CALGARY β He was selected first overall in last Mondayβs Canadian Football League Draft, but it looks like four-down football is in University of Calgary Dinos defensive lineman Linden Gaydoshβs immediate future.
Gaydosh signed Sunday with the Carolina Panthers and will forego training camp with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this year in the hopes of cracking an active NFL roster. He was among 36 unsigned, undrafted hopefuls invited to the Panthersβ mini-camp at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. this weekend and made enough of an impression on the coaching staff to earn the contract offer.
βIt’s incredible. I absolutely love it,β Gaydosh described his mini-camp experience to Panthers.com on Saturday. βThis is such a great opportunity, and even if I don’t happen to make it, I’ve learned a lot.β
βWeβre so happy Linden is getting this opportunity to showcase his talents to the NFL,β said Dinos head coach Blake Nill. βHe has worked incredibly hard to achieve this goal, and we wish him all the best.β
Listed at 6-foot-3, 314 pounds, Gaydosh had an incredible four-year career with the Dinos. The Peace River, Alta. native was named Canadian Interuniversity Sport rookie of the year in 2009 and maintained that level of play throughout his career. A second team All-Canadian in 2011, he led the Dinos with 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks as Calgary once again led Canada West in run defence. A vigorous off-season training program had him in the best shape of his life and he again led a stingy Dinos defence through the 2012 season, when he was named a Canada West all-star for the second straight campaign.
Gaydosh joins former Dinos defensive lineman Dan Federkeil as a free-agent signee in the NFL. Federkeil signed with Indianapolis in 2006 and played four seasons with the Colts as an offensive lineman, earning a ring in Super Bowl XLI, before concussions shortened his career. Federkeil has since signed with the Calgary Stampeders and will appear in camp at McMahon Stadium later this month.
Dinos offensive lineman Kirby Fabien, a 2012 CFL draft pick of the B.C. Lions, is also attending an NFL camp this weekend, trying out for the New York Giants in East Rutherford, N.J.
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