Edmonton Elks’ safety Loucheiz Purifoy was passed over for All-CFL honours this year and he is not taking it well.
The 31-year-old took to various forms of social media on Thursday morning to rant against the omission, tagging the CFL in several posts on X. Please note that all posts included here have been lightly edited for spelling, clarity, and decency.
“How did I not make this team? I have better stats than every safety in the league by far. If it’s rigged, just say that cause this ain’t right,” Purifoy asked in one plea.
“BS BS BS BS,” he wrote in a direct reply to the league’s announcement post. “How I don’t make this team and I’m the best safety in the league statistically by far? SMH and I care nothing about no ratio. This some bullsh*t.”
Purifoy was eligible for All-CFL selection after earning West Division honours last week but was passed over in favour of the East Division candidate, Marc-Antoine Dequoy of the Montreal Alouettes. The all-star team, which was re-named this year, is voted on by 43 national and local members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) and the league’s nine head coaches. Fan voting is also taken into account, although it is weighted much less heavily than the other two factors.
The seven-year CFL veteran commented a total of 10 times on the league’s official Instagram post announcing the selections, including responses to other posters.
“That’s crazy,” he wrote in one. “Soooo buddy was better than me?”
Purifoy finished the season with 45 defensive tackles, three special teams tackles, one sack, and five interceptions in 16 games. Dequoy, who was named a CFL all-star last year en route to winning the Grey Cup with Montreal, played in 15 games and recorded 32 defensive tackles, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.
“So what’s the purpose of this sh*t if it’s a popularity contest and not based on stats?” the scorned DB wrote in another comment. “This sh*t for the birds, man. Real sh*t.”
“My stats and play speak for itself. Y’all should be ashamed,” he continued. “And I don’t care bout none of that ‘he’s Canadian’ sh*t. Y’all pathetic asf. Every year y’all do some BS like this.”
“Trash, trash, trash.”
With one week remaining in the regular season, data analytics firm Pro Football Focus reported that Purifoy had the second-highest grade among CFL safeties at 75.8. Dequoy was third with a grade of 72.7.
According to PFF, the All-CFL selection at safety should have been Stavros Katsantonis of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who had a grade of 77.4 and finished with 56 defensive tackles, one sack, and one interception in 14 games. However, Katsantonis himself threw support behind Purifoy and another candidate, Royce Metchie of the Toronto Argonauts.
“Speaking on the safety play around the league from strictly a statistical view, I think either Purifoy or Metchie should have been the choice for All-CFL safety. Metchie leads all safeties in plays made at 96. Purifoy leads all safeties in turnovers made (6),” Katsantonis wrote on X.
“MAD is a great player and a key piece in MTL’s defensive success. I just think 5 picks as a safety is elite and so is 87 tackles as a safety/playing in all 18 games. It’s unfortunate that those types of things can be overshadowed when your team isn’t the ‘best in the league.'”
“If you have the best record it’s usually indicative of either a great offense/defense and you kinda should sweep the awards. Then it’s a conundrum of are these spots being given based off the team’s success or the individual’s themselves? That’s where the voting gets tough.”
Others voicing their support for Purifoy in the comments included teammates Kyran Moore and Kai Gray. He was not alone among those snubbed as the safety also expressed displeasure at Edmonton offensive linemen Martez Ivey and Mark Korte being overlooked, as well as Toronto Argonauts’ halfback DaShaun Amos.
“Sh*t’s rigged and buddy system fake ass sh*t,” Purifoy replied to one commentator asking about Amos’ omission.
While the public outburst wasn’t a good look for Purifoy, it had to do with more than ego. By passing him over for selection, voters denied the veteran a $2,000 all-star bonus in his contract. Dequoy will receive the same amount in his own pocket as a result of being honoured by the league.
Purifoy has been named a CFL all-star once previously in his career, receiving honours in 2022 after notching two fewer interceptions than he had this year. In 131 career games with Edmonton, B.C., Saskatchewan, and Ottawa, he has made 376 defensive tackles, 33 special teams tackles, nine sacks, 24 interceptions, six forced fumbles, and two defensive touchdowns.
The Edmonton Elks finished the 2024 season with a record of 7-11 and did not qualify for the postseason. The Montreal Alouettes went 12-5-1 to finish first in the East Division and will host the East Final on Saturday, November 9.
