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Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Monthly Honor For Fantuz



TORONTO -- Anthony Calvillo, John Bowman, Marcus Thigpen and Andy Fantuz were named the Gibson’s Finest CFL Players of the Month for July, the Canadian Football League announced today.

The four players were chosen by a panel of judges that includes former Canadian Football League players Matt Dunigan and Duane Forde, now of TSN, and Pierre Vercheval of RDS.

Anthony Calvillo continued his ascent towards the top of the CFL all-time rankings in July while leading the Montreal Alouettes to an impressive 4-1 record.

Calvillo led the league in both passing yards and completion percentage for the month. He completed 69.9% of his passes for 1,606 yards and 10 touchdowns, while throwing only two interceptions.

Calvillo currently sits in second place on the all-time list for career passing yards (64,928) and career passing touchdowns (364), trailing only Damon Allen in both categories.

The 17-year CFL veteran is presently enjoying his 13th year at quarterback for the Alouettes. He has won 134 of 221 career starts at QB, compiling a stellar winning percentage of 60.6%.

John Bowman had an excellent month on the defensive side of the ball for the Alouettes as well. Bowman finished July tied for the league lead in quarterback sacks and ranked first in forced fumbles.

Through the first five games, Bowman has six tackles, six sacks and four forced fumbles as the cornerstone of a vaunted Montreal defence. After a slow start to the season, the Als defensive end has sacked the quarterback in three straight games, including a massive four sack, two forced fumble performance in Week four.

Bowman also tied for the most quarterback sacks in the CFL in 2009 with 12 last year. He now has 35 over his five year career, all as a member of the Alouettes.

The defensive standout was a unanimous selection for Gibson’s Finest CFL Defensive Player of the Month.

Ticats rookie Marcus Thigpen has made quite the name for himself over the first month of the 2010 season. The return specialist has displayed an uncanny ability to avoid tackles and find the endzone with his breakaway speed.

Thigpen is currently second in the league in combined yards with 846 over five games. That total includes 331 yards on kickoff returns, 205 on punts, 189 on missed field goals, 94 receiving and 27 rushing.

The first-year Ticat is also tied for second in the CFL with four touchdowns. Thigpen has scored his four TDs in four different ways, becoming only the sixth player in CFL history to accomplish the feat. No player has ever scored touchdowns in five different ways in a single season. The Indiana product has one kickoff return TD, one punt return TD, one missed field goal return TD and one receiving TD thus far in 2010.

Thigpen found the endzone on his very first CFL touch, returning the opening kickoff in week one 93 yards for a touchdown against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.Later in the same game he returned a missed field goal 118 yards for a touchdown, his longest return of the season.

Stamps rookie kicker was the runner up after connecting on 13 of 14 field goals in July and finishing the month third in CFL scoring.

Andy Fantuz was a key contributor for the Riders high-powered offence in July, helping Saskatchewan to a first place tie atop the West division with a 4-1 record. Fantuz had a team-high 25 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns during the 2010 season’s opening month.

Fantuz is currently tied for fourth place in the CFL for receiving TDs, tied for ninth in receptions and sits 10th in receiving yards.

The Chatham, Ontario native got his season off to a great start in Week One hauling in eight receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the Riders thrilling 54-51 overtime victory over the Alouettes.

Fantuz was a two-time Gibson’s Finest Canadian Player of the Week in July.

Toronto Argonauts' linebacker Kevin Eiben was the runner-up.

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