Jon Cornish facts for kids
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Cornish with the Calgary Stampeders
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| Born: | November 5, 1984 New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Career information | |
| CFL status | National |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 217 lb (98 kg) |
| College | Kansas |
| High school | Burnaby (BC) St. Thomas More |
| CFL draft | 2006 / Round: 2 / Pick: 13 |
| Drafted by | Calgary Stampeders |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 2007–2015 | Calgary Stampeders |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| CFL All-Star | 2012–2014 |
| CFL West All-Star | 2011–2014 |
| Career stats | |
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Jonathan Michael Cornish (born November 5, 1984) is a Canadian former professional football player. He was a talented running back for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for nine seasons.
Jon Cornish was chosen 13th overall in the 2006 CFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Kansas. In 2019, he was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on his very first try.
During his time at the University of Kansas, Cornish set a school record for rushing yards in a single season with 1,457 yards. He was also named the First Team All-Big XII in his final year.
As a professional player, Cornish became a starter for the Stampeders in 2011. He quickly became one of the best running backs in the CFL. He led the league in rushing three times and won many awards, including the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2013. He also won the Lou Marsh Trophy in 2013, which is given to Canada's top athlete.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jon Cornish grew up in New Westminster, British Columbia. He went to St. Thomas More Collegiate (STMC) in Burnaby, a high school known for its sports. There, he played basketball, track and field, and football.
In high school football, Cornish was an amazing player. He rushed for a total of 3,200 yards and scored 49 touchdowns during his career. In his senior year alone, he rushed for 2,136 yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 14.9 yards per carry. His best game saw him rush for 336 yards and four touchdowns.
Cornish was also a strong defensive player. He made 152 tackles and holds his school's record with 37 quarterback sacks. In his senior year, he was named the British Columbia Provincial Football Player of the Year. He also helped his high school team win two Varsity AAA Provincial High School Football Championships.
College Football Career
Jon Cornish played college football for the University of Kansas.
Starting Out in College
After taking a medical redshirt year (meaning he didn't play but kept his eligibility), Cornish had limited playing time in his first two years. He only rushed 3 times for 8 yards.
Junior Year Success
In his junior season, Cornish played in all 12 games. Even though he didn't start any games, he was named the most valuable offensive player on his college team. He led his team in rushing with 780 total yards and 9 rushing touchdowns. He also averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
On his birthday, November 5, 2005, Cornish scored a 72-yard touchdown run against Nebraska. This helped Kansas win against Nebraska for the first time in 38 years. He also helped his team win their first bowl game against the Houston Cougars, rushing for 101 yards.
After this successful junior season, the Calgary Stampeders drafted Cornish in the Canadian Football League draft.
Senior Year Records
In his senior year, Cornish truly shined. He rushed for 1,457 yards, setting a new record as the all-time single-season rusher for the University of Kansas.
He averaged 5.8 yards per carry and scored 8 rushing touchdowns. He had 8 games where he rushed for 100 yards or more. Cornish led the Big 12 Conference in all-purpose yards. He was the 9th leading rusher in NCAA Division I-A football and the top rusher in the Big 12 Conference. For his efforts, he earned First Team Big XII honors.
On November 18, 2006, Cornish had his best game, rushing for 201 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas State. This helped Kansas become eligible for a bowl game for the second year in a row.
Professional Football Career
After college, Jon Cornish decided to play in the CFL with the Calgary Stampeders, who had drafted him in 2006. He signed with them on April 30, 2007.
Early CFL Years (2007-2010)
In his first year (2007), Cornish mostly played on special teams, leading the team with 21 special teams tackles. In 2008, he got more chances with the offense, rushing for 254 yards and scoring his first professional touchdown. He also helped the Stampeders win the 2008 Grey Cup Championship.
After missing some games due to injury in 2009, Cornish had a strong 2010 season. He rushed for a career-high 618 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry, which was the best among CFL running backs with at least 50 carries. He also caught 14 passes for 226 yards.
Becoming a Star (2011-2014)
In 2011, Cornish became the starting running back for the Stampeders. He quickly proved himself, rushing for 611 yards and seven touchdowns in just seven games as a starter. He finished the season with career highs in rushing yards (863) and touchdowns (11 total). He was named a West Division all-star.
The 2012 season was a breakout year for Cornish. He led the CFL in rushing with 1,457 yards, breaking a 56-year-old record for most rushing yards by a Canadian player. He also had 11 rushing touchdowns. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian and was a finalist for the Most Outstanding Player award.
The 2013 season was even better. Cornish rushed for an incredible 1,813 yards, which was a personal best. He also scored 12 rushing touchdowns. He won the Most Outstanding Canadian award and, for the first time, the CFL MOP (Most Outstanding Player) award. Soon after, he received the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete for 2013.
In 2014, despite playing in only 9 games due to injuries, Cornish still led the CFL in rushing with 1,082 yards. This was his third straight rushing title and third straight season with over 1,000 yards. He was a key player in the 2014 Grey Cup Championship team. He also won the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award for the third year in a row.
Final Season and Retirement (2015)
In 2015, Cornish again missed several games due to injuries. He finished the season with 622 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. After this season, Jon Cornish decided to retire from professional football to protect his health.
His amazing career was honored in 2018 when the award for the top Canadian player in NCAA Division One football was named the Jon Cornish Trophy.
CFL Career Statistics
| Rushing | Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Year | Team | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | Games | No. | Yards | Avg | Long | TD | ||
| 2007 | CGY | 18 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | CGY | 18 | 30 | 254 | 8.5 | 48 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2009 | CGY | 15 | 20 | 105 | 5.3 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2010 | CGY | 18 | 85 | 618 | 7.3 | 52 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2011 | CGY | 18 | 119 | 863 | 7.3 | 57 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 127 | 9.3 | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2012 | CGY | 18 | 258 | 1,457 | 5.6 | 73 | 11 | 3 | 51 | 278 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013 | CGY | 17 | 258 | 1,813 | 7.0 | 53 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 67 | 7.4 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2014 | CGY | 9 | 139 | 1,082 | 7.8 | 79 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 54 | 3.9 | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2015 | CGY | 9 | 115 | 622 | 5.4 | 26 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| CFL totals | 140 | 1,026 | 6,844 | 6.7 | 79 | 44 | 12 | 91 | 557 | 6.1 | 29 | 2 | |||
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Jon Cornish has continued to achieve great things in other fields.
Career in Finance
In 2019, Cornish earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. This is a special certification for finance professionals. Since then, he has been working as an Investment Advisor with the Royal Bank of Canada.
Calgary Black Chambers
In 2020, Cornish founded the Calgary Black Chambers. This organization helps support young people after they finish college. It connects professional people who can offer guidance and opportunities.
University of Calgary
In April 2022, Jon Cornish was named the next chancellor of the University of Calgary. This was another big achievement, as he became one of the youngest chancellors in North America. A chancellor is a high-ranking leader at a university.
