ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
TORONTO – The Toronto Argonauts Football Club is pleased to announce that three (3) members of the Double Blue have been named CFL All-Stars for their efforts during the 2014 regular season. 2014 Most Outstanding Special Teams Player Swayze Waters has been named an all-star at kicker and punter while Chad Owens and Ricky Ray earned honours at receiver and quarterback respectively.
The season of accolades continues for Swayze Waters as he has been named a CFL all-star at kicker and punter for the first time in his career. This comes after Waters captured Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in Vancouver this past weekend at the CFL Player Awards. Leading the CFL in punting average (47.7 yards), kicking points (184) and made field goals (47), Waters also finished the 2014 season a perfect 40/40 on converts, a stellar 90.4% on field goals, and his 53-yard field goal at B.C. Place Stadium on September 19 was the longest by any kicker in the CFL in 2014. Waters was named Special Teams Player of the Week in Weeks 15 and 20, and was also named Special Teams Player of the Month for July.
Chad Owens earns his fourth career CFL all-star nod, his second at receiver, having earned a CFL all-star at kick returner in both 2010 and 2011 and earning all-star at receiver in 2012. In 2014, Owens totalled 86 receptions for 989 yards and 7 touchdowns despite missing seven (7) games due to injury. Owens tallied five 100+ yards receiving games, including a career-best three 100+ yards receiving games in a row, with his best game coming against the Saskatchewan Roughriders in week two (2) when he had 11 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. Not just a danger on offence, Owens added 45 punt returns for 528 yards and a touchdown, and was once again named the biggest threat to score from anywhere on the field in the CFL on TSN Player Poll.
Ricky Ray, who was named the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player, earns his third career CFL all-star nomination (Toronto in 2013 and Edmonton in 2006). Ray finished the 2014 season tops in the CFL in passing yards (4,595), touchdowns (28), completion percentage (68.5%) and completions (425). Ray was named CFL Player of the Week twice in 2014 for his performances in Week 2 against Saskatchewan when he had 407 yards and three (3) touchdowns, as well as in Week 16 against Hamilton when he threw for 431 yards and three (3) touchdowns. In addition, Ray was named the Most-Clutch Performer and Most Accurate Passer in the CFL on TSN Player Poll.