Path to the NFL: List of Division and Conferences including U Sports & Canadians

How does one get to the NFL?  Below explains the path of the almost 1700 players from the 2016-17 season including 13 Canadians who were on opening day rosters

OVERALL

	Conference or division	Players	Percent
FBS	SEC	315	18.60%
FBS	Big Ten	245	14.40%
FBS	ACC	226	13.30%
FBS	Pac-12	211	12.40%
	FCS (former I-AA) schools	146	8.60%
FBS	Big 12	134	7.90%
FBS	American	98	5.80%
FBS	Mountain	70	4.10%
FBS	USA	61	3.60%
	Division II schools	60	3.50%
FBS	MAC	39	2.30%
FBS	Independents	36	2.10%
FBS	Sun Belt	34	2.00%
	Division III schools	9	0.50%
	Other schools	7	0.40%
	U Sports schools	5	0.30%
	NAIA schools	2	0.10%
	OVERALL TOTAL	1698
	FBS TOTAL	1469	86.50%

 

CANADIANS

CANADIAN PLAYERS	Players
FBS	8
U Sports	5

OPENING DAY ROSTER PLAYERS

Canadian performances in week 1 of 2016 NFL season: 

Twenty-six Canadians appeared on a 90-man NFL roster in the spring or summer. Here are profiles of the fortunate 13 who survived last week’s cut-downs to 53-man rosters:

Tyrone Crawford, DE, Dallas Cowboys (Windsor, ON) – Boise State FBS / Catholic Central

two solo tackles – lost 20-19 NY Giants

Luke Willson, TE, Seattle Seahawks (Windsor, ON) – Rice FBS / LaSalle

2 catches, 4 targets, 26 yards, 19 long

Jon Ryan, P, Seattle Seahawks (Regina, SK) – Regina Rams CIS / Sheldon-Williams

six punts, 42.2 average, 50 yard long, 2 inside 20

L.P. Ladouceur, Long Snapper, Dallas Cowboys (Pointe Claire, QC) – California FBS / John Abbott CEGEP / College Notre Dame

lost to NY Giants 20-19

Brett Jones, Offensive Line, New York Giants (Weyburn, Sask) – Regina CIS

Defeated Dallas Cowboys 20-19

David Onyemeta, Defensive Line, New Orlean Saints (Winnipeg, MB) – Manitoba CIS

1 assisted tackle – lost 35-34 to Oakland

Christian Covington, DT Houston Texans (Vancouver, BC) – Rice / Vancouver College

1 assisted tackle – won 23-14 Chicago

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, OL, Kansas City Chiefs (Mont-Sainte-Hillaire, QC) McGill / Andre-Grasset

won 33-27 San Diego

Orlando Franklin, RG, San Diego Chargers (Toronto) – Miami Hurricanes FBS / Atlantic Community

lost 33-27 Kansas City

Austin Pasztor, OT, Cleveland Browns – Virginia Cavaliers FBS / Tillsonburg – Glendale

lost 29-10 Philadelphia Eagles

Brent Urban, DL, Baltimore Ravens (Mississauga, ON) – Virginia Cavaliers FBS / Lorne Park

1 assisted tackle – won 13-7 Buffalo

John Urschel OG Baltimore Ravens (Winnipeg, MB) – Penn State

won 13-7 Buffalo

Stefan Charles, DT, Detroit Lions (Toronto) – Regina Rams CIS / Eastdale Collegiate

No Stats

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Practice squad

CLEYON LAING, DE, Miami Dolphins (Edmonton)

TEVAUN SMITH, WR, Indianapolis Colts (Toronto)

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Injured Reserve

ELIE BOUKA, CB, Arizona Cardinals (Laval, QC) Calgary CIS / Montmorency

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FREE AGENT

* MEHDI ABDESMAD, DL, from Montreal. Undrafted rookie cut by Tennessee Titans.

* CHRISTO BILUKIDI, DL, Sixth-year NFLer cut in spring by Washington. Signed by NY Jets but left team in August.  (Ottawa) – Georgia State FCS / St. Patrick

* BRETT BOYKO, OT, Second-year cut by San Diego Chargers. (Saskatoon, SK) – UNLV / St. Joseph’s Guardians

* ARJEN COLQUHOUN, CB, from Windsor, Ont. Undrafted rookie cut by Dallas Cowboys.

* DAVID FOUCAULT, OT, Third-year cut by Carolina Panthers.  (LaSalle, QC) – Montreal (CIS) / Edouard Montpetit

* T.J. JONES, WR/KR, Third-year cut by Detroit Lions.  (Winnipeg, MB) – Notre Dame

* HENOC MUAMBA, LB, from Mississauga, Ont. Ex-CFLer cut by Dallas Cowboys.

* ANDY MULUMBA, OLB, from Montreal. Fourth-year cut by Kansas City Chiefs.  (Luputa, DRC/Montreal, QC) – Eastern Michigan / Vieux Montreal

* RAHSAUN SIMONISE, WR, from Vancouver. Undrafted rookie cut by Cincinnati Bengals.  Returned to Canada to play in CJFL.

* SHAUN SUISHAM, PK, Cut by Pittsburgh Steelers in June but has not filed retirement papers yet, while recovering from plant-leg knee injuries. (Wallaceburg, ON) – Bowling Green FBS / Wallaceburg District