CFL.ca Staff
#CFLKickoff
TORONTO – Drew Willy, Ricky Foley and Chad Owens were named the Canadian Football League Players of the Week for opening week of the 2014 Canadian Football League season.
The three 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.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Drew Willy was named the Offensive Player of the Week for Week 1. Willy completed 19-of-27 passes for 308 passing yards, including four touchdown passes in Winnipeg’s win over the Toronto Argonauts, 45-21.
Willy in his first game as a Blue Bomber found wide receiver Aaron Kelly twice for 27 and nine-yard touchdowns, as well as Julian Feoli-Gudino for a seven-yard touchdown and Cory Watson for a 25-yard touchdown.
Willy, a native of Randolph, NJ and the all-time leader in career yards and touchdowns at University of Buffalo, set career single game highs in both passing yards and touchdown passes in the game.
This is Willy’s first player of the week award in his career.
Saskatchewan Roughriders defensive end Ricky Foley was named the Defensive and Canadian Player of the Week for Week 1. Foley recorded six tackles including three sacks to help the Roughriders win the Grey Cup rematch over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 31-10.
Foley, a Courtice, ON native and former York University football player recorded 45 tackles and eight sacks last season with the Grey Cup winning Roughriders.
Toronto Argonauts kick returner Chad Owens was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 1. Owens returned a Mike Renaud punt 83 yards for a touchdown in a losing effort, as the Argonauts lost the opening game of the season to the Blue Bombers, 45-21.
Owens returned three punts for a total of 85-yards.
The 2012 Most Outstanding Player and all-time all-purpose yards leader at University of Hawaii had 163 all-purpose yards in the game.
This is Owens’ seventh career Special Teams Player of the Week.
