Hec Crighton Trophy

{{Short description|Canadian university football player award}}

{{Infobox sports award|name=Hec Crighton Trophy|image=|image_size=

|sport=Canadian football

|league=U Sports football

|givenfor=Most outstanding player in the league

|first=1967

|firstwinner=Mike Eben,
Toronto Varsity Blues

|mostrecent=Taylor Elgersma,
Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

|mostwins= Chris Flynn (3 times)

|most_awards=

|website=[https://usports.ca/en/awards/sport-awards usports.ca]

}}

The Hec Crighton Trophy (sometimes referred to as the Hec Crighton Award) is awarded annually to the most outstanding Canadian football player in U Sports. The trophy is named after Hec Crighton who was a former teacher, coach, referee, and the author of the Official Football Rule Book as well as the U Sports Rule Book.{{cite web|title=Hec Crighton Trophy (Most Outstanding Player)|url=https://usports.ca/uploads/cis/Awards/sports_awards/FB/files/FB_-_MOPOTY.pdf|publisher=U Sports|access-date=August 5, 2020}} It was first presented in 1967 by the board of directors of the Canadian College Bowl.{{Cite web|title=Hec Crighton Trophy {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/hec-crighton-trophy|access-date=2021-02-07|website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca}}

It is the Canadian equivalent to the American NCAA Heisman Trophy.

The Western Mustangs has produced the most Hec Crighton winners with seven as well as the most individual winners with six (Tim Tindale won the award twice). Chris Flynn has won the Hec Crighton Trophy three times, consecutively, while no other player has won the award more than twice.

Of the 27 active U Sports football programs, seven teams have not had a player win the award.

List of winners

class="wikitable"
Year

! Winner

! Pos

! School

1967

| Mike Eben

| Rec

| rowspan=2| Toronto Varsity Blues

1968

| Mike Raham

| RB

1969

| Dave Fleiszer

| FB

| McGill Redmen

1970

| Paul Paddon

| QB

| Ottawa Gee-Gees

1971

| Mel Smith

| Rec

| Alberta Golden Bears

1972

| Andrew Parici

|rowspan=2|QB

| Windsor Lancers

1973

| Dave Pickett

| Saskatchewan Huskies

1974

| Al Charuk

| FS

| Acadia Axemen

1975

| Brian Fryer

| Rec

| Alberta Golden Bears

1976

| Bob Stracina

| Rec/K

| rowspan=2| Acadia Axemen

1977

| Bob Cameron

| QB/P/K

1978

| Jamie Bone

|rowspan=2|QB

| Western Mustangs

1979

| Scott Mallender

| Windsor Lancers

1980

| Greg Marshall

| RB

| Western Mustangs

1981

| Dan Feraday

|rowspan=4|QB

| Toronto Varsity Blues

1982

| Rick Zmich

| Ottawa Gee-Gees

1983

| Greg Vavra

| Calgary Dinos

1984

| Phil Scarfone

| McMaster Marauders

1985

| Larry Mohr

|rowspan=2|RB

| Queen's Golden Gaels

1986

| Blake Marshall

| Western Mustangs

1987

| Jordan Gagner

|rowspan=4|QB

| UBC Thunderbirds

1988

| rowspan=3|Chris Flynn

| rowspan=3|Saint Mary's Huskies

1989
1990
1991

| Tim Tindale

| RB

| Western Mustangs

1992

| Eugene Buccigrossi

| QB

| Toronto Varsity Blues

1993

| Tim Tindale

| RB

| Western Mustangs

1994

| Bill Kubas

| QB

| Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

1995

| Don Blair

| Rec

| Calgary Dinos

1996

| Éric Lapointe

|rowspan=3|RB

| Mount Allison Mounties

1997

| Mark Nohra

| UBC Thunderbirds

1998

| Éric Lapointe

| Mount Allison Mounties

1999

| Phil Côté

| QB

| Ottawa Gee-Gees

2000

| Kojo Aidoo

| RB

|rowspan=2|McMaster Marauders

2001

| Ben Chapdelaine

|rowspan=3|QB

2002

|rowspan=2|Tommy Denison

|rowspan=2|Queen's Golden Gaels

2003
2004

| Jesse Lumsden

| RB

| McMaster Marauders

2005

| Andy Fantuz

| Rec

| Western Mustangs

2006

| Daryl Stephenson

| RB

| Windsor Lancers

2007

| Erik Glavic

|rowspan=10|QB

| Saint Mary's Huskies

2008

| Benoit Groulx

| Laval Rouge et Or

2009

| Erik Glavic

| Calgary Dinos

2010

| Brad Sinopoli

| Ottawa Gee-Gees

2011

| Billy Greene

| UBC Thunderbirds

2012

| Kyle Quinlan

| McMaster Marauders

2013

| Jordan Heather

| Bishop's Gaiters

2014

|rowspan=2|Andrew Buckley

|rowspan=2|Calgary Dinos

2015
2016

| Noah Picton

| Regina Rams

2017

| Ed Ilnicki

| RB

| Alberta Golden Bears

2018

| Adam Sinagra

|rowspan=3|QB

| Calgary Dinos

2019

| Chris Merchant

| Western Mustangs

2021

| Tre Ford

| Waterloo Warriors

2022

| Kevin Mital

| WR

| Laval Rouge et Or

2023

| Jonathan Sénécal

|rowspan=3|QB

| Montreal Carabins

2024

| Taylor Elgersma

| Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks

Trophies by team

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Trophies

Western

|7

Calgary

|6

McMaster

|5

Ottawa

|4

Saint Mary's

|4

Toronto

|4

Windsor

|3

Alberta

|3

Acadia

|3

Queen's

|3

UBC

|3

Laval

|2

Mount Allison

|2

Wilfrid Laurier

|2

Bishop's

|1

Regina

|1

Saskatchewan

|1

Waterloo

|1

Montreal

|1

McGill

|1

Seven active teams have never had a player win the Hec Crighton Trophy: Carleton Ravens (OUA), Concordia Stingers (RSEQ), Guelph Gryphons (OUA) Manitoba Bisons (CanWest), Sherbrooke Vert-et-Or (RSEQ), St. Francis Xavier X-Men (AUS), and York Lions/Yeomen (OUA).

See also

References

{{Reflist}}