Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver Banks named CFL’s outstanding player

CALGARY – Brandon Banks is the CFL’s outstanding player.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver captured the honour for the first time Thursday at the CFL awards banquet in voting conducted by the Football Reporters of Canada and nine league head coaches.

Banks, 31, led the CFL in receiving this season with a club-record 112 catches for 1,550 yards and 13 TDs. He also ran 13 times for 56 yards and a TD, returned 13 punts for 140 yards, and five missed field goals for 283 yards (56.6-yard average) and two TDs.

Banks becomes the first Ticat to win the award since quarterback Danny McManus in 1998.

Saskatchewan Roughriders quarterback Cody Fajardo was the award finalist. The first-year starter had career-highs in passing yards (4,302), rushing touchdowns (10) and touchdown passes (18), while completing 71.5 per cent of his attempts.

Fajardo led Saskatchewan (13-5) to top spot in the West Division for the first time since 2009. The native of Brea, Calif., was 12-4 as a starter and had six 300-yard passing performances.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2019.