2021 Atlantic University Sport football major award winners and all-stars announced
(HALIFAX, N.S.) Atlantic University Sport is pleased to announce the 2021 football major award winners and all-stars, as selected by the conference's five head coaches following regular season play.
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Chris Flynn Trophy): Silas Fagnan, StFX University
Silas Fagnan of the StFX X-Men has been selected as the AUS most outstanding player of the year for 2021.
A third-year arts student from Bonnyville, Alberta, Fagnan led the AUS conference in passing—and was ranked fourth nationally— with an average of 259.4 yards per game and a regular-season total of 1297 yards. He also threw for a league-leading 10 passing touchdowns, the fifth-most in the country. Fagnan's passing efficiency (159.1) and completions (100) topped the AUS as well. The 6'0", 175lb quarterback played in five regular season games for the X-Men.
In addition to being named the AUS' most outstanding player for 2021, Fagnan was named to the conference all-star team.
This marks the third time in the last five seasons that a player from the X-Men has been honoured as the AUS' most outstanding player. He joins Tivon Cook (2016) and Kaion Julien-Grant (2018) in the record books.
Fagnan now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the Hec Crighton Trophy as U SPORTS outstanding player of the year. The most recent player from the AUS to earn the national award was former Saint Mary's standout Erik Glavic, who was honoured in 2007.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Malcolm Bussey, StFX University
The 2021 AUS rookie of the year is the StFX X-Men's Malcolm Bussey. A 5'11", 200lb running back from Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia, he played in all six regular-season games for StFX.
Bussey finished his debut season leading the conference in rushes (107), total rushing yards (666), rushing yards per game (111.0) and yards per rush (6.2) and ranked third among U SPORTS leaders for rush attempts, total rushing yards and yards per game. He also scored three touchdowns.
Bussey was named the AUS Offensive Player of the Week three times and the USPORTS Offensive Player of the Week twice during the 2021 season. He is the first StFX player to be named AUS rookie of the year in the last decade.
Bussey now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the national rookie of the year award, the Peter Gorman Trophy. The last AUS player to win this award was Mount Allison's Jakob Loucks in 2016.
OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Tony Proudfoot Trophy): Daniel Bell, Mount Allison University
The Mount Allison Mounties' Daniel Bell has been named the AUS outstanding defensive player of the year. A 6'2", 210lb defensive back from Saint John, New Brunswick, Bell played in six regular-season games for the Mounties.
A second-year commerce student, Bell was second in the conference in total tackles (37), solo tackles (28), and tackles per game (6.2). He also had two interceptions and six pass breakups during the regular season.
In addition to being named the AUS outstanding defensive player of the year, he was also named a conference all-star for the second consecutive season today. This is Bell's second time winning a major conference award—he was the AUS Rookie of the Year in 2019.
This marks first time since 1997 that a Mount Allison Player has taken home the Tony Proudfoot Trophy. The last Mountie to be named the most outstanding defensive player in the AUS was Phillipe Girard. Bell will now represent the conference as the AUS nominee for the Presidents' Trophy awarded to the national outstanding defensive player of the year. The last AUS player to win the national award was Jonathan Langa, of the Saint Mary's Huskies, in 2014.
OUTSTANDING LINEMAN OF THE YEAR: Reece Martin, Mount Allison University
Reece Martin of the Mount Allison Mounties has been named the AUS outstanding lineman of the year. The 6'5", 285lb defensive lineman played in all six regular-season games for the Mounties.
A third-year history student from Moncton, New Brunswick, Martin led the conference in sacks during the regular season, with five, and was third in the AUS in sack yards, with 26. He also had 20.5 tackles (15 solo, 11 assisted), four pass breakups, an average of 3.4 tackles per game and recorded a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Martin is the second Mounties player to win this award in the last decade. In addition to being named the league's top lineman today, Martin was named to the AUS all-star team for the second time in his career.
He will represent the conference as the nominee for the J.P. Metras Trophy for the national lineman of the year. StFX's Mike Kushnir was the last Atlantic conference player to take home this honour, in 1997.
STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Graeme Stevens, Mount Allison University Graeme Stevens of the Mount Allison Mounties is the 2021 AUS student-athlete community service award recipient. The veteran linebacker played in all six regular-season games for the Mounties, finishing with 33.5 tackles (5.6 per game), one sack, one pass breakup and 2.5 TFLs. He was a 2020 East-West player and is the Mounties' team captain.
A fourth-year political science student from Sudbury, Ontario, Stevens also makes an impact in the classroom: he is a three-time Academic All-Canadian, a Dean's List honouree, a 2021-22 honours student and boasts an 85% cumulative average. Last summer, he worked as a research assistant with Mount Allison's department of political science, focusing on sustainable economic development and "sharing economy."
As a volunteer, Stevens dedicates his time to the Mount Allison Sexual Violence Prevention Committee, an organization where students and university administration work together to decrease sexual violence and harassment in the community. As part of this commitment, he organizes educational campaigns, makes recommendations to the university on how to respond to harassment and assault cases, organizes walk-home programs and creates presentations for middle school students about being a responsible community member.
