Jon Cornish Trophy
The trophy on display at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Awarded forThe most outstanding Canadian student athlete in NCAA football
LocationCanadian Football Hall of Fame (Hamilton, Ontario)
Presented by
History
First awardNathan Rourke, QB, 2017
Most recentElic Ayomanor, WR, 2023
Websitecornishtrophy.com

The Jon Cornish Trophy is an award given annually to the top Canadian player in NCAA football. The award is named after Canadian Football Hall of Famer (CFHOF) Jon Cornish and has been presented since 2017, with the trophy debuting two years later on display at the CFHOF.

It is awarded by a panel consisting of Canadian journalists, player personnel evaluators from the Canadian Football League, former NCAA players with a connection to Canada, and panelists from Gridiron Nation. Nathan Rourke and John Metchie III are the only two to have ever won it more than once.

History

The trophy was first awarded at the conclusion of the 2017 NCAA football season to honor the top Canadian player in American college football, where it was presented to Ohio Bobcats quarterback Nathan Rourke from Oakville, Ontario.[1] The award is named after Jon Cornish, a former running back at the University of Kansas who would later play for the as a member of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, where he would win three Most Outstanding Canadian awards as well as the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award and Lou Marsh Trophy (now the Northern Star Award) in 2013 before being inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.[2]

Rourke would win the award again the following season before Oklahoma State running back and Sherwood Park native Chuba Hubbard was named the winner for the 2019–20 season.[3][4] Alabama wide receiver and Brampton local John Metchie III won the award for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.[5][6] Illinois running back and London, Ontario, native Chase Brown won the award in 2022 after leading all Power Five teams in rushing. The most recent recipient is Stanford wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, a Medicine Hat, Alberta native who amassed over 1,000 yards receiving, including a school-record 294 yards against Colorado.[7]

The patrons of the trophy are the Northern 8 group led by businessman L. David Dube and Football Canada president Jim Mullin. It is awarded by a panel consisting of Canadian journalists, Canadian Football League player personnel evaluators, former NCAA players with a connection to Canada, and panelists from Gridiron Nation.[8]

The primary trophy, featuring an image of Cornish superimposed on a background that incorporates a maple leaf and a five-pointed star, is kept on permanent display at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The recipient is presented with a separate personalized trophy featuring an image from the player's trophy-winning season. This trophy originally featured the logo of Football Canada, the country's governing body for amateur Canadian football, but that logo has been replaced by a dedicated Cornish Trophy logo.[9]

Winners

Season Winner Position School Hometown
2017 Nathan Rourke Quarterback Ohio Oakville, Ontario
2018
2019 Chuba Hubbard Running back Oklahoma State Sherwood Park, Alberta
2020 John Metchie III Wide receiver Alabama Brampton, Ontario
2021
2022 Chase Brown Running back Illinois London, Ontario
2023 Elic Ayomanor Wide receiver Stanford Medicine Hat, Alberta

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ohio's Rourke Named Canadian Player of the Year By Krown Countdown U". Ohio University. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Jon Cornish Class of 2019". CFHOF.com. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  3. ↑ Release, Media (March 14, 2019). "Rourke repeats as Cornish Trophy winner – TSN.ca". TSN.
  4. ↑ "Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard Named Top Canadian Player". ESPN. May 6, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Alabama's John Metchie III takes home Cornish Trophy". May 24, 2021.
  6. ↑ Naylor, Dave (April 19, 2022). "Metchie wins Jon Cornish Trophy for second time – TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Elic Ayomanor Wins the Prestigious 2023 Jon Cornish Trophy" (Press release). Football Canada. December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Five Finalists Selected for the 2018–19 Cornish Trophy" (PDF). Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum.
  9. ↑ "The Awards". The Cornish Trophy. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
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