December 9, 2009
FOUR OUA STUDENT-ATHLETES NAMED TO CFL TOP 15 PROSPECTS
TORONTO - Now that the 97th Grey Cup champion has been crowned, the focus of teams and their fans turn to next season, including the all important 2010 CFL Canadian Draft.
To help provide fans with a look which players may be drafted by their respective teams, the CFL's Amateur Scouting Bureau published on Wednesday its second ranking of top Canadian amateur football players that are eligible for the 2010 Canadian Draft.
The original ranking was published in September, and since then, there has been a fair amount of movement at the top. Representing the biggest move is Queen's defensive lineman and Vanier Cup champion Shomari Williams who jumped from 15th to fourth. Topping the ranking at No. 1 is Nevada offensive lineman John Bender (previously ranked sixth) and coming in at second (previously ranked third) is Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood who was recently named this year's top defensive player in the CIS.
Three additional OUA student-athletes have also been named to the Top 15 list for December. They include:
Shomari Williams, LB, Queen's: The fourth-year concurrent education student from Brampton, Ont. played previously with the University of Houston Cougars, but made a huge impact in Queen's Vanier Cup run. He led the Gaels with 32 tackles and four sacks, and recorded eight solo tackles, including three tackles for a loss in the 102nd Yates Cup, including a sack for a safety. He also recorded 3.5 sacks and seven tackles in the Mitchell Bowl.
Rob Maver, K/P, Guelph: The fourth-year political science major from Brampton, Ont. led OUA in a number of statistical categories, including 2,723 punting yards, a 41.3 yard punting average and a 92.9 field goal percentage (13-of-14). He was a first-team OUA all-star in 2009.
Taurean Allen, DB, Wilfrid Laurier: The fourth-year communication studies major out of Etobicoke, Ont. made 16.5 tackles, two break-ups and one interception on a highly-regarded Golden Hawks defence in 2009. He was a first-team OUA all-star in 2009.
Chima Ihekwoaba, DE, Wilfrid Laurier: The fourth-year communication studies student from Burlington, Ont. has two solo tackles and four assisted tackles in four games in 2009. He had 2.5 sacks in 2008. Ihekwoaba was a member of the 2009 CIS East West Bowl.
The CFL's Amateur Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league's eight teams.
In the New Year, the CFL will publish the entire roster of players that will attend the 2010 CFL Evaluation Camp, scheduled for March 12-14 in Toronto, Ontario.
The date of the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft will be announced in the coming months.
Top 15 Ranking of Canadian Amateur Football Players
RK (PREV) PLAYER POS. NO. HT. WT. SCHOOL
1 (6) John Bender OL 62 6'8" 325 lbs. Nevada
2 (3) Cory Greenwood LB 8 6'2" 235 lbs Concordia
3 (2) Danny Watkins OT 59 6'4" 310 lbs. Baylor
4 (15) Shomari Williams DL 33 6'2" 236 lbs. Queen's
5 (9) J'Michael Deane OL 77 6'5" 312 lbs. Michigan St.
6 (14) Cory Watson WR 81 6'2" 204 lbs. Concordia
7 (12) Rob Maver K/P 16 6'0" 195 lbs. Guelph
8 (8) Joash Gesse LB 52 6'0" 225 lbs. Montreal
9 (5) Akeem Foster WR 88 6'5" 215 lbs. St. Francis Xavier
10 (1) Brian Bulcke DL 95 6'4" 281 lbs. Stanford
11 (4) Joe Eppele OL 67 6'8" 306 lbs. Washington St.
12 (-) Eddie Steele DT 97 6'2" 280 lbs. Manitoba
13 (13) Taurean Allen DB 5 5'11"195 lbs. Wilfrid Laurier
14 (7) Chima Ihekwoaba DE 9 6'4" 255 lbs. Wilfrid Laurier
15 (11) Nasser Jamal OT 77 6'6" 286 lbs. Louisiana Lafayette
Source: Canadian Football League with files from OUA Communications
To help provide fans with a look which players may be drafted by their respective teams, the CFL's Amateur Scouting Bureau published on Wednesday its second ranking of top Canadian amateur football players that are eligible for the 2010 Canadian Draft.
