Montreal's Tyson Philpot nears 57-year-old Canadian receiving record

MONTREAL — Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Tyson Philpot is 135 yards from breaking a Canadian single-season receiving record that has stood for 57 years.

Philpot needs 135 receiving yards in Saturday night's game against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers to surpass the mark of 1,662 yards set by Terry Evanshen with the Calgary Stampeders in 1967.

"My dream was to play in the CFL, so truly living it," Philpot said Friday at Olympic Stadium.

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The 26-year-old from Delta, B.C., leads the CFL with 1,528 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns this season, having played in all 14 games after previous campaigns were cut short by injury.

"I feel like I've always been capable of having great seasons like this, that've just always been cut short," Philpot said.

Alouettes head coach Jason Maas said Philpot's commitment to improving has been evident since he took over in 2023.

"He's just grown and grown and grown," Maas said. "And then this year, starting in training camp from day one until now, we've seen the evolution and the playmaking ability."

Receivers coach Michael Lionello said Philpot's ability after the catch stands out, a trait he links to Philpot's father, former CFL running back Cory Philpot.

"He's almost a running back after the catch, based on what he got from the genetics of his dad," Lionello said of Philpot, who leads the league with 672 yards after the catch.

"He's just so physical and so violent, and really he's fearless out there."

"He can make people miss, but he can also run you over too," Maas added. "He is a physical receiver."

Cory Philpot said his son also followed his example by becoming a student of the game.

"I studied my opponent," Cory said. "And that's one thing about Tyson, Tyson understands the person he's playing against. He studies them."

The Alouettes (11-3) could clinch first place in the East Division with a victory should the Toronto Argonauts lose to the B.C. Lions earlier Saturday.

Winnipeg (7-7) upset Montreal 44-28 on Aug. 28 and has allowed a league-low 273.4 passing yards per game this season.

Philpot has exceeded 130 receiving yards in five games this season, putting the record within reach.

Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander said he does not plan to target Philpot more than usual.

"That's good to know," Alexander said after being told Philpot was 135 yards shy. "But he knows the ball's supposed to go to the open man."

Evanshen set the record during a 14-year Hall of Fame career. His life changed in 1988 when a car crash left him in a coma for a month; he awoke with no memory of his life before the crash and has since become a motivational speaker.

Philpot said Evanshen's name is written all over the CFL record books.

"Any time I look up any kind of record or anything, his name is always at the top," Philpot said. "Consistency, defined greatness, and just to be having conversations with my name next to his, it's surreal."

The game is scheduled for Saturday night at Olympic Stadium.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and Sportsnet