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BCLions.com Staff
The BC Lions Football Club is pleased to announce that linebacker Solomon Elimimian has been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player as well as the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Elimimian becomes the first pure defensive player in CFL history to win the league’s top individual honour and did so following a record-breaking regular season, notching 143 defensive tackles to go along with five sacks, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception.
“I am humbled to receive these awards tonight,” said Elimimian from Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre. “Bear Woods had a remarkable season in Montreal and Ricky Ray is a hall of fame quarterback who had another amazing year. While I would trade these honours to have an opportunity to play on Sunday in the Grey Cup, I am very proud to represent the BC Lions organization tonight and I feel very blessed by the support of my teammates and coaches.”
The fifth-year linebacker becomes the seventh Lion to win the Outstanding Player award and the first since quarterback Travis Lulay earned the league-wide honour in 2011 and also follows in the footsteps of former Lions Cam Wake (2007, 2008) and Brent Johnson (2006) as recent winners in the Outstanding Defensive Player category.
Elimimian becomes the first player in league history to win three different awards: Most Outstanding Rookie (2010), Most Outstanding Defensive Player (2014) and Most Outstanding Player (2014), as well as the first player to record six games of a leat ten or more tackles.
In total, Elimimian received 48 first-place votes for Most Outstanding Player, and 58 first-place votes for Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Congratulations, Solomon!