The original ranking was published in September, and since then, there has been a fair amount of movement at the top. Representing the biggest move is Queen's defensive lineman and Vanier Cup champion Shomari Williams who jumped from 15th to fourth. Topping the ranking at No. 1 is Nevada offensive lineman John Bender (previously ranked sixth) and coming in at second (previously ranked third) is Concordia linebacker Cory Greenwood who was recently named this year's top defensive player in the CIS.
Three additional OUA student-athletes have also been named to the Top 15 list for December. They include:
Shomari Williams, LB, Queen's: The fourth-year concurrent education student from Brampton, Ont. played previously with the University of Houston Cougars, but made a huge impact in Queen's Vanier Cup run. He led the Gaels with 32 tackles and four sacks, and recorded eight solo tackles, including three tackles for a loss in the 102nd Yates Cup, including a sack for a safety. He also recorded 3.5 sacks and seven tackles in the Mitchell Bowl.
Rob Maver, K/P, Guelph: The fourth-year political science major from Brampton, Ont. led OUA in a number of statistical categories, including 2,723 punting yards, a 41.3 yard punting average and a 92.9 field goal percentage (13-of-14). He was a first-team OUA all-star in 2009.
Taurean Allen, DB, Wilfrid Laurier: The fourth-year communication studies major out of Etobicoke, Ont. made 16.5 tackles, two break-ups and one interception on a highly-regarded Golden Hawks defence in 2009. He was a first-team OUA all-star in 2009.
Chima Ihekwoaba, DE, Wilfrid Laurier: The fourth-year communication studies student from Burlington, Ont. has two solo tackles and four assisted tackles in four games in 2009. He had 2.5 sacks in 2008. Ihekwoaba was a member of the 2009 CIS East West Bowl.
The CFL's Amateur Scouting Bureau is comprised of CFL scouts, player personnel directors and general managers from the league's eight teams.
In the New Year, the CFL will publish the entire roster of players that will attend the 2010 CFL Evaluation Camp, scheduled for March 12-14 in Toronto, Ontario.
The date of the 2010 CFL Canadian Draft will be announced in the coming months.
Top 15 Ranking of Canadian Amateur Football Players
RK (PREV) PLAYER POS. NO. HT. WT. SCHOOL
1 (6) John Bender OL 62 6'8" 325 lbs. Nevada
2 (3) Cory Greenwood LB 8 6'2" 235 lbs Concordia
3 (2) Danny Watkins OT 59 6'4" 310 lbs. Baylor
4 (15) Shomari Williams DL 33 6'2" 236 lbs. Queen's
5 (9) J'Michael Deane OL 77 6'5" 312 lbs. Michigan St.
6 (14) Cory Watson WR 81 6'2" 204 lbs. Concordia
7 (12) Rob Maver K/P 16 6'0" 195 lbs. Guelph
8 (8) Joash Gesse LB 52 6'0" 225 lbs. Montreal
9 (5) Akeem Foster WR 88 6'5" 215 lbs. St. Francis Xavier
10 (1) Brian Bulcke DL 95 6'4" 281 lbs. Stanford
11 (4) Joe Eppele OL 67 6'8" 306 lbs. Washington St.
12 (-) Eddie Steele DT 97 6'2" 280 lbs. Manitoba
13 (13) Taurean Allen DB 5 5'11"195 lbs. Wilfrid Laurier
14 (7) Chima Ihekwoaba DE 9 6'4" 255 lbs. Wilfrid Laurier
15 (11) Nasser Jamal OT 77 6'6" 286 lbs. Louisiana Lafayette
Source: Canadian Football League with files from OUA Communications
