Running back Ka’Deem Carey, offensive lineman Sean McEwen, kicker Rene Paredes and defensive linemen Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, Mike Rose and Derek Wiggan are Calgary’s nominees for the 2021 Canadian Football League player awards.

Calgary’s award finalists were determined by voting members of the Football Reporters of Canada (FRC) as well as one vote from the Stampeders coaching staff.

Here is a closer look at the Stampeders’ nominees:

Ka’Deem Carey (Most Outstanding Player): In his first full season as the Stampeders’ starting tailback, Carey leads the CFL with seven rushing touchdowns and is second both in rushing yards (869) and yards from scrimmage (1,063). Carey has started all 13 games so far this season and in addition to his 869 rushing yards on 164 carries (an average of 5.3 yards per attempt) he has 26 catches for 194 yards. The University of Arizona alum has a pair of 100-yard rushing games and he was named a CFL top performer in Week 10 after accumulating 178 yards from scrimmage in a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Mike Rose (Most Outstanding Defensive Player): Rose has started all 13 games at defensive tackle and was a key figure in the Stamps’ second-half resurgence as Calgary overcame a 2-5 start to claim a playoff berth. Rose leads all CFL interior linemen with seven sacks and he has 24 tackles including three tackles for loss and three knockdowns. The North Carolina State product is part of a defensive unit that has allowed the second-fewest touchdowns in the CFL.

Sean McEwen (Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman): While injuries forced shuffling at other positions on the Calgary offensive line, McEwen has been a fixture at centre as he has started all 13 games. In addition to making all the line calls, McEwen serves as one of the Stamps’ team captains and is the linchpin of a line that has allowed the second-fewest sacks in the CFL and paved the way for league rushing-touchdown leader Ka’Deem Carey. This marks the fourth consecutive season McEwen has been his team’s nominee for Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman as he earned that honour in his final three seasons with Toronto before joining his hometown Stamps as a free agent.

Rene Paredes (Most Outstanding Special Teams Player): This is the fifth time Paredes is Calgary’s nominee for the league’s special teams award, having previously been named in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016. He was voted the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2013. This season, Paredes leads the league with 148 points, 42 field goals and a 91.3-per cent success rate on three-pointers. He twice has kicked six field goals in a game this season and his 44-yard kick with no time left on the clock in Week 10 gave Calgary a dramatic 22-19 victory in Saskatchewan. Paredes was the CFL’s top performer in Week 11 after kicking six field goals and accounting for 21 points in a win over BC.

Derek Wiggan (Most Outstanding Canadian): The durable six-year veteran from Toronto has been a force on the interior of the Stamps’ defensive line, forming a dynamic duo with fellow defensive tackle Mike Rose. The play of the team’s mainstays on the inside has set the foundation for a defensive line that featured new starters at the end positions and allowed the unit as a whole to improve dramatically in the second half of the season. Wiggan has started all 13 games for Calgary and recorded 31 tackles including three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (Most Outstanding Rookie): The Dartm8outh, N.S., product has played every game this season and made seven starts at defensive end. He was part of the team’s defensive-line rotation early in the season before earning his first start in the Labour Day rematch in Edmonton. Calgary’s first-round selection in the 2020 draft has steadily improved throughout the season as he learned the nuances of the professional game. His emergence as a starter coincided with the defensive turnaround that helped Calgary earn a playoff berth with five wins in six games since Week 7. He has also seen action on Calgary’s special-teams units. Adeyemi-Berglund has accumulated 13 defensive tackles, three special-teams stops, one sack, one fumble recovery and two knockdowns.