Stevens will be the conference nominee for the prestigious Russ Jackson Award. Mount Allison's Dan Parker was the last AUS student-athlete to be honoured nationally, in 2005.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Gary Waterman, StFX University (Larry Uteck Trophy)
For the fourth time in his career with the StFX X-Men, head coach Gary Waterman has been chosen by his peers as the Atlantic conference coach of the year.
In his 13th year at the helm of the StFX program, Waterman led the X-Men to a 6-0 regular season record, first place in conference standings and a 1-0 record so far in the postseason.
In 2021 regular season play, StFX led the conference in scoring (193), points per game (32.2), yards per game (407.8), passing yards (1423), passing touchdowns (10), rushing touchdowns (6), field goals (15-22), sacks (16) and defensive interceptions (13). Ten of his X-Men players were also named to the 2021 AUS All-Star Team.
Waterman now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for this year's U SPORTS coach of the year award, the Frank Tindall Trophy. Acadia head coach Jeff Cummins is the most recent AUS coach to receive the national honour, which he was awarded in 2017.
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: David Burns, Mount Allison University (Phil Hughes Award)
David Burns of the Mount Allison Mounties is the 2021 recipient of the Phil Hughes Award for Assistant Coach of the Year and the AUS nominee for the national Gino Fracas Award. This award is given annually to an assistant coach who does not make their full-time living coaching football for the university.
A former Mount Allison student-athlete, Burns has been on the Mounties coaching staff for two years, with 2021 being his first competition season. A full-time corrections officer at the Dorchester Penitentiary, coach Burns has taken on the roles of linebacker coach, scout team coordinator and special teams assistant. He is known among Mount Allison players and staff for his unwavering positive attitude and tireless work ethic.
Prior to joining the Mounties, Burns spent 15 years as the head coach of the Tantramar Titans high school football team in Sackville, New Brunswick. He now becomes the Atlantic conference nominee for the U SPORTS Gino Fracas Award. Saint Mary's Huskies' Joe Taplin is the most recent AUS recipient of the national award. He won in 2013.
2021 AUS Football All-Stars
Defensive Tackle: Reece Martin, Mount Allison University (3rd year— Moncton, N.B.)
Defensive Tackle: Kyle Chappus, Acadia University (3rd year—Black River, N.S.)
Defensive End: Alex Fedchun, StFX University (3rd year—Calgary, AB)
Defensive End: Anderson Recker, Acadia University (4th year—Stillwater Lake, N.S.)
Linebacker: Keagan Hughes, Bishop's University (5th year—West Kelowna, B.C.)
Linebacker: Ben Von Muehldorfer, StFX University (5th year—Calgary, AB)
Linebacker: Kameron Bell, Acadia University (3rd year—Moncton, N.B.)
Free Safety: Lucas Cormier, Mount Allison University (2nd year—Sackville, N.B.)
Halfback: Daniel Bell, Mount Allison University (2nd year—Saint John, N.B.)
Halfback: Riley Gabriel, Acadia University (3rd year—North River, N.S.)
Cornerback: John Agette, Mount Allison University (1st year—Ottawa, ON)
Cornerback: Justin Julien, Saint Mary's University (5th year—Montreal, QC)
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Centre: Christian Verheyen, StFX University (3rd year—Frankford, ON)
Guard: Che Morales, StFX University (2nd year—Dartmouth, N.S.)
Guard: Brock O'Brien, Mount Allison University (5th year—Forest Hill, N.S.)
Tackle: Gregor MacKellar, StFX University (3rd year—Timberlea, N.S.)
Tackle: Samuel Ducharme, Bishop's University (5th year—Saint-Hippolyte, QC)
Receiver: Benoit Cormier, StFX University (3rd year—Moncton, N.B.)
Receiver: Isaac Fagnan, StFX University (4th year—Bonnyville, AB)
Receiver: Matthew Gledhill, Acadia University (4th year—Ottawa, ON)
Receiver: Nykolas Pierre-Masse, Bishop's University (1st year—Laval, QC)
Running Back: Malcolm Bussey, StFX University (1st year—Hammonds Plains, N.S.)
Running Back: Louis-Philippe Gregoire, Bishop's University (5th year— Jonquière, QC)
Quarterback: Silas Fagnan, StFX (1st year—Bonnyville, AB)
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Punter: Ben George, Acadia University (3rd year—Moncton, N.B.)
Place Kicker: Max Capriotti, StFX University (2nd year—Mount Hope, ON)
Kick Returner: Justin Julien, Saint Mary's University (5th year—Montreal, QC)
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All Atlantic University Sport major award winners automatically become finalists for the U SPORTS awards which will be announced at the U SPORTS All-Canadian and Major Awards Banquet on Thursday, December 2 in Quebec City, QC.
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