Three Stars: Dexter McCoil, Jon Cornish and Kendial Lawrence lead the way in Week Seventeen

Welcome to the latest edition of our Three Stars series, this time looking at Week Seventeen's top showings, which have a substantial Alberta flavour.

First star/defensive player of the week: Dexter McCoil, linebacker, Edmonton Eskimos: McCoil turned in a great performance Sunday against Winnipeg, notching a game-high seven tackles and an interception, and helping to lead the Eskimos to a 24-19 comeback win. The Tulsa product is having a remarkable season, notching six interceptions (tops in the CFL), 61 tackles (tied for 10th in the league), and three sacks, plus adding three defensive touchdowns (including a spectacular 88-yard fumble return last week.) He's making a strong campaign for rookie of the year.

(Honourable mentions: Ricky Foley, DE, Saskatchewan; Antoine Pruneau, LB, Ottawa; Winston Venable, LB, Montreal.)

Second star/offensive player of the week: Jon Cornish, running back, Calgary Stampeders: Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell was a little rusty in his return to the starting lineup Saturday against Winnipeg, so Cornish's showing was even more crucial than usual to the Stampeders, who pulled off a 33-23 win in the end. The Kansas alum collected 160 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, averaging an impressive 7.6 yards per carry. He also added one catch for 12 yards. He's a vital part of the Stampeders' offence regardless of who's under centre.

(Honourable mentions: Paris Cotton, RB, Winnipeg; Adarius Bowman, SB, Edmonton; S.J. Green, SB, Montreal.)

Third star/special teams player of the week: Kendial Lawrence, punt returner/kick returner, Edmonton Eskimos: Lawrence has made a habit of turning in spectacular returns this year, and he did so again this week, taking a kickoff back 96 yards for a touchdown Sunday. That return helped inspire the Eskimos, and it played a big role in their 24-19 comeback victory against Winnipeg. On the day, the Missouri product (and Italian football alum!) had three kick returns for 135 yards and five punt returns for 15 yards. He also showed his offensive versatility, lining up as a slotback instead of at his usual RB position and notching five catches for 71 yards. The first-year CFLer is turning into a key piece for Edmonton.

(Honourable mentions: Swayze Waters, P/K, Toronto; Sean Whyte, P/K, Montreal; Rob Maver, P, Calgary.)

Bonus star/Canadian player of the week: Jon Cornish, running back, Calgary Stampeders: Cornish's performance this week is discussed above, but it's worth noting what he's done this season. On the year, Cornish leads the CFL with 949 rushing yards despite missing a fair bit of time with a concussion. He's also averaging an outstanding 7.7 yards per carry, even better than the remarkable 7.0 average he posted last year en route to being named the league's Most Outstanding Player. Cornish is somewhat unlikely to retain that title given the time he's missed, but he'll still be in that discussion thanks to how terrific he has been when he's suited up. He'll be critical to Calgary's hopes of playoff success.

(Honourable mentions: Ricky Foley, DE, Saskatchewan; Antoine Pruneau, LB, Ottawa; Rory Kohlert, SB, Winnipeg.

Thanks for reading! You can submit nominations for the Three Stars feature to me during the week's games via Twitter or e-mail. Check back at 55-Yard Line after the week's games for the results.