{
  "id": 17132887,
  "title": "Winnipeg Blue Bombers returner Trey Vaval named CFL’s top special-teams player for 2nd time",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/winnipeg-blue-bombers-returner-trey-vaval-named-cfls-top-special",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-29T22:02:24.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12126631/winnipeg-blue-bombers-returner-trey-vaval-named-cfls-top-special-teams-player-for-2nd-time/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Winnipeg Blue Bombers' talented kick returner, Trey Vaval, has been awarded the CFL's top special-teams player for the second consecutive season. His remarkable performance earned him the distinction of being the first player in league history to win this accolade in two straight years. The 26-year-old hails from Blue Springs, Missouri. During the campaign, Vaval led the league with an impressive 2,868 total kick return yards, showcasing his exceptional skills by averaging 13.8 yards per punt return and 24.2 yards per kickoff return. His contributions were not limited to yardage; he also managed to score two touchdowns - an 88-yard kickoff return and a 129-yard missed field goal return. Vaval's outstanding performance was not only recognized by the league but also by the Football Reporters of Canada, who voted him the top special-teams player, receiving 133 votes. This surpassed the votes garnered by Edmonton kicker Vincent Blanchard with 94 votes and Calgary returner Tyreik McAllister with 77 votes.",
  "summary": "Vaval is the first player in the 27-year history of the award to win in back-to-back years.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}