Brady Oliveira and Justin McInnis made history in 2024, becoming the first Canadian players to lead the CFL in rushing and receiving in the same season.
Oliveira ran for 1,353 yards over 17 games with the Blue Bombers, leading the league in rushing for a second straight year. The Winnipeg native finished almost 200 yards ahead of B.C.’s William Stanback to win his second-straight CFL rushing title, earning his team’s nomination for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian.
McInnis recorded 1,469 receiving yards with the Lions, finishing over 100 yards ahead of Ottawa’s Justin Hardy to top the league’s leaderboard. This was McInnis’ first 1,000-yard campaign after setting a new career-high of 690 yards in his first season with B.C. in 2023. The native of Pierrefonds, Que.’s yardage total was the highest by a Canadian-born player in the CFL this century.
Only six Canadian players have ever won the CFL’s rushing title, most of whom have done so in the recent history of the league. Oliveira (2023-24), Andrew Harris (2017-19), Jerome Messam (2016), and Jon Cornish (2012-14) all topped the rushing ranks this century, while Orville Lee (1988) and Normie Kwong (1955-56) did so before then.
The number of Canadians who have led the league in receiving yardage is the same, though this list skews much older. McInnis (2024), Andy Fantuz (2010), Dave Sapunjis (1993, 1995), Tony Gabriel (1976-77), Jim Young (1972), and Terry Evanshen (1966-67) all accomplished the feat, most of whom did so multiple generations ago.
With Oliveira and McInnis both receiving nominations from their respective teams for Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Canadian this season, voters at the divisional level have a hard choice to make.
