Founded in 1958, the Canadian Football League (CFL) has been largely overshadowed by the neighbouring US National Football league (NFL). While the NFL takes in over $9 billion a year, making it the most profitable sports league on the planet, the CFL grosses roughly $249 million in annual revenue.
But the CFL is anything but a weakling rival league. The CFL brings a lot of talent into the picture that might have otherwise gone overlooked and undiscovered. Many of the players who are left out of the NFL Draft after college enter the CFL. It’s not uncommon for players to use the CFL as a launch for their career into the NFL.
Sustaining careers in both the NFL and CFL is extremely difficult, and it’s a distinction reserved for an elite group. It’s interesting to examine athletes who excel in multiple professional leagues or sports; whether it’s a football player hitting the hard court or felt top table, their competitive nature is always on fire.
Much has been documented about past success stories of players starring in the CFL after NFL stints or using the CFL to springboard to the NFL. Names like quarterback Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, and Joe Theismann top any such list.
However, it should be noted that the rich tradition of cross-pollination between leagues continues with more recent examples like Cameron Wake and Derel Walker.
Wake, a defensive end formerly with the BC Lions, is a perfect example of a player who would have gone overlooked and undiscovered without the CFL as his platform. Wake went undrafted out of college and played in the CFL for 2 seasons. He accumulated 11 awards during his career in Canada, including the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2007.
In January of 2009, Wake signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he currently plays. After 8 seasons with the Dolphins, Wake has established himself as one of the best backs in the league. During his time in the NFL, he has netted 5 Pro Bowl appearances, 3 second-team All-Pro selections, and a first-team All-Pro selection.
Walker went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2014, but signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans. He was released later the same year, paving the way for his move north to the CFL where he joined the Edmonton Eskimos.
Walker quickly found his footing in the colder terrain, becoming a crucial part of the Eskimos offense. He finished his first season in the CFL with 89 receptions and 6 touchdowns, an impressive campaign that earned him the 2015 Most Outstanding Rookie honor.
He continued to make a significant impact in the following season, carrying 10 touchdowns and finishing second in the CFL with 109 receptions. In January of 2017, the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that they had signed Walker, giving him a second shot back in the US. The Buccaneers are in desperate need of an improvement to their receiving corps, and Walker seems like he could be the piece they have been missing.
The CFL deserves ongoing recognition for its role in featuring world class football talent, regardless of whether players pass through before or after their NFL playing days. Both leagues enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with the other that will be exciting for fans to watch well into the future.
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