"It's always exciting to be nominated," said the rugged Montreal Alouettes running back after receiving the East Division nomination Wednesday.
"Obviously football is a team sport, but if I can play well then it means I'm helping my team.
"Individual awards are nice, but getting (a Grey Cup) ring is golden for me."
Mike Pringle must edge out Dave Dickenson for his third MVP title.(CP Photo)
Pringle, the CFL's outstanding player in 1995 and '98, was one of three Alouettes nominated in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada.
Joining Pringle when the league honours its best Nov. 24 in Calgary will be Montreal guard Pierre Vercheval (lineman) and cornerback Davis Sanchez (top Canadian).
Montreal was the lone team with multiple nominees.
The CFL released only four of its five division finalists Wednesday due to uncertainty surrounding the eligibility of Winnipeg's Albert Johnson III in the outstanding rookie category.
But the Bombers' receiver-kick returner, who played three games with Saskatchewan last season and spent another on the injured list, was determined eligible for the award after an evening meeting by the CFL management council on Wednesday.
The divisional nominees for the outstanding rookie award will be announced Thursday (12 p.m., EST) in conjunction with Eastern all-star team.
The five-foot-eight, 186-pound Pringle rushed for a league-high 1,778 yards as Montreal (12-6-0) finished atop the East Division standings.
It was the fourth straight year and fifth in six seasons that Pringle had led the league in rushing.
Pringle missed half the '96 CFL campaign while trying out for the NFL's Denver Broncos.
Pringle faces stiff competition for his third MVP title.
The West Division nominee is Calgary quarterback Dave Dickenson, who threw a league-high 36 touchdowns and led the Stampeders to a CFL-best 12-5-1 record.
Dickenson's value to the Stampeders became evident this season when Calgary lost three straight games while he was injured.
Still, the five-year veteran finished as the league's top-rated quarterback and third-ranked passer with 4,636 yards.
"Dave has definitely had a tremendous year," said Pringle. "He has many weapons but spreads the ball around and does an extremely good job."
Dickenson becomes the third Calgary quarterback since 1991 to be nominated for the CFL's top individual honour -- Flutie (1991-94) and Jeff Garcia ('97) were the others.
But Dickenson downplayed the significance of joining such elite company.
"I really didn't come into this season thinking about individual awards or needing to have this for my career to feel complete," he said. "I'm happy about it, but it's not the ultimate goal of the season."
Dickenson had nothing but praise for Pringle.
"Playing two different positions, it's tough to compare," said Dickenson. "I know he's a great player and has been for many years.
"He has proven it year-in and year-out while this is my first breakthrough season. I don't consider myself any better than the other quarterbacks (in West)."
The six-foot-one, 275-pound Vercheval, a five-time league all-star, has long been regarded one of the CFL's top offensive lineman.
But amazingly, the Quebec City native was named a finalist for the outstanding lineman award for the first time in his 13-year career.
"Although football is the ultimate team sport, individual awards are nice because they tell you that at some point you've been doing the right things to get ready for the season," said Vercheval. "Obviously I'm very pleased and it's an honour to represent this group (Montreal offensive line)."
Saskatchewan tackle Andrew Greene received the West Division nomination.
The six-foot-three, 304-pound native of Kingston, Jamaica, also a first-time nominee, helped anchor a Roughriders offence that featured the CFL's top receiver (Curtis Marsh, 102 catches for 1,560 yards), No.2 passer (Henry Burris, 4,647 yards) and fourth-leading rusher (Darren Davis, 1,024 yards).
Sanchez, 26, enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Montreal, returning two of his league-high nine interceptions for touchdowns.
But the Vancouver native, the Alouettes' first-round pick in the '99 Canadian college draft, is in tough against B.C. running back Sean Millington, the CFL's top Canadian in 1997.
Millington, a 10-year veteran also from Vancouver, rushed for 1,010 yards and averaged an impressive 6.5 yards per carry.
The former Simon Fraser star also scored seven touchdowns.
Montford, the CFL's top defensive player in 1998, was the league leader in sacks (20) and forced fumbles (eight) as the anchor of the Ticats' stellar defence.
But Edmonton's Terry Ray, the West Division nominee, was no slouch, either, with 96 tackles -- second only to Saskatchewan's George White -- four sacks and six forced fumbles.
By Dan Ralph
