The 3DownNation all-decade CFL team: running back

Two candidates in this category came extremely close to earning the top spot, finishing just one vote apart. One was a top performer for most of the decade, while the other dominated the league for a three-year period.

The 2010s are defined in part by the dominance of national ball carriers. All three of our top running backs are Canadian, which would have been impossible to predict given how Americans owned the position throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

The player who finished atop the reader ballot has his name marked with an asterisk (*).

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

1) Andrew Harris

B.C. Lions (2010-2015)
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2016-present)

169 games, 9,038 rushing yards, 5,107 receiving yards, 79 touchdowns

Grey Cup champion (2011, 2019)
Grey Cup MVP (2019)
Grey Cup MVC (2019)
CFL Most Outstanding Canadian (2017)
CFL all-star (2012, 2015-2018)
West Division all-star (2012, 2015-2019)

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

2) Jon Cornish*

Calgary Stampeders (2010-2015)

90 games, 6,455 rushing yards, 1,564 receiving yards, 52 touchdowns

Grey Cup champion (2014)
CFL Most Outstanding Player (2013)
CFL Most Outstanding Canadian (2012-2014)
CFL all-star (2012-2014)
West Division all-star (2011-2014)

Photo Scott Grant / CFLPhotoArchive.com

3) Jerome Messam

B.C. Lions (2010)
Edmonton Eskimos (2011-2012)
Montreal Alouettes (2013)
Saskatchewan Roughriders (2014-2015)
Calgary Stampeders (2015-2017)
Saskatchewan Roughriders (2018)

132 games, 5,689 rushing yards, 2,022 receiving yards, 36 touchdowns

CFL Most Outstanding Canadian (2011, 2016)
CFL all-star (2011, 2016)
West Division all-star (2011, 2015, 2016)
Grey Cup MVC (2017)

Honourable mentions

1) C.J. Gable
2) William Powell
3) Tyrell Sutton
4) Kory Sheets
5) Brandon Whitaker

Depth chart

We have just one position remaining and it happens to be the most important one in the game. Tomorrow we will complete the CFL all-decade team, announcing the squad’s quarterbacks.