Wednesday, September 2, 2015 — TORONTO – Zach Collaros, Derel Walker and Eric Norwood were named the Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Month for August of the CFL’s 2015 season.
Performer of the Month includes all appearances from Week 6 to Week 10.
The three players were chosen by a panel of judges who independently send their selections to the CFL head office. The panel includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde of TSN and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.
QB | ZACH COLLAROS | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Zach Collaros threw 14 touchdowns in the month of August to help lead the Ticats to a 4-1 record in the process and a share of the lead in the East Division.
In total, the former University of Cincinnati Bearcat recorded 1,417 passing yards while completing 71 percent of his passing attempts and throwing only three interceptions to his 14 majors.
Collaros’ impressive play in August saw him earn Shaw CFL Top performer of the Week nods twice in Weeks 8 and 9.
In Week 8 against the B.C. Lions, Collaros passed for 290 yards and threw four touchdown passes in a 52-22 victory at Tim Hortons Field. The following week, the Steubenville, Ohio native tossed a trio of touchdowns, passed for 325 yards and scored his own touchdown from three yards out.
Through 10 weeks, Collaros leads the league in passing with 2,632 while completing 70.4 percent, throwing 18 majors and sporting a quarterback efficiency rating of 110.9.
WR | DEREL WALKER | EDMONTON ESKIMOS
Edmonton Eskimos first-year wide receiver Derel Walker was named a Shaw CFL Top Performer of August after having a stellar first three games in the league.
His 472 receiving yards in three games to begin his career in the CFL is the highest of all time from a rookie player. The feat is also the second-highest ever total for a player in his first three games of any season.
In his first career game, Walker hauled in 10 receptions for 125 yards versus Montreal. He followed that performance with a 14 catches for a league season-high of 183 yards at Tim Hortons Field versus the Tiger-Cats. In his most recent game against the Toronto Argonauts he brought down seven for 164 yards – including his first major, from eight yards out – to achieve three consecutive games of over 120 or more receiving yards.
Even though the product of Texas A&M has appeared in only three games so far this season, he is eleventh in the league in receiving yards and was named a Shaw CFL Top Performer for Week 10.
The native of Hillsboro, Texas needs 114 yards in his next game to pass David Williams for the best first four games of the year. The CFL record for single-season receiving yards by a first-year player is 1,530, set by Matt Clark in 1991. Walker would have to average 118 yards per game for the rest of the season to catch Clark’s record.
DE | ERIC NORWOOD | HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Hamilton Tiger-Cats defensive end Eric Norwood becomes the second defensive player to be named Shaw CFL Top Performer of the Month.
In the month of August Norwood recorded 18 tackles and five sacks; he also recovered two fumbles for touchdowns.
His first fumble recovery for a touchdown was against the B.C. Lions, where he picked up an Andrew Harris fumble and returned it untouched to the end zone. He added his second fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 9 versus Edmonton when he recovered a bobbled ball by Shakir Bell and went on to return it 106 yards for a major, the third longest fumble recovery for a touchdown in league history.
With his two fumble recovery touchdowns, the Acworth, Georgia native is only one touchdown shy of the league record.
Norwood currently leads the Ticats in sacks and was named a Shaw CFL Top Performer in Week 8.
The former South Carolina Gamecock holds career records in tackles for a loss with 54.5 and sacks with 29.
2015 Shaw CFL Player of the Week Points Leaderboard
| Rank | Player | 2015 Points Total | Points Breakdown | ||||
| 1st place points | 2ndplace points | 3rdplace points | Fan vote points | Monthly points | |||
| 1 | Trevor Harris | 325 | 100 | – | 25 | – | 200 |
| 2 | Zach Collaros | 310 | 100 | – | – | 10 | 200 |
| 3 | Rakeem Cato | 150 | 150 | – | – | – | 50 |
| 4 | Drew Willy | 145 | 100 | – | 25 | 20 | – |
| T-5 | Marcus Howard | 125 | – | – | 25 | – | 100 |
| T-5 | Derel Walker | 125 | – | – | 25 | – | 100 |
| T-7 | Shakir Bell | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-7 | Henry Burris | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-7 | Emanuel Davis | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-7 | Bo Levi Mitchell | 110 | 100 | – | – | 10 | – |
| T-11 | Mike Daly | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-11 | James Franklin | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| T-11 | Travis Lulay | 100 | 100 | – | – | – | – |
| 14 | Eric Norwood | 75 | – | – | 25 | – | 50 |
| 15 | Ryan Smith | 60 | – | 50 | – | 10 | – |
| T-16 | Jon Cornish | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | Jeff Fuller | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | S.J. Green | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | Andrew Harris | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | Kendial Lawrence | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | Patrick Watkins | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| T-16 | Aston Whiteside | 50 | – | 50 | – | – | – |
| 23 | Weston Dressler | 35 | – | – | 25 | 10 | – |
| T-24 | Eric Norwood | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-24 | Keith Shologan | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-24 | Terrell Sinkfield, Jr | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
| T-24 | Chris Williams | 25 | – | – | 25 | – | – |
2015 Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Week
| Week | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| 1 | Trevor Harris (TOR) | Jeff Fuller (CGY) | Drew Willy (WPG)* |
| 2 | Rakeem Cato (MTL) | Ryan Smith (SSK)* | Trevor Harris (TOR) |
| 3 | Travis Lulay (BC) | S.J. Green (MTL) | Weston Dressler (SSK)* |
| 4 | Shakir Bell (EDM)* | Jon Cornish (CGY) | Marcus Howard (EDM) |
| 5 | Henry Burris (OTT)* | Aston Whiteside (OTT) | Chris Williams (OTT) |
| 6 | Drew Willy (WPG)* | Patrick Watkins (EDM) | Marquay McDaniel (CGY) |
| 7 | Emanuel Davis (HAM)* | Andrew Harris (BC) | Keith Shologan (OTT) |
| 8 | Bo Levi Mitchell (CGY)* | Zach Collaros (HAM) | Eric Norwood (HAM) |
| 9 | Mike Daly (HAM) | Zach Collaros (HAM)* | Terrell Sinkfield, Jr (HAM) |
| 10 | James Franklin (EDM) | Kendial Lawrence (EDM) | Derel Walker (EDM) |
*Indicates Shaw Fan’s Choice of the Week
2015 Shaw CFL Top Performers of the Month
| Month | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| July | Trevor Harris (TOR) | Marcus Howard (EDM) | Rakeem Cato (MTL) |
| August | Zach Collaros (HAM) | Derel Walker (EDM) | Eric Norwood (HAM) |
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