RSEQ Awards: Heather chosen as Player of the Year

Montreal – At a press conference today the RSEQ announced the award winners for the 2013 RSEQ university football season.

Jordan Heather and Coach Kevin Mackey of the Bishop’s University Gaiters, Antoine Pruneau and Alex Cromer-Émond of the Université de Montréal Carabins and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of the McGill Redmen were honoured.

Quarterback Jordan Heather (Oromocto, NB) of the Bishop’s Gaiters is the winner of the Jeff Russell Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in RSEQ university football. This automatically makes Heather a nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy, presented to the most outstanding player in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS).

This history major in his fifth university football year has had the best season for a quarterback in the history of Bishop’s University, the RSEQ and the CIS. Heather established the Canadian record for the most passing yards, with 3,132 in eight games. He also completed 20 touchdowns in the regular season, another record for Bishop’s and the RSEQ. He was also named Offensive Player of the Week four times by the RSEQ and three times by the CIS. Heather also received recognition from other RSEQ head coaches who unanimously named him to the RSEQ All-Star team.

Heather’s performance inspired the Gaiters – who had an excellent season – to win six games, placing them second by the end of the season in RSEQ university football and sixth nationally to consequently hold a playoff game for the first time since 1994.

Alex Cromer-Émond (Price, QC) of the Université de Montréal Carabins was named rookie of the year. Former player for the Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon Faucons, Cromer-Émond was dominant in his first year of university football, beginning every game as a starter and ending the season in third place on his team for the number of tackles, at 36. A medical student, he made a major contribution to the success of the second best defense in the country with 29 solo tackles, plus two sacks, two recovered fumbles and one provoked.

The title of best defensive player of the year again goes to Antoine Pruneau (Laval, QC) of the Université de Montréal Carabins. A player in his fourth year, the coverage linebacker had an outstanding season after making the transition from defensive back to linebacker in between seasons. This former Nomad from Collège Montmorency finished the 2013 season with 41 tackles, including 34 solos and 3.5 for loss. He also made 3.5 sacks, one interception, two forced breakaways, in addition to covering one and assisting five passes. The physical education and health student has also twice been named RSEQ player of the week, once on defense and once on special teams. He also assisted on special teams, scoring the first touchdown in the history of Université de Montréal Carabins on a kickoff return and a successful return missed field goal attempt 119 yards for the touchdown.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (St-Hilaire, QC) of the McGill University Redmen has been named outstanding lineman of the year. In his fourth year in RSEQ university football, the Collège Andre-Grasset graduate dominated the league from his position. This also makes him the RSEQ candidate for the J.P. Metras Trophy, awarded to the best lineman in the CIS. Named McGill’s most outstanding offensive lineman in his sophomore season, he exploded on the national scene a year ago when he played both ways and was voted team MVP and the team’s most outstanding offensive player. He earned conference all-star status and was a first-team all-Canadian at offensive tackle. After suiting up in the CIS East West Bowl last spring, the Redmen co-captain was listed as the top-rated prospect for the 2014 CFL Draft by the league’s Scouting Bureau earlier this fall. He has met all expectations for 2013 and was appointed unanimously to the RSEQ all-star team. He was named to the same all-star team in 2012 in addition to being selected for the pan-Canadian all-star team.

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (St-Hilaire, QC) of the McGill Redmen received the leadership and social engagement award. He has been nominated for the Russ Jackson Award, given annually to a Canadian university football player for excellence in academic achievement. He has been significantly involved in his community while distinguishing himself in football.

This season, Duvernay-Tardif clearly made his mark on the ground, being named best lineman in RSEQ university football. He has been as impressive in the classroom since he arrived on the Montreal campus, meriting CIS Academic All-Canadian status and qualifying for the Principal’s Student-Athlete Honour Roll in each of his first three years at McGill. Duvernay-Tardif achieved a sessional grade point average of 3.88 during his pre-med year in 2010-11 and has been a straight A student over his next three years. He was named earlier this fall among the CIS Top 8 Academic All-Canadians and is expected to receive this honour next week at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.Over the last year, he received McGill’s 1938 Champions Award for combining leadership with athletic prowess and academic excellence, as well as a pair of Montreal Alouettes bursaries, for athletic and academic excellence. He was named to the McGill chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society for academic recognition, leadership development and community service.  He has served as a tutor for McGill students and been one of the football team’s volunteer reps at a visit to the Montreal Shriners Hospital for Children as well as the annual McGill Holiday Food Drive in support of the Sun Youth Community Centre. He has also worked with the “Défi Canderel”, with a Montreal police department program known as ”Unité sans violence, exprimez-vous!”, as well as with heroin addicts at a methadone clinic. Finally, as part of his medical curriculum, he served countless hours in family medicine at various hospitals.

Kevin Mackey of Bishop’s University Gaiters won the award for coach of the year. With this honour, he is automatically nominated for the Frank Tindall Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding coach in Canada. In his second season at the helm of the Gaiters, Mackey led the team to a record of six wins and only two losses in the regular season, the Gaiters’ best record since 1993. The Gaiters finished last season in last place in RSEQ university football with a record of no wins and nine defeats. This year, his team finished the season in second place in the RSEQ and sixth place nationally. For the first time since 1994, the Gaiters hosted a playoff game on Coulter Field, Bishop’s University.

Individual honours in RSEQ University Football – 2013 Season

Most outstanding player of the year – Jeff Russell Memorial Trophy
(Nominated for the Hec Crighton Trophy – CIS)
Jordan Heather, Bishop’s University

Rookie of the Year
(Nominated for the Peter Gorman Trophy – CIS)
Alex Cromer-Émond, Université de Montréal

Most outstanding defensive player of the year
(Nominated for the Presidents’ Trophy – CIS)
Antoine Pruneau, Université de Montréal

Most outstanding lineman of the year
(Nominated for the J.P. Metras Trophy – CIS)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill University

Leadership and social engagement prize
(Nominated for the Russ Jackson Award – CIS)
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill University

Coach of the year
(Nominated for the Frank Tindall Trophy – CIS)
Kevin Mackey, Bishop’s University