MontrealAlouettes.com
MONTREAL – The Canadian Football League announced its finalists for the year-end Most Outstanding Player Awards on Thursday and Alouettes linebacker Bear Woods as well as offensive tackle Jeff Perrett will respectively represent the East Division as its top defensive player and top offensive lineman.
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Bear Woods
In his fourth season with the team, international linebacker Bear Woods has been a key contributor in defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe’s squad. After missing the team’s first six outings in 2014, the 27 year-old athlete had an immediate impact when he returned to the roster and is currently experiencing his best career moments in the CFL. The Troy University product currently places third in the league with 80 defensive tackles, including seven sacks. His sensational season was emphasized on several occasions this year when he notched two Defensive Player of the Month honours in September and October as well as a Defensive Player of the Week title on week fourteen. His presence has transformed a very effective defensive squad in a threatful unit. He has been an integral part of a defence that leads the CFL with 47 turnovers.
The American linebacker did not only excel at putting pressure, but also in coverage, picking off one pass this season. He also forced two fumbles while playing on a regular basis on special teams where he made two other tackles. Had he played all 18 games, he would have been on pace to complete the season with 133 defensive tackles.
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Jeff Perrett
Jeff Perrett, who started all 18 contests for the Alouettes so far this season, continued to highly contribute to the success of the Alouettes’ offensive line that has once again been dominant throughout the season allowing only 31 sacs – good for second fewest in the CFL – on 558 passes attemped. Since the Alouettes’ remarkable season turnaround, him and his teammates of the offensive line have allowed only eight sacks in ten outings. In addition to having been at the heart of the solid protection the offensive line gave to the club’s four quaterbacks this season, Perrett helped pave the way for the team’s running backs in participating to the effective running game throughout the campaign. In making key blocks at the line of scrimmage, the Alouettes third-round pick in 2008 (24th overall) supported Brandon Whitaker collecting an impressive total of 764 rushing yards on 169 runs. Whitaker was the CFL’s rushing yards leader before injuring his foot on October 10.
The Alouettes veteran has been an example of consistency for coach Kris Sweet’s unit. Perrett also helped Tyrell Sutton obtain his best performance of the season on November 2 against the Toronto Argonauts amassing 135 rushing yards and a touchdown in 23 runs. Sutton completed the season with an average of 5.2 yards per carry. Perrett and the Alouettes’ offensive line deserves a lot of credit in the recent success of this well balanced attack. The Alouettes have an impressive average time of 30:43 minutes per game. He was also a big part of helping Tanner Marsh score seven rushing touchdowns on short yardage situations. Perrett and his teammates on the offensive line allowed Marsh to gain 34 first downs on short yardage siuations this season.
Both Woods and Perrett played important roles in the Alouettes major season turnaround this season which saw the team win eight of its last ten games to clinch a 19th straight playoff berth.
The East and West Player Award winners were selected by members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and CFL head coaches. The 2014 CFL Player Awards will be handed out on Thursday, November 28 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.
