The Canadian Football League has issued a maximum fine against B.C. Lions’ linebacker Micah Awe for a pair of infractions committed in their Week 11 win over the Montreal Alouettes.
The 31-year-old was given two major penalties in that football game, first for roughing the passer after delivering a high hit on quarterback James Morgan and later for delivering a spear to the head of fullback David Dallaire along the sideline. The latter hit left Dallaire with a head injury that kept him out of Thursday’s matchup with Winnipeg.
Awe acknowledged the two penalties when asked by 3DownNation after that game, but indicated that he feared he’d be knocked unconscious if he had approached the second one any differently.
“That one’s tough because it’s a fullback; he has 30 pounds on me. The moment I don’t go full speed, he runs me over, and now I’m in the newspaper another way,” he said.
“If he would have got me and I got knocked out, the honest truth is the offence is not going to get penalized for that. For me, it’s never malice. It’s just me. That’s what I do. I run to the ball. That’s the only reason why I’ve lasted eight years is because I have effort and I show it.”
The combination of the two incidents led to a maximum fine, which, under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, is equal to half a game cheque. For Awe, that amounts to $2,083.
The CFL also issued fines to Toronto Argonauts’ linebacker Wynton McManis for a blindside block on Edmonton offensive tackle Martez Ivey and Saskatchewan Roughriders’ offensive lineman Jacob Brammer for a chop block on Hamilton defensive tackle Mario Kendricks. Per league policy, the amount of the fines was not disclosed.
The CFL’s Department of Health, Safety and Integrity manages any league discipline that does not require a suspension. Fines are determined by a panel consisting of chief football operations officer Greg Dick, vice-president of officiating Darren Hackwood, associate vice-president of football operations Ryan Janzen, and associate vice-president of health and safety Eric Noivo.
Discipline related to dress code violations, those involving teams or staff, and those involving players who have been released are not shared publicly.
