Chris Williams, Kevin Glenn Win CFL Player Awards

Two members of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats won CFL Player Awards on Thursday night, one for his on-field exploits and the other for his off-field contributions.

Chris Williams, as expected, was named the 2011 Most Outstanding Rookie.

Williams's 2011 didn't get off to the best of starts. He didn't play in Week 1 against Winnipeg and had a horrible Week 2 against Edmonton. In Week 3 he scored two touchdowns against Saskatchewan, but it was in Week 4, against BC, that he had his proverbial coming-out party. Williams went off for 189 yards and a touchdown against the Lions, and from there he never looked back.

Williams finished the season leading the Tiger-Cats in receptions and receiving yards. He also lead all rookies in those categories as well. Williams is the fourth Tiger-Cat to be nominated for Most Outstanding Rookie in the last five years, but the first to win the award since Mike O'Shea won it all the way back in 1993.

Williams's win was followed up by Kevin Glenn winning the Tom Pate Award, which recognizes a player's charitable contributions to the community that he plays in.

The most well known of Glenn's many community endeavours is his Touchdowns For Kids program with Tim Horton's. For every touchdown that Glenn scores throughout the season, local Tim Horton's stores donate $200 to send kids to the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation camps.

Glenn is the fifth Tiger-Cat to win the Tom Pate award, and the second in the last three years. Marwan Hage won it for all his great community work back in 2009.

Congratulations to both players for their well-deserved awards.