CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders have locked up Canadian-born tailback Jon Cornish.
A CFL source requesting anonymity said Monday the Stampeders have signed the New Westminster, B.C., native to a contract extension. Team officials will make a formal announcement at a news conference Tuesday.
The five-foot-11, 205-pound Cornish enjoyed a breakout 2011 campaign. He replaced incumbent Joffrey Reynolds — Calgary’s all-time rushing leader — in the starting lineup this year and finished fifth among CFL rushers with 863 yards.
But Cornish, who also ran for nine touchdowns, averaged an impressive 7.3 yards per carry and was Calgary’s nominee for the CFL’s outstanding Canadian award.
Cornish also added 26 catches for 385 yards and two TDs.
Cornish helped Calgary finish tied with Edmonton and B.C. atop the West Division standings with an 11-7 record. But the Stampeders were relegated to third following the season-ending tiebreakers.
Cornish capped his campaign by running for 127 yards on 14 carries (9.1-yard average) and a touchdown in Calgary’s 33-19 loss to Edmonton in the West Division semifinal.
The 27-year-old Cornish played college football at the University of Kansas and was selected in the second round, 13th overall, by Calgary in the 2006 Canadian college draft. Cornish appeared in 34 games at Kansas, rushing for 2,242 yards and seven touchdowns on 386 carries.