Make no ifs, ands, or buts about it: Bo Levi Mitchell wants to win CFL Most Outstanding Player for the third time in his career.
“I care (about winning M.O.P.). I was knocked off the pedestal there for a while — I was out of the top 50 players in the league, which I understand based off of the way I’ve performed the last couple years with injuries and stuff. That’s why you play this game is to get back on top. Everybody has drug [sic] my name through the mud for the last four years and it’s fun to stick it to those people but for me, it’s more about proving my wife Madison right, proving my brothers right, proving this organization right for bringing me back — just proving the people right that have always been in my corner,” said Mitchell.
“It does mean a lot, it’s a resume thing — it’s something you’ll look back on at the end of the year and to be able to do it with two different teams would obviously be amazing. There’s a lot of great players in this league that have had some great years, so we’ll see what happens.”
CFL divisional awards voting closed on Sunday afternoon with the results set to be announced on Wednesday, Oct. 30. Mitchell earned Hamilton’s M.O.P. nomination after throwing for 5,451 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions this year, setting a new career-high in passing yardage as well as a new franchise record.
Mitchell is up against Montreal linebacker Tyrice Beverette, Toronto running back Ka’Deem Carey, and Ottawa receiver Justin Hardy to be named the Most Outstanding Player in the East Division. If he wins, he’ll be up against the West Division nominee for the award at the league level during Grey Cup week in Vancouver.
The 34-year-old native of Katy, Texas played only 15 games over the past two seasons combined, fighting through multiple injuries. He suited up for all 18 games with the Tiger-Cats this season and made 17 starts, stressing the importance of staying on the field.
“My very first year as a starter, (staying healthy) was the only goal I wrote down. I didn’t write down Grey Cup, yards, anything like that. My first year as a starter, I saw Ricky Ray go down. I saw Anthony Calvillo go down, Travis Lulay, our guy Kevin Glenn, and then Drew Tate right behind him. I quickly realized that the way to be a starter in this league is to play 18 games and so my first year, that was my main thought, my main goal,” he said.
“To kind of get back here and be able to do that again, I’ve just got to say a huge thank you to (strength and conditioning coach) Marcellus Bowman, (head athletic therapist) Claire Toffelmire, the entire staff over there, (trainer) Matt Nichol in Toronto. This organization will turn over every single stone and give you as much resources as possible to be at your best, so that’s why Scott Mitchell and everybody in this organization expects so much because they go out of their way to give you anything and everything they possibly can to give you the ability to succeed.”
Hamilton missed the playoffs after finishing at the bottom of the East Division standings with a record of 7-11, which could hurt Mitchell’s candidacy for M.O.P. This wasn’t a problem when he won the award in 2014 and 2018 as a member of the Calgary Stampeders, who won the West Division both years, going 15-3 and 13-5, respectively.
Regardless, Mitchell has made it clear he’s been keeping track of everyone who doubted him over the last few years. Becoming only the fifth CFL player to win more than two M.O.P. awards would certainly be a nice way to rub it in their faces.
