Medical student named Team MVP at McGill football awards gala
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a third-year medical student from St. Hilaire, Que., took home the Students’ Society Trophy as most valuable player and also received the Dan Pronyk memorial trophy as the team’s top offensive player at the 29th annual Friends of McGill Football awards gala, Saturday, at the Holiday Inn Midtown hotel.
It marked the first time in school history that a lineman was named as the team’s top offensive player. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound tackle also saw double-duty on the defensive line for three games, where he registered 8.5 tackles, three quarterback sacks and one knockdown. A 22-year-old junior who earned all-conference and all-Canadian honours, he has been selected to play in the upcoming CIS East-West Bowl and is pegged to be a first-round selection in the 2014 CFL draft.
Duvernay-Tardif was one of three Redmen players to win multiple trophies during the soiree, joining defensive lineman Charles-Evens Peltrop of Montreal and linebacker Ryan Trudeau of Greenfield Park, Que.
Peltrop was voted most valuable lineman and shared defensive-player-of-the-year honours with Trudeau, who was also recognized as the most outstanding graduating player.
Other major awards went to receiver Shaquille Johnson (rookie of the year) of Brampton, Ont., quarterback Jonathan Collin (proficiency, citizenship and leadership) of Greenfield Park, punter Tomas Silva (special teams) of Kingston, Ont., quarterback Ryne Bondy (most outstanding team player) of Richmond Hill, Ont., running back Taylor Kuprowski (most sportsmanlike) of Kanata, Ont., linebacker Lenny Dion (most dedicated) of Roberval, Que., and receiver Yannick Langelier-Vanasse (most improved) of Lachine, Que.
2012-13 McGILL FOOTBALL MAJOR AWARD WINNERS:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (Students' Society Trophy):
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (see profile above)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Dan Pronyk Memorial Trophy):
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (see profile above)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Friends of McGill Trophy):
(tie) Ryan Trudeau and Charles-Evens Peltrop (see profiles below)
MOST OUTSTANDING LINEMAN (Touchdown Club Trophy):
Charles-Evens Peltrop, a 5-foot-10, 201-pound linebacker from Montreal, posted 31 tackles in nine games. A co-captain who has started in each of his five years, he had 13.5 tackles for loss last season, including a team-leading 9.5 quarterback sacks. A finance senior, he was also credited with four forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
MOST OUTSTANDING GRADUATING PLAYER (Adriano Tassone Memorial Trophy):
Ryan Trudeau, a 5-foot-10, 201-pound linebacker from Greenfield Park, Que., amassed 49 tackles in nine contests, including 41 solos, 6.5 for loss and one QB sack. A co-captain and doctorate student majoring in education and society, he also had three knockdowns and one forced fumble.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (Fred Dupré Memorial Trophy):
Shaquille Johnson, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound receiver from Brampton, Ont., led the RSEQ conference in both receptions (61) and receiving yardage (792), achieving the fourth-highest single-season catch total in Quebec university history. His 61 receptions established a CIS record for a rookie and the 19-year-old certificate student in management was voted both RSEQ and CIS rookie of the year. He also made the conference all-star team and earned CIS second-team all-Canadian status.
PROFICIENCY IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS & CITIZENSHIP (Dr. Strachan Hartley Memorial Trophy): Jonathan Collin, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound quarterback from Greenfield Park, Que., overcame a career-threatening knee injury and had a solid season on the field. He completed 80 of 148 pass attempts for 880 yards, a 54.1 per cent completion ratio, four touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed 29 times for 114 yards and a pair of TDs. On the field, the co-captain served as president of the Varsity Council and spearheaded a number of events, including a food drive over the Christmas holidays. He also guided a successful "yes" campaign which resulted in students voting in favour of fee increases for improved athletics services.
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Vaughan McVey Trophy):
Tomas Silva, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound all-conference senior kicker from Kingston, Ont., punted 87 times for a league-leading 38.2 average, including a season-high 55-yarder. A certificate student in human resources management, he also averaged 54.7 yards on 25 kickoffs and made one tackle to halt a long return.
MOST OUTSTANDING TEAM PLAYER (Charlie Baillie Trophy):
Ryne Bondy, a 6-foot-3, 189-pound quarterback from Richmond Hill, Ont., completed 73 of 137 passes for 969 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed 24 times for 144 yards and a pair of TDs. A fifth-year senior in international development studies, he was the epitome of class and well-respected by teammates and coaches alike.
MOST SPORTSMANLIKE PLAYER (Fred Wigle Memorial Trophy):
Taylor Kuprowski, a 5-foot-10, 205-pound running back from Kanata, Ont., had 48 carries for 223 yards and a 4.6 yards-per-carry average. He also caught eight passes for 61 yards. The fifth-year mechanical engineering senior also served as co-captain.
MOST DEDICATED PLAYER (Dr. Willie Lambert Trophy):
Lenny Dion, a 5-foot-10, 187-pound linebacker from Roberval, Que., never missed a workout or practice. A mathematics sophomore, he was among the first to arrive at every practice and usually the last to leave.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (Vic Obeck Trophy):
Yannick Langelier-Vanasse, a 5-foot-8, 178-pound receiver from Lachine, Que., led the team in all-purpose yardage with 939 over eight games for a 117.4 average per contest, before suffering a season-ending injury. The physical & health education sophomore collected 448 yards on 38 punt returns and 343 yards on 17 kick returns, to go along with 124 yards on 14 receptions and 24 yards on one rushing play.
