I posted this under the new European League of Football, which starts in June as the first fully professional league in Europe since NFL Europe, but I think it warrants consideration here as well.

Adam Rita, the coach and GM of the Barcelona Dragons, has hired Joe Paopao as QB coach. In addition to his CFL experience as coach and QB, Paopao also coached for the University of Waterloo Warriors from 2007 to 2013 and at SFU from 2015 to 2018 as OC. Would Rita and Paopao be willing to give a Canadian QB, like Merchant who has gone 7-0 and is already playing in Spain, a chance to play in the new professional league?

A Long Beach State product, Paopao first came to Canada in 1978 and spent six years in B.C., three with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and one with the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1987 before retiring. He came out of retirement for one final season with the Lions in 1990, starting ahead of legendary CFL quarterback Doug Flutie who he would coach to a CFL MOP season in 1991. Paopao finished his 11-year CFL career with 22,474 passing yards, 117 touchdowns and 157 interceptions. He was added to the B.C. Lions Wall of Fame in 2007.

Paopao began his coaching career with the Lions in 1989 as an offensive backs coach, rising to the role of offensive coordinator by 1992, a position he also held with the Edmonton Football Team, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He served as head coach of the Lions in 1996 and was the inaugural head coach of the expansion Ottawa Renegades from 2002 to 2005, posting a 28-62 career win-loss record.

Outside the CFL, Paopao was offensive coordinator for the XFL’s San Francisco Demons in 2001. He also served as play-caller for the University of Waterloo Warriors from 2007 to 2013 before becoming head coach for his last two seasons, as well as offensive coordinator for Simon Fraser University from 2015 to 2018.


https://3downnation.com/2021/03/28/f...elona-dragons/