 The trophy on display at theCanadian Football Hall of Fame | |
| Awarded for | The most outstanding Canadian student athlete in NCAA football |
|---|---|
| Location | Canadian Football Hall of Fame (Hamilton, Ontario) |
| Presented by |
|
| History | |
| First award | Nathan Rourke, QB, 2017 |
| Most recent | Kurtis Rourke, QB, 2024 |
| Website | cornishtrophy |
TheJon Cornish Trophy is an award given annually to the top Canadian player inNCAA football. The award is named afterCanadian Football Hall of Famer (CFHOF)Jon Cornish and has been presented since 2017, with the trophy debuting two years later on display at the CFHOF.
It is awarded by a panel consisting of Canadian journalists, player personnel evaluators from theCanadian Football League, former NCAA players with a connection to Canada, and panelists fromGridiron Nation.Nathan Rourke andJohn Metchie III are the only two to have ever won it more than once.
The trophy was first awarded at the conclusion of the 2017NCAA football season to honor the top Canadian player in Americancollege football, where it was presented to Ohio Bobcats quarterbackNathan Rourke fromOakville, Ontario.[1] The award is named afterJon Cornish, a former running back at theUniversity of Kansas who would later play for theCalgary Stampeders of theCanadian Football League, where he would win three Most Outstanding Canadian awards as well as theCFL's Most Outstanding Player Award and Lou Marsh Trophy (now theNorthern Star Award) in 2013 before being inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019.[2]
Rourke would win the award again the following season before Oklahoma State running back andSherwood Park nativeChuba Hubbard was named the winner for the 2019–20 season.[3][4] Alabama wide receiver andBrampton localJohn Metchie III won the award for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons.[5][6] Illinois running back andLondon, Ontario, nativeChase Brown won the award in 2022 after leading allPower Five teams in rushing. In 2023,Stanford wide receiverElic Ayomanor, aMedicine Hat, Alberta native who amassed over 1,000 yards receiving, including aschool-record 294 yards againstColorado.[7]The most recent winner isKurtis Rourke, a graduate student quarterback from Oakville, Ontario who led theIndiana Hoosiers to an 11–2 record, their best season since 1946. Kurtis is the younger brother of Nathan, who won the first two awards.
The patrons of the trophy are theNorthern 8 group led by businessman L. David Dube and Football Canada presidentJim Mullin. It is awarded by a panel consisting of Canadian journalists,Canadian Football League player personnel evaluators, former NCAA players with a connection to Canada, and panelists fromGridiron Nation.[8]
The primary trophy, featuring an image of Cornish superimposed on a background that incorporates a maple leaf and a five-pointed star, is kept on permanent display at the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. The recipient is presented with a separate personalized trophy featuring an image from the player's trophy-winning season. The base of the trophy is engraved with the surnames of Canadian-born players who were successful in American college football, including among othersBronko Nagurski,Mark Rypien, andTim Biakabutuka. This trophy originally featured the logo ofFootball Canada, the country's governing body for amateurCanadian football, but that logo has been replaced by a dedicated Cornish Trophy logo.[9]
| Season | Winner | Position | School | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Nathan Rourke | Quarterback | Ohio | Oakville, Ontario |
| 2018 | ||||
| 2019 | Chuba Hubbard | Running back | Oklahoma State | Sherwood Park, Alberta |
| 2020 | John Metchie III | Wide receiver | Alabama | Brampton, Ontario |
| 2021 | ||||
| 2022 | Chase Brown | Running back | Illinois | London, Ontario |
| 2023 | Elic Ayomanor | Wide receiver | Stanford | Medicine Hat, Alberta |
| 2024 | Kurtis Rourke | Quarterback | Indiana | Oakville, Ontario |
