Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy


The Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy is a Canadian football award recognizing the most outstanding football player of the Quebec Student Sport Federation
The trophy was originally presented to the player who best exemplified skill, sportsmanship, and courage in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union. In 1973, it became the award to the Most Outstanding Player of the Canadian Football League's East Division and either the winner of this trophy or the winner of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy from the West would go on to win the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. The trophy was donated to the Canadian Rugby Union in 1928, to honour former Montreal player, Jeff Russel, who was killed in 1926, while repairing damaged electric lines for the Montreal Power Company. The trophy was officially retired in 1994 at the request of the Russel family, with the Terry Evanshen Trophy replacing the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy as the official trophy to be awarded to the Most Outstanding Player of the East Division that same year.
In 2003, it was re-established for recognizing the players in the Quebec conference of U Sports football and the winner is nominated for the national Hec Crighton Trophy.

List of winners

CFL East Division / IRFU

Awarded to the player best exemplifying skill, sportsmanship, and courage until 1972, then to The Most Outstanding Player in the East Conference/Division from 1973 until 1993.
Note: Prior to 1973 the Canadian Football League East Division's Most Outstanding Player was not the winner of the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy, which was a separate award.
The Most Outstanding Player in the Quebec University Football League. Beginning in 2003, the winner is awarded the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy.