1956 NAAF Award Nominations

1956 NAAF Award Nominations 

MVP
LB Aengus Lynch ON
Aengus Lynch will often be overshadowed by Scotty Williams, but you cannot deny the value Lynch has on the field for the Tigers. He missed a pair of games early in the season which were a part of the Tigers’ 0-4 start. However, once Lynch returned the Tigers started to pull things together. He would go on to come second in both Tackles and forced fumbles (6) this season despite missing 2 and a half games. Only Williams had bigger stats. To make his impact more evident, when Lynch was in the lineup for the full game the Tigers were 5-2 this season. 
QB Jean Matieau OTT
The 2-time MVP is back in the running again. While Matieau’s stat line was not as dominant in the past with teams starting to invest more into pass defense, he was able to lead an injury-riddled Royals squad to an 8-2 season. His top WR Allen Atkins missed most of the season and several OL and defensive players missed considerable time. That didn’t stop Matieau from performing at his best and giving the Royals another great season. 
LB Scotty Williams WOR
Coming through with a league-best 9-1 record, the Athletics were something else this season. At the centre of that success is LB Scotty Williams, who has been nothing but dominant since going 1st overall in 1952. He led the league in tackles once again and had 7 forced fumbles which was the most in the league. His leadership and dominant play on defense earn him the nomination for MVP once again. 

Offensive Player of the Year
RB Arthur Conner BUF - 18 Rushing Touchdowns (1st), 1st in Rushing Yards
Conner was dominant once again on the ground despite the Blue Wings’ struggles this season.
QB Jean Matieau OTT - 15 Passing Touchdowns (2nd), 2nd in Passing Yards, Least Interceptions among starters
For the first time in his career, Matieau didn’t lead the league in both passing categories falling behind Riley Kiernan for TDs and Connor O’Rourke for passing yards. But his offensive presence is unmatched. 
RB Marcus Devonshire WOR - 15 Rushing Touchdowns (2nd), 3rd in Rushing Yards
Devonshire was a scoring machine for the Athletics this season and helped them achieve the top spot in the league. It was a true breakout season for the former second-round pick.
QB Riley Kiernan WOR - 16 Passing Touchdowns (1st), 3rd in Passing Yards
Kiernan got back to a strong season this year. Devonshire was a big help in taking off some of the pressure and that allowed Kiernan to be the first player not named Matieau to lead in touchdown passes since 1951.  

Defensive Player of the Year
DB Quentin Xavier MTL - 6 Interceptions (T-2nd), 2 Defensive Touchdowns (T-1st)
Xavier was able to be one of the best DBs in the league while being on a rough Rouge team. It’s only his second season and he is making a major impact.
LB Aengus Lynch ON - 2nd in Tackles, 6 Forced Fumbles (2nd)
Lynch had a very strong statistical year despite a pair of games missed early on.
DB Lee Wolfe PRO - 7 Interceptions (1st), 1 Defensive Touchdown (T-3rd), 2nd in Knockdowns
Wolfe has not let up over his ageing years and remains the top DB in the league still
LB Scotty Williams WOR - 1st in Tackles, 7 Forced Fumbles (1st)
Williams continues to hold the league lead in tackles and has continued to be a RB’s worst enemy when they need to hold on to the ball. 

Special Teams Player of the Year
K Donald Brewer BUF - 19 Field Goals (T-2nd), 21 Extra Points, 78 Points (T-1st)
Brewer won the STPOTY award two years ago and was a saviour for the Blue Wings in many cases keeping the team in several games this season.
K Thomas McFadden LI - 20 Field Goals (1st), 18 Extra Points, 78 Points (T-1st)
McFadden, now a 4-time winner, has continued to be the league’s best kicker despite missing the playoffs with the Raiders again.
K Nathaniel King ON - 19 Field Goals (T-2nd), 18 Extra Points, 75 Points (2nd)
King was a big help for the Tigers down the stretch in getting the team into the playoffs by the season’s end. 

Rookie of the Year
LB Konrad Aust BOS - 1 Forced Fumble, Leader in tackles among rookies
Aust certainly wasn’t a flashy player this season, but he showed lots of promise on the Boston defense and will make for an interesting player in the future for the team.
RB Scott Mallard-White MTL - 4 Rushing Touchdowns (2nd among rookies), 1 Kick Return Touchdown, 2nd in Rookie Rushing Yards
Mallard-White had a strong first season next to RB Marchal and looks to be a threat to be much like Marchal throughout his career.
RB Clifford Russell ON - 6 Rushing Touchdowns (1st among rookies), 1st in Rookie Rushing Yards
Russell was thrust into the starting role right out of the gate with RB Laurent Brazeau being injured, but he would be quite successful and even more so when he took over after Brazeau was traded. 

Coach of the Year
Lewis Gallegos ON - Record: 5-5
Gallegos’ job was in question at the start of the season, but he was able to get the team back on their feet and probably save his job with the team’s first playoff appearance.
Joseph Curry OTT - Record: 8-2
Curry has continued to be one of the top head coaches. With the Royals' injury issues this season, he was able to show his ability to adjust and think outside the box to get the Royals back to the top of the North.
Emil Riddle WOR Record: 9-1
The 1954 Coach of the Year was able to take the next step with the Athletics this season. He got the team to the best record in the league in a very dominant way earning the Athletics' first New England Division title. 

Breakout Player of the Year
RB Timothy Weeks LI - 8 Rushing Touchdowns (6th), 7th in Rushing Yards
Weeks made his first mark in the league in the 1955 playoffs replacing the injured Marcus Devonshire in Worcester. This season he was the starter for the Raiders and had quite a solid season. While his stats were behind the top of the RB table he shows that he has the potential to be a long term RB solution. 
QB Christian Stewart ON - 7 Passing Touchdowns (4th), 4th in Passing Yards
Stewart’s first season as the starter in Ontario was an up and down year, but he was able to be the 4th best QB in the league. He also showed great resilience in helping the Tigers come back from an 0-4 start.
RB Marcus Devonshire WOR - 15 Rushing Touchdowns (2nd), 3rd in Rushing Yards
Devonshire had a strong season last year, but this season saw him become a star for the Athletics. He was able to find the endzone 15 times and was a major part of the 9-1 season for Worcester. 

39th McCallister Cup Host
Richardson Stadium - Boston, MA - Capacity: 45,265 -  Last Host: 1949
Once again the legendary stadium makes another bid to host the big game. The same argument applies from the last three seasons, the storied stadium has hosted many games and to see a neutral site game here could be special for the teams involved. 
Buffalo Civic Stadium - Buffalo, NY - Capacity: 38,530 - Last Host: 1952
The fanbase in Buffalo remains top of the league and the city would love to see the championship game return. A new plan for safer capacity expansion is in the works for a game in Buffalo.  
Mount Royal Stadium - Montreal, QC - Capacity: 46,500 - Last Host: 1951
Montreal hosted both the ‘50 and ‘51 games due to being in them, but they would love to host one as a neutral site. Mount Royals is one of the bigger stadiums and it would make for as good an atmosphere as Buffalo. 

***VOTE HERE***