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Three Stars: John Chick, Jerome Messam and Sean Whyte shine in Week Seven

Three Stars: John Chick, Jerome Messam and Sean Whyte shine in Week Seven

Here's the next edition of our Three Stars series, looking at Week Seven's top performances.

First star/defensive player of the week: John Chick, defensive end, Saskatchewan Roughriders: Chick has been one of the league's most dominant players this season, and he was lights-out in the Riders' 23-17 win over Winnipeg Thursday. On the night, Utah State product Chick recorded five tackles and three sacks and put plenty of further pressure on Bombers' quarterback Drew Willy. While Willy still threw for 303 yards, he wasn't as efficient as normal and tossed three interceptions. The pressure Chick and the rest of the Saskatchewan defensive line applied was a big factor in those picks. Chick now has a league-high nine sacks on the year, while his closest competitors all have six. If he continues this level of play, he'll likely be named the CFL's top defensive player. Strong performances from him will be critical to Saskatchewan's success going forward as well.

(Honourable mentions: Alex Bazzie, DT, B.C.; Geoff Tisdale, DB, Montreal; Jasper Simmons, LB, Ottawa.)

Second star/offensive player of the week: Jerome Messam, running back, Saskatchewan Roughriders: Messam was an unlikely hero Thursday against Winnipeg, as he started the game at fullback and didn't see many touches until after the half. He made the most of them, though, ripping off 126 yards on 19 rushing attempts for a superb average of 6.6 yards per carry. The solid rushing offence he provided was critical to the Riders' comeback victory. Saskatchewan's used a lot of backs this year with some success, including Anthony Allen, Hugh Charles (since released) and Will Ford, so Messam's showing here won't necessarily mean he'll be starting going forward. It was a terrific performance from the Graceland University alumnus, though, and one that suggests he still can be a good CFL player.

(Honourable mentions: Kevin Glenn, QB, B.C.; Dan LeFevour, QB, Hamilton; Marquay McDaniel, SB, Calgary.)

Third star/special teams player of the week: Sean Whyte, punter/kicker, Montreal Alouettes: While the Alouettes have been brutal this year and fell to 1-5 with Friday's 33-23 loss to Edmonton, Whyte's performance on special teams has been a consistent bright spot for them. He provided most of the team's offence Friday, going five-for-five on field goal attempts, and was also crucial in the field-position battle, averaging 45.6 yards on eight punts. Whyte, who came out of the Canadian junior football ranks with the Big Kahuna Rams (now the Langley Rams) before starting to establish himself with B.C. and then being acquired by Montreal in 2011, has been one of the league's most consistent punters and kickers over the last several years. He's 14 for 17 on field goals on the year, a solid 82.4 per cent mark, and his punting average of 46.4 yards per attempt is fourth-best in the league. If Montreal's going to get anywhere this year, Whyte's leg may be a big part of their success.

(Honourable mentions: Justin Medlock, P/K, Hamilton; Grant Shaw, P/K, Edmonton; Brandon Banks, PR/KR, Hamilton.)

Bonus star/Canadian player of the week: Jerome Messam, RB, Saskatchewan: Messam's great showing against Winnipeg was discussed above, but it's also one that shows he can't be written off. The last couple of years have been iffy for Messam, as he struggled to establish himself in crowded backfields in Edmonton and Montreal after returning from the NFL in 2012. That competition won't be going away in Saskatchewan, but at 29, Messam still might have a lot left to contribute. We'll see how he's used going forward, but he may prove to be an important piece for the Riders.

(Honourable mentions: Sean Whyte, P/K, Montreal; Shawn Gore, SB, B.C.; Sam Giguere, WR, Hamilton.)

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.