CFL POW (15): Williams, Lemon, Waters & Capicciotti

TORONTO – Jonathan Williams, Shawn Lemon, Swayze Waters and Justin Capicciotti were named the Canadian Football League Players of the Week for Week 15 of the 2014 Canadian Football League season.

The four players were chosen by a panel of judges including: former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.

CFL Offensive Player of the Week

Jonathan Williams 

RB – Ottawa REDBLACKS

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20 @ Ottawa REDBLACKS 42

Ottawa REDBLACKS running back Jonathan Williams was named the Offensive Player of the Week for Week 15. Williams gathered 229 yards from scrimmage and scored a pair of touchdowns in the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ 42-20 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In Williams’ second game with Ottawa, the Smithfield, North Carolina native rushed the ball on 21 occasions, accumulating 180 yards. He registered a career-long 53-yard run for a major and then notched his second touchdown of the game on a two-yard plunge late in the contest.

The product of East Carolina University caught a pair of passes for 49 yards, including a career-high 35-yard grab.

With starting running back Chevon Walker on the six-game injured list, Williams will be relied upon heavily in the coming weeks. In two games this season he has amassed 239 rushing yards – averaging 7.2 yards per carry – and has scored a trio of touchdowns.

This is Williams’ first career Player of the Week honour. 

CFL Defensive Player of the Week

Shawn Lemon

DL – Calgary Stampeders 

Calgary Stampeders 31 @ Saskatchewan Roughriders 24 

Calgary Stampeders defensive lineman Shawn Lemon was named the Defensive Player of the Week for Week 15. Lemon was a defensive force for the Stampeders, recording a pair of sacks and forcing a fumble as Calgary won on the road with a 31-24 decision over the Roughriders.

The former Akron Zip’s sack of Seth Doege in the opening quarter forced a fumble and sent the Riders back 16 yards. On the final play of the game, Lemon sacked his second Saskatchewan quarterback of the day in Tino Sunseri to preserve the victory.

The native of Waldorf, Maryland is currently tied for the Stampeders’ lead in sacks with eight and also has 23 tackles and one interception on the season.

This is the first Player of the Week award of Lemon’s four-year career.

CFL Special Teams Player of the Week

Swayze Waters

K/P – Toronto Argonauts 

Edmonton Eskimos 32 @ Toronto Argonauts 33

Toronto Argonauts kicker Swayze Waters was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 15. Waters successfully kicked a career-high six field goals and accounted for 21 of Toronto’s 33 points in the home side’s narrow 33-32 victory over the visiting Eskimos.

Waters notched field goals from 47, 45, 38, 28, 37 and 13 yards away. 

With the Argos’ offence operating efficiently, Waters only needed to punt the ball once – a 47-yard effort that resulted in Edmonton starting their drive deep in their own zone on the five yard line.

The former University of Birmingham at Alabama standout has hit 89 per cent of his field goals (33-of-37) this season. He owns the highest punting average in the CFL (49 yards per punt) and is the league-leader in kicking points with 139.

This is the second Special Teams Player of the Week award of Waters’ career with his first coming in Week 19 of the 2012 campaign.

CFL Canadian Player of the Week 

Justin Capicciotti

DL – Ottawa REDBLACKS 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers 20 @ Ottawa REDBLACKS 42

Ottawa REDBLACKS defensive lineman Justin Capicciotti was named the Canadian Player of the Week for Week 15. Capicciotti recorded a career-high two sacks and added a tackle as the REDBLACKS defeated the visiting Blue Bombers 42-20 to register their second win at TD Place.

In his third season, the former Simon Fraser University player was able to track down Winnipeg quarterback Drew Willy twice: once in the second quarter and again in the fourth.

Capicciotti, a second-round pick in the 2012 CFL Draft, is having a banner year. His new career-high of seven sacks leads Ottawa and his 36 tackles on the year is a new personal-best.

This is the Toronto, Ontario native’s first career CFL Player of the Week honour.