CFL camps feature significant Dinos presence

CALGARY – The 2013 Canadian Football League season is just around the corner, and no fewer than 20 former Dinos players are representing the University of Calgary in rookie and main camps across the CFL.

From Montreal to Vancouver, seven of the CFL’s eight teams have at least one Dino on their camp rosters – a sign of the program’s health, says to head coach Blake Nill.

“The culture we’ve been able to build with the Dinos football program helps our players transition easily into the professional ranks,” said Nill, whose ninth season patrolling the Calgary sidelines will begin this September. “Of course, most of the credit goes to our assistant coaches and our strength and conditioning staff. They are the ones developing the necessary skill sets in our athletes to allow them to compete as professionals.”

The 20 Dinos players in CFL camps is easily the best of any Canadian Interuniversity Sport football school, beating out the 14 sent by both Saskatchewan and Saint Mary’s along with 11 each from Laval and McMaster. And four of the Saint Mary’s players – Darcy Brown, Steve Morley, Tim St. Pierre, and Dave Stala – are products of Nill from his tenure in Halifax.

Of the 20 Dinos in CFL camps, 19 players are under contract while the other – defensive back Jamahl Knowles – is attending the Montreal Alouettes’ rookie camp on a tryout basis.

And that number doesn’t include defensive lineman Linden Gaydosh, who recently signed with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and is in spring training in Charlotte, N.C. Gaydosh was selected first overall by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL’s Canadian Draft held earlier this month.

It was an historic draft for the Dinos, who had three of the top five players taken in Gaydosh, linebacker Mike Edem (No. 3, Montreal), and running back Steven Lumbala (No. 5, Montreal). The Alouettes also took Dinos defensive lineman Michael Klassen in the fourth round (32^nd overall). In addition to their three 2013 draft picks, the Alouettes also signed linebacker Jordan Verdone, long snapper Jerod Zaleski, and defensive lineman Josh Symons – and with Knowles, a total of seven Dinos will be at Montreal’s camp next week.

The Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Edmonton Eskimos each have three Dinos in camp, while Saskatchewan has two and B.C. and Hamilton one each. The hometown Stampeders signed the only other Dino with NFL experience, offensive lineman Dan Federkeil, to join running back Matt Walter and receiver Anthony Parker as University of Calgary alumni on the team. Federkeil had a four-year NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, winning a Super Bowl ring in the process.

The five-time defending Canada West champion Dinos open their own 2013 training camp on Saturday, Aug. 17, two weeks ahead of their conference opener at UBC Aug. 31. Calgary’s home opener is slated for Saturday, Sept. 14 when they host the Saskatchewan Huskies at McMahon Stadium.

 

Dinos at 2013 CFL Training Camps

Montreal Alouettes (7)

LB Mike Edem

DL Michael Klassen

RB Steven Lumbala

DL Josh Symons

LB Jordan Verdone

LS Jerod Zaleski

 

DB Jamahl Knowles*

*indicates tryout player

 

Calgary Stampeders (3)

OL Dan Federkeil

R Anthony Parker

RB Matt Walter

 

Edmonton Eskimos (3)

R Nate Coehoorn

OL Alex Krausnick

OL Carson Rockhill

 

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3)

OL Mark Dewit

OL Paul Swiston

RB Anthony Woodson

 

Saskatchewan Roughriders (2)

LB Sam Hurl

LB Thomas Spoletini

 

B.C. Lions (1)

OL Kirby Fabien

 

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1)

OL Tim O’Neill