Jon Cornish (born November 5, 1984) is a former Canadian football running back who played nine seasons with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was drafted 13th overall in the 2006 CFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Kansas. Cornish was inducted as a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2019 on his first ballot.
While at Kansas, Cornish set the KU single-season rushing record with 1,457 yards and was selected First Team All-Big XII in his senior year. During his collegiate career, he was also selected Team Offensive MVP in both his junior year and senior year.
Professionally, after taking over starting duties from Calgary's all-time leading rusher Joffrey Reynolds midway through 2011, Cornish rushed for 611 yards in the final seven games of the season, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. In the Stampeders only 2011 playoff game versus the Edmonton Eskimos, he ran for 128 yards and a touchdown while averaging 9.2 yards per carry. Those eight games were enough to garner him the 2011 Calgary Booster Club Male Athlete of the Year award and a CFL West All-star selection.
In his first full year as a starter, Cornish led the CFL in rushing with 1,457 rushing yards on the ground. Cornish also broke Normie Kwong’s 56-year-old single-season rushing record for Canadians. This led to him being selected 2012 Most Outstanding Canadian as well as being the runner-up for the Most Outstanding Player award. Cornish was again selected for Calgary's Male Athlete of the Year award. He bettered this in 2013, rushing for 1813 yards and winning both the Most Outstanding Canadian and the Most Outstanding Player awards. Soon after, Cornish was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete for 2013.
In 2014, Cornish led the CFL in rushing for the third time with 1,082 yards, an average of 7.8 yards per carry. This was despite only playing in 9 games, half of the regular season. He was a member of the 2014 Grey Cup Champion Calgary Stampeders.
His career achievements were recognized in 2018 when the award for the top Canadian in NCAA Division One football was named the Jon Cornish Trophy honouring his career as a high school and professional player in Canada, and a college player in the NCAA.
High school career
Cornish attended high school at the highly sports-oriented St. Thomas More Collegiate (STMC) in Burnaby, where he participated actively in basketball, track & field and football. In football, he rushed for 3,200 career yards and 49 touchdowns as a three-year letter-winner for Saint Thomas More High School. Cornish averaged 14.9 yards per carry while rushing for 2,136 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior. His single-game best was 336 yards and four touchdowns.
Cornish is also credited with 152 career tackles, including 89 his senior season and holds his school career record with 37 quarterback sacks, 21 of which he had while a junior. At the end of his senior year, Cornish was selected the British Columbia Provincial Football Player of the Year in the year of its inception.
While at STMC, Cornish was on two Varsity AAA Provincial High School Football Championship teams.
Collegiate sport career
Early collegiate years
Following his medical redshirt, Cornish saw very limited playing time, rushing only 3 times for 8 yards in his first two years.
Junior year
Cornish played in all 12 games of his junior season and was awarded the John Hadl award for most valuable offensive player of the year on his college team despite not starting a single game. Cornish led his team in all rushing categories with 780 total yards, 9 rushing touchdowns and rushing yards per game and yards per carry with 65 and 5.8, respectively. His efforts in the classroom made him an Academic All-Big 12 second-team selection.
Against Nebraska on his birthday, November 5, 2005, Cornish contributed a touchdown run of 72 yards to help seal Kansas' first victory over Nebraska in 38 years.
In Kansas' second Bowl game appearance under Coach Mangino, playing against the Houston Cougars, Cornish helped his team to their first bowl victory with 101 yards rushing. He also had two touchdown receptions for 13 and 30 yards.
Following his junior season, Cornish was drafted in the Canadian Football League draft by the Calgary Stampeders.
Senior year
In Cornish's senior year, he rushed for 1,457 yards, making him the all-time single-season rusher at the University of Kansas.