REDBLACKS quarterback Henry Burris has been named one of the league’s top weekly players in the Canadian Football League for the fifth time this season, and for the second consecutive week.
The native of Spiro, Oklahoma helped the REDBLACKS to the team’s 10th win on Saturday at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, leading the club to a 27-20 decision over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Burris scored on a third-down plunge from the one-yard line to break a tie and give Ottawa the lead in the final minute.
The dramatic moment provided a fitting climax to an emotional afternoon of football. Burris completed 29 of 43 passes for 413 yards and one touchdown, despite temporarily exiting the game after taking a hit on a pass to Chris Williams for a 51-yard major in the dying seconds of the opening half.
Burris returned after the intermission and played the remainder of the game, leading the team on an 11-play, 76-yard drive that took four minutes and 44 seconds off the clock and ended on a third-down touchdown plunge by Burris from the one-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.
Earlier in the game, on the first play from scrimmage, Burris connected with Williams on a 15-yard play that put Burris over the career 60,000-yard milestone. Only Anthony Calvillo and Damon Allen have accomplished the feat in the CFL.
Burris is having a career season. The Temple grad has completed an astounding 436 passes and, with two games remaining in the regular season, has a chance of setting the CFL record for the most completions in one season (479), set by Ricky Ray in 2005 while he played for the Edmonton Eskimos.
Already, Burris has surpassed Calvillo into second place on the all-time CFL list for career completions (4,423), trailing Allen who had 5,158.
On October 1, Burris generated a night for the ages, completing a league-record 45 passes at TD Place during a victory over the Montreal Alouettes.
The REDBLACKS have two regular-season games remaining in 2015 before entering the playoffs.
Ottawa visits Hamilton on Sunday, November 1 before completing the regular season at TD Place on Saturday, November 7 against the Ticats, a match in which the result could very likely determine whether or not the REDBLACKS host a 2015 playoff game.
Tickets for the regular-season finale are available here, or by calling 613-232-6767, x1.
