Canadians in the NFL

[jerrym]

Former Argo kicker Lirim Hajrullahu has signed a futures contract with the Carolina Panthers, after impressing enough to beat out veterans Chandler Caanzaro and Louie Zervos.

[Singleton]

As of the beginning of the 2020 NFL season, Canada is the most represented foreign country in the NFL, with 12 players, followed by Nigeria with 8 players and Australia with 6.

[jerrym]

As of the beginning of the 2020 NFL season, Canada is the most represented foreign country in the NFL, with 12 players, followed by Nigeria with 8 players and Australia with 6.

Welcome on board. Are you a Canadian living in the US or an American interested in the CFL?

[jerrym]

Below is a review of Chase Claypool's blockbuster rookie season.

Claypool made a splash this season while being a major contributor to the offense. He was the recipient of the Joe Greene Great Performance Award, given to the team's Rookie of the Year by the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America and was selected to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.

Claypool started off with a bang, even in training camp, earning praise early on from his teammates even before playing in a game.

"He has impressed me for sure," said cornerback Joe Haden during camp. "Just his size, his speed, his ability to adjust to the ball in the air. He is out there asking questions, just getting the routes. I think he is a great young talent. His work ethic shows he wants to be great. He just gets after it.

"He is a big, fast receiver. He is able to adjust to the ball in the air. He is a big body, deep threat, with soft hands who can jump up and get it.

"As long as he just keeps going, staying healthy, I think he is going to be a baller."

He was spot on. Claypool was a baller this year. He finished the regular season with 62 receptions for 873 yards, a 14.1-yard average, and nine receiving touchdowns, adding 10 carries for 16 yards and two rushing touchdowns.

"He's talented," said quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "He has got some God-given abilities that not many people in this world have. He's big, fast, and strong, and he's very, very smart."

Claypool had a day very few in Steelers history have had In Week 4 when he scored four touchdowns in the Steelers 38-29 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Heinz Field and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Claypool had seven receptions for 110 yards, three of those seven catches were touchdowns, and also rushed for a two-yard score.

"He works. He works hard," said Roethlisberger. "He doesn't make a lot of mistakes. I've said this numerous times. If he does make a mistake, he won't make the same one twice, and I think that says a lot about a young guy."

Claypool became the first rookie in team history to score four touchdowns in a game, and only the third player in team history to do so, the last one when Roy Jefferson caught four touchdown passes against Atlanta on Nov. 3, 1968, while also becoming only the third player in team history to score 24 points in a game.

https://www.steelers.com/news/rookie...chase-claypool

[OV Argo]

Canadian TE Anthony Auclair not on the Bucs active roster for the SB game - bit of a drag for him to not get to play in the big game; but he\ll still get a ring if the Bucs win.

[jerrym]

DB Tevaughn Campbell, who played for four years in the CFL with Calgary, Saskatchewan and Montreal after attending the University of Regina, has re-signed with the LA Chargers, after having 22 DTs, knocking three passes, recovering a fumble, and scoring on pick six in 2020.

[jerrym]

Six Canadians have now received invitations to the NFL Combine.

RB Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State The 2019 Heisman Trophy candidate remains one of the draft’s most intriguing options at running back. The native of Sherwood Park, Alta. had a down year in 2020, but could see his stock rise if he showcases his elite speed in the forty-yard dash.

REC Josh Palmer, Tennessee The Brampton native caught a touchdown in the 2021 Senior Bowl following a four-year career with the Volunteers. He’s rising through the process already and being talked about by draft experts as a potential mid-round NFL Draft selection.

OL Alaric Jackson, Iowa Born in Windsor, Ont., the six-foot-six, 318-pound blocker has developed into one of the best left tackles in the Big Ten. It’s possible he’ll be moved to guard at the NFL level, but Jackson remains a strong blocker with plenty of remaining upside.

LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, Oklahoma State Raised in Calgary, Ogbongbemiga played a leadership role on a stout Cowboys’ defence and was twice named All-Big 12 Football Second Team. He’ll have to prove he can run well, but the six-foot-one, 232-pound linebacker is a tackling machine.

DB Jevon Holland, Oregon Born in Coquitlam, B.C. during his father’s tenure with the B.C. Lions, Holland is a hard-hitting safety who sat out the 2020 season to prepare for the draft. He is expected to be the first Canadian off the board in the NFL’s annual pickfest.

DB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota There aren’t many cornerbacks who measure in at six-foot-three, which helps St-Juste’s draft stock immensely. The Montreal native recorded 62 tackles and 13 knockdowns in 30 career games while facing elite competition at Michigan and Minnesota.

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/03/s...uting-combine/

[jerrym]

NFL Network analyst looks at Canadian prospects he sees as having a chance of making it in the NFL below. I would rate Hubbard much higher.

Name: Jevon Holland Position: Defensive back School: University of Oregon Hometown: Coquitlam, B.C. Jeremiah’s analysis: “As a nickel, as a safety, can do a lot of things. I think he’s one of the three or four best safeties in this draft class. Didn’t get a chance to see him this year, but somebody that’s well thought of around the league. Takes good angles, he’s a really good tackler, and he’s got good ball skills. He reminded me of a little bit bigger version of Lamarcus Joyner when he was coming out of Florida State. A good football player who I think is probably going to go mid-to-late second round, third round, somewhere in there.”

Name: Josh Palmer Position: Receiver School: University of Tennessee Hometown: Brampton, ON Jeremiah’s analysis: “I like Josh Palmer. To me, he’s like a third, fourth round receiver who can really get vertical. He’s one of the few guys who actually beat University of Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain II down the field this year, he had a touchdown against him. Really good Senior Bowl week — a lot of 50-50-ball wins. Third, fourth round for Josh.”

