TORONTO – Ernest Jackson, Bear Woods, Kendial Lawrence and Antoine Pruneau were named the CFL Players of the Month for October, the Canadian Football League announced today.
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The monthly awards include all games played from Weeks 15 to 18.
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The four players were chosen by a panel of judges that includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.
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CFL Offensive Player of the Month
Ernest Jackson
WR – BC Lions
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BC Lions wide receiver Ernest Jackson was named the Offensive Player of the Month for October. With Jackson in the lineup, the Lions accumulated a 2-1 record and secured a playoff berth for an 18th consecutive season.
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The former University of Buffalo Bull recorded 20 receptions for 438 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns, while averaging a whopping 21.9 yards per reception last month.
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Jackson’s standout performance of the past four weeks came in a Week 16 home date against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. He tallied eight receptions for a career-high 195 yards, including a 60-yard touchdown grab in the Lions’ 41-3 blowout win.Β
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Jackson made it back-to-back games with over 100 yards receiving when he caught another eight passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in the Lions’ playoff-clinching Week 18 matchup in Winnipeg.
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With his recent surge, the Rochester, New York native has climbed the receiving charts and now sits ninth in the league in receiving yards. Among receivers with at least 30 catches on the year, Jackson leads the group in yards per reception with 16.7.
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This is Jackson’s first Monthly award in his three years in the CFL.
CFL Defensive Player of the MonthΒ
Bear Woods
LB – Montreal Alouettes
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Montreal Alouettes linebacker Bear Woods was named the Defensive Player of the Month for October. Woods recorded 24 tackles, three sacks, an interception and forced a fumble as the Alouettes took three-of-three contests in October.
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This is the second month in a row that Woods has been recognized as the league’s top defender.Β
The native of Macclenny, Florida spent the past month matching some of his best-ever performances. In Week 16, he tied a career-high with a pair of sacks against the Roughriders. Two weeks later in the nation’s capital, he equaled his personal-best of 10 tackles in a single game. In that contest, Woods also came away with his first career interception.
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Woods tops the Alouettes with 70 tackles and sits third on the team with seven sacks.
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The former Troy University Trojan is in his third season in the CFL and this is his second career Player of the Month award.
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CFL Special Teams Player of the MonthΒ
Kendial Lawrence
KR/PR – Edmonton Eskimos
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Edmonton Eskimos returner Kendial Lawrence was named the Special Teams Player of the Month for October. In the Eskimos’ three October games, Lawrence compiled 423 combined return yards and scored two touchdowns as his team went 2-1.
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Lawrence, a native of Rockwall, Texas scored his first touchdown of the month in Week 15 against the Toronto Argonauts. He ran back a Swayze Waters kickoff for 107 yards in the first quarter of Edmonton’s eventual 33-32 setback.Β
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His second major of the month came in Week 17 with the Eskimos visiting Mosaic Stadium. He returned Chris Milo’s opening kickoff of the second half for 96 yards to jumpstart the Edmonton offence en route to a 24-19 comeback victory.
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Down the October stretch, the Missouri product returned 12 punts for 82 yards and nine kickoffs for 341.
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This is Lawrence’s first career Player of the Month award.
CFL Canadian Player of the MonthΒ
Antoine Pruneau
DB – Ottawa REDBLACKS
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Ottawa REDBLACKS defensive back Antoine Pruneau was named Canadian Player of the month for October. From Weeks 15 to 18, Pruneau registered 22 tackles, a sack and a special teams tackle in the REDBLACKS’ four games.
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Pruneau, a native of Montreal, Quebec, had a breakthrough performance in a Week 17 away game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The first-year player recorded nine tackles, a sack and a special teams tackle in a 16-6 losing effort.
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The product of the University of Montreal has had a strong rookie campaign for the REDBLACKS. The fourth overall selection from the 2014 draft has accumulated 62 tackles on the year – good for second on the team. He is tied for third on the squad with 10 special teams tackles and his pair of sacks is tied for fifth.
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This is the first award of Pruneau’s career.
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