Award was an award annually given to the best defensive player or offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League from the year 1955 to 1973. By the 1974 season, the league decided to make two separate awards for bo ...

. By the 1974 season, the league decided to make two separate awards for both defensive players and offensive lineman.

CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award winners

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

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Lorenzo Mauldin Lorenzo Malik Mauldin IV (born October 1, 1992) is a professional gridiron football defensive end for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted by the New York Jets in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He ...

(DE),

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Starting ...

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

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Adam Bighill Adam Bighill (born October 16, 1988) is a gridiron football linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Bighill made his professional debut with the BC Lions in 2011. He played college football for the Central ...

(LB),

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

– ''season cancelled - covid 19'' *

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Willie Jefferson Willie Hebert Jefferson III (born January 31, 1991) is a Canadian football defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Jefferson is a 3-time Grey Cup champion, winning his first ring at the 103rd Grey Cup w ...

(DE),

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...

–

(LB),

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

– Alex Singleton (LB),

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

–

Solomon Elimimian Solomon Elimimian (born October 21, 1986) is a former Canadian football linebacker and the current president of the Canadian Football League Players' Association (CFLPA). He spent nine seasons with the BC Lions and was named the CFL's Most Outs ...

(LB),

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first seas ...

* 2015 –

(LB),

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

–

(LB),

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

–

Chip Cox Chip Cox (born June 24, 1983) is an American former professional Canadian football linebacker He most recently played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he spent 13 years of his career. He is a two-time Grey C ...

(LB),

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

– J.C. Sherritt (LB), Edmonton Eskimos * 2011 –

Jovon Johnson Jovon Johnson (born November 2, 1983) is a former professional Canadian football defensive back. He was the winner of the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2011 while with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, becoming the first defensive bac ...

(DB),

* 2010 – Markeith Knowlton (LB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats * 2009 –

John Chick John Chick (born November 20, 1982) is a former professional Canadian football defensive end who played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League, primarily with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. After signing with Saskatchewan in 2007, he was na ...

(DE),

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

– Cameron Wake (DE),

* 2007 – Cameron Wake (DE),

* 2006 –

Brent Johnson Brent Spencer Johnson (born March 12, 1977) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Washington Capitals, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is curr ...

(DE),

* 2005 – John Grace (LB),

* 2004 –

Anwar Stewart Anwar Stewart (born February 9, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is currently the defensive line coach for the Kentucky Wildcats. He played college football for the Kentucky Wildcats and played in the Canadian Football ...

(DE),

* 2003 – Joe Fleming (DT),

* 2002 – Elfrid Payton (DE), Edmonton Eskimos * 2001 – Joe Montford (DE), Hamilton Tiger-Cats *

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

– Joe Montford (DE), Hamilton Tiger-Cats *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

–

Calvin Tiggle Calvin Bernard Tiggle (born November 10, 1968), is a former award-winning linebacker in the Canadian Football League. After graduating from the Georgia Institute of Technology (playing with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets) he played two season ...

(LB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats *

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

– Joe Montford (DE), Hamilton Tiger-Cats *

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

–

Willie Pless Willy or Willie is a masculine, male given name, often a diminutive form of William or Wilhelm, and occasionally a nickname. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Willie Aames (born 1960), American actor, television director, and scree ...

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos * 1996 –

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

–

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

–

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

–

Jearld Baylis Jearld Baylis (born August 12, 1962) is a former star defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League. Baylis played college football at University of Southern Mississippi., where he was known as the Space Ghost. He had a 10-year career fro ...

(DT),

* 1992 –

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

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Greg Battle Greg Battle (born April 14, 1964) is a former Canadian Football League linebacker for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He graduated from Arizona State University. He had a tryout with the Denver Broncos of the NFL but turned north to Canada in 1987. ...

(LB),

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

–

(LB),

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...

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Danny Bass Danny Bass (born March 31, 1958) is a former linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts in 1980, Calgary Stampeders from 1981–1983 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1984-1991 of the Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: ...

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

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Grover Covington Grover Covington (born March 25, 1956) is a former Canadian Football League defensive end for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. Professional career Covington's career began in 1981 as a free agent signin ...

(DE), Hamilton Tiger-Cats *

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

– Greg Stumon (DE),

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 **Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal enter ...

–

James "Quick" Parker James "Quick" Parker (January 1, 1958 – March 27, 2018) was a Canadian football player who was a leading defensive player in the Canadian Football League. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After attending Wake Forest University from ...

(DE),

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

–

Tyrone Jones Tyrone Jones (August 3, 1961 – June 10, 2008) was a gridiron football all-star and Grey Cup champion linebacker in the Canadian Football League. Born in St. Mary's, Georgia, Ty's football career began at Camden County High School, Camden Coun ...

(LB),

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

–

(DE),

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

– Greg Marshall (DE), Ottawa Rough Riders * 1982 –

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

–

Danny Kepley Daniel "Danny" Kepley (born August 24, 1953) is a former star linebacker for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. Kepley played college football at East Carolina University. He tried out with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys before star ...

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos * 1980 –

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...

–

Ben Zambiasi Benjamin Ray Zambiasi (born August 19, 1956) is a former linebacker for the University of Georgia and in the Canadian Football League. Zambiasi was born in Valdosta, Georgia, and attended high school at Mount de Sales Academy in Macon playin ...

(LB), Hamilton Tiger-Cats * 1978 – Dave "Dr. Death" Fennell (DT), Edmonton Eskimos *

1977 Events January * January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrat ...

–

(LB), Edmonton Eskimos *

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

– Bill Baker (DE),

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

– Jim Corrigall (DE),

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

* 1974 –

John Helton John Helton (born 23 May 1947) is a former defensive tackle for the Calgary Stampeders from 1969 to 1978 and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from 1979 to 1982 of the Canadian Football League. High school and college John Helton graduated from Captai ...

(DT),

References

https://www.cfl.ca/page/more_player_awards_odef Most Outstanding Defensive Player

CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award winners

References

See also