Name: Chuba Hubbard Position: Running back School: Oklahoma State University Hometown: Sherwood Park, AB Jeremiah’s analysis: “Ultra productive. Tough, physical — I wrote down that he’s kind of a no-nonsense guy when you watch him run, he runs with a real low pad level. I don’t think he has a tremendous amount of top-end juice, but you can use him in the screen game. Once he gets the ball in his hands he’s tough to get down, breaks a lot of tackles. I think he’s a day three pick. The fifth round would be where I would have him. He could go a little earlier, a little later.”

Name: Benjamin St-Juste Position: Defensive back School: University of Minnesota Hometown: Montreal, QC Jeremiah’s analysis: “Big, long, athletic corner who showed up at the Senior Bowl, and he was impressive when you see him, just a bigger looking kid. I’ll be curious to see what he runs, that would be the one question mark: just how much pure, top-end juice does he really have? An interesting player. He reminded me of current Green Bay cornerback Kevin King who has been a solid player for the Packers, coming out of Washington. He’s a classic Seattle Seahawk-type corner.”

Name: Alaric Jackson Position: Offensive line School: University of Iowa Hometown: Windsor, ON Jeremiah’s analysis: “I’m not as high on Alaric Jackson. To me he’s a later pick, somebody that’s going to need some time and some continued development. I have him more of a sixth-round pick. He was on the ground a little bit too much and I thought he had some issues with speed. Those were the two issues I had with him, so he was more of a later round pick for me.”

Name: Amen Ogbongbemiga Position: Linebacker School: Oklahoma State University Hometown: Calgary, ABJeremiah’s analysis: “That is the one Canadian that I still have left to do. I’ve got every position done, except I’ve got a couple linebackers and I’ve go a couple safeties, so he’s still on the to-do list.”

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/09/nfl-network-analyst-daniel-jeremiah-breaks-down-the-top-five-canadian-prospects-in-the-2021-nfl-draft/

[OV Argo]

Reports that the Cowboys have signed Canadian D-lineman Brett Urban - away from the Bears.

That could make 4 Canadians on the Cowboys D_line - along with vet Ty Crawford and DTs Neville Gallimore & Eli Ankou.

Reports also say the Cowboys are parting ways with vet Canadian long-snapper LP Ladouceur ( a few games short of all-time Cowboys game played mark).

[jerrym]

DL Tyrone Crawford has decided to retire after nine years in the NFL with the Cowboys, having made more money ($47 million) than any other Canadian there.

https://3downnation.com/2021/03/30/c...-from-the-nfl/

[jerrym]

Canadian TE Anthony Auclair has signed with the Houston Texans. He won a Super Bowl ring last year with Tampa Bay, although he didn't play in the game. However, he did play in 8 games, including two starts. In four years with Tampa Bay, he has been used primarily as a blocker and ST player while making ten receptions for 84 yards in 40 games.

[jerrym]

LB Benjamin St-Juste, who was ranked #6 in the CFL Scouting Bureau final report, was selected 74th overall in the third round of the NFL draft by Washington.

[jerrym]

#3 ranked DB Jevon Holland, according to the CFL Scouting Bureau final report, was selected 36th overall in the second round of the NFL draft by Miami.

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The top ranked CFL Scouting Bureau draft prospect, Josh Palmer, was taken 77th overall in the third round of the NFL draft by the LA Chargers.

[jerrym]

DL Christian Covington, who was drafted by Houston and BC in 2015, has signed with the LA Chargers. He has 130 DTs and 8.5 sacks in 82 NFL games.

[jerrym]

The New York Giants have invited Canadian QB Nathan Rourke, a 2020 BC second round draft pick, to their 2021 mini-camp.

Nathan Rourke went undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft out of Ohio and should see a lot of work this weekend as there doesn’t appear to be many other QB options at camp. During his senior season at Ohio University, Rourke threw for 2,676 yards, 20 touchdowns against five interceptions with a 61.4 completion percentage. He rushed for 780 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry. ...

Rourke will attempt to flash and perhaps earn a contact this weekend, but keep in mind the Giants already have four quarterbacks under contract: Daniel Jones, Mike Glennon, Joe Webb and Clayton Thorson.

https://giantswire.usatoday.com/2021...okie-minicamp/

[jerrym]

Canadian DL David Onyemata, a fourth round 2016 New Orleans Saints draft pick has been suspended for part of the 2021 season due to a positive test for a banned substance.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders own Onyemata’s CFL rights by selecting him in the fourth round, 35th overall of the 2016 CFL Draft. He went late because of his high level of NFL interest. ...

Since being selected by New Orleans, Onyemata has played 78 games, starting 40, recording 94 solo tackles, 73 assisted tackles, 42 quarterback hits, 21 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, five pass knockdowns, one forced fumble, and one interception.
Onyemata has earned over $15 million so far in his NFL career.

https://3downnation.com/2021/07/16/c...ubstance-test/

[jerrym]

Below is a list of Canadians, as well as other players who have played in the CFL, currently in NFL TC.

https://3downnation.com/2021/08/17/c...camps-in-2021/

[jerrym]

Former Argo 2012 fifth round draft pick TE Luke Willson has retired after an eight year career in which he had 1307 receiving yards and 129 return yards with Seattle and Detroit.

[jerrym]

Below is John Hodge's all-time Canadian NFL offensive roster. Do you agree or disagree with the selections?

https://3downnation.com/2021/05/23/o...dians-